Internet Association rolls out new political fundraising tool

The Internet Association, a trade group representing internet giants including Facebook and Google, is launching a new online political fundraising platform. The program will allow people to ask candidates selected by the group questions and donate money to the association's political action committee to help that candidate. Users will be able to submit questions to lawmakers in livestreamed question-and-answer sessions hosted by the Internet Association. Donations made through the system will be transferred directly to the candidate, and by law will be subject to a contribution limit of $2,700 per election cycle.

“Just as our member companies have done for countless industries, the Internet Association has set out to revolutionize political fundraising,” Michael Beckerman, the group’s CEO, said in a statement. “This fundamentally internet-based approach will democratize political giving — a process traditionally characterized by exclusivity and an overall lack of transparency — and convert it to a public forum that provides everyday internet voters with the ability to participate in a meaningful way.” The new platform will allow the lobbying group to channel crowdsourced fundraising toward lawmakers supported by the internet industry. Rep Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), a member of House GOP leadership, will be the first to participate and will be answering questions submitted to the platform on Feb 15.