Clean Money levels the playing field and reduces the influence of special interest money. Qualified candidates who agree to spending limits and to raise little or no private money can receive a limited amount of public money.
Candidates qualify by demonstrating broad public support from their districts.
Participating candidates must raise a large number of small contributions in a limited period of time. The details vary from state to state and from office to office. Under the governing case in campaign finance law, Buckley v. Valeo , the only constitutional way to set spending limits is to provide candidates the incentive to limit their own spending. Clean Money provides full public funding in exchange for candidates voluntarily agreeing to limit their own spending. Clean Money reform provides additional matching funds for participating candidates who face someone who exceeds the voluntary spending limits.