MONEYINPOLITICS.wtf
America’s most comprehensive dictionary of campaign finance jargon
hard dollars
noun1 funds donated directly to a campaign committee that are publicly disclosed and subject to contribution limits; used by candidates and parties to pay for operating expenses like staff salaries, travel and events
The reported $141 million total consists of so-called hard dollars, which can be spent directly by aides at the Trump campaign and the R.N.C. The Trump campaign also said that even more cash, $150 million, had been secured last month by some unidentified ‘organizations supporting President Trump,’ presumably a few of the outside groups that have backed his bid so far.— The New York Times
‘The super PAC model of winning a presidential primary, I think, is staggering, if not on the ropes,’ said one DeSantis donor. ‘And if you’re going to have a successful presidential primary campaign you need to be able to raise hard dollars.’— The Washington Post