2008 GAB 06 - LOBBYING & LOBBYISTS

The Government Accountability Board advises:

1) A PAC may purchase public opinion research from a vendor if the research is
     for a political purpose, a vendor sells research at a price calculated, at a
     minimum, to recoup the vendor’s costs, and the price at which the vendor sells
     research to each purchaser is comparable for a comparable product. Such sale
     would not result in an in-kind contribution to the PAC from the vendor under
     these circumstances

2) Absent collusion among purchasers, we do not consider other purchasers of
     the research to be subsidizing an individual PAC’s purchase even though it may
     fairly be said that, without other purchasers, the price of the product may be
     greater.

3) Public opinion research that a PAC uses in determining who to support, how
     much support to give a candidate, the message the PAC wants to convey about
     a candidate, and the like is a political purpose.