Hillary Victory Fund
"[4] Individual donations were first allocated to Hillary for America (up to $2,700 or $5,400 for married couples), then to the Democratic National Committee (up to $33,400) and finally divided among state parties.
"[5] The Clinton campaign courted state party leaders to join the Fund during the August 2015 Democratic National Committee summer meeting.
[8] Mississippi, New Hampshire, Virginia, and Wisconsin were among the first state Democratic Party committees to commit to the Victory Fund.
The Utah Democratic Party chose to participate and its head said that state donations were expected to be sent to national headquarters.
[6] Proceeds would be invested in the national electoral roll, state party budgets, and expanded research, digital, and communications systems.
[9] The fund held a second event, hosted by Elton John and Katy Perry in Radio City Music Hall, in early March 2016.
Attendees at the Clooney mansion event included Kate Capshaw and Steve Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Haim and Cheryl Saban.
[6] The Hillary Victory Fund let the Clinton 2016 presidential campaign ask big donors for over $350,000 apiece per calendar year, or $700,000 from married couples.
In 2014, the Supreme Court case McCutcheon v. FEC built on the Citizens United decision by ruling that limitations to an individual's total political donations were unconstitutional.
[6] In September 2015, the Hillary Victory Fund spent $800,000 on fundraising and Clinton campaign staff salaries, gave $600,000 to the Democratic National Committee, and left $1.75 million to be distributed.
Of the latter, the state parties were due to receive $1.8 million, but the funds were redirected to the national committee to pay off outstanding debt.
[6] Paul Blumenthal, a political reporter for The Huffington Post noted that the super joint fundraising committee was unusual.
[7] The Washington Post reported in February 2016 that the Clinton campaign had received much of the fund's benefits despite its intended use in state party elections.
[6] As of March 2016, the Sanders campaign financed itself completely through small donations and was potentially uninterested in the Victory Fund coffers if nominated.
[11] In May 2016, Politico analyzed Federal Election Commission filings and found that the state parties retained less than one percent of the $61 million raised by the Hillary Victory Fund.
[13] In a response to the complaint, the DNC called the allegations a "political stunt", and pointed out that the Trump campaign had raised over $100 million from 20 Republican state parties.
[14] In June 2018, the FEC filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, stating that the Committee "lacks Article III standing because it has failed to allege a concrete and particularized injury.
