Kids, Candidates, and Cash

You have to admire how politically engaged some children are.

After all, the future of our democracy is in their hands.

Kids are forgetting about cracking open the piggy banks to buy video games or Barbie dolls. They're donating to political campaigns, throwing their support behind the candidate they believe will lead the country in the right direction.

We're not talking small change here, either. We're talking about kids generously giving thousands of dollars of their own money, of their own accord.

WASHINGTON -- At 8 years old, Matthew Mardirossian is too young to vote. But he and his 7-year-old sister, Karis, each contributed $4,600 to help Democrat Barack Obama win the White House.

In Arizona, 15-year-old actor Hunter Gomez gave $2,300 to Republican John McCain, his home state senator.

Under federal rules, minors can make political donations — as long as it's their money and decision to contribute.

Massie Ritsch, spokesman for the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics, said it's a way people "use their family members to circumvent the limits on individual contributions," which is $2,300 each for the primary and general elections.

"Chances are slim that a 6- or 7-year-old would knowingly give their money to a candidate. They would prefer to spend their money on G.I. Joes or Barbie dolls," said Paul Ryan of the Campaign Legal Center.

Aris Mardirossian said his children's donations came from their trust fund, controlled by lawyers and accountants. "It is their money, and the trustee makes the decisions on their behalf," he said.

Mardirossian and his wife gave $4,600 apiece to Obama. The real estate developer estimates his extended family has donated about $50,000 to the Illinois senator.

Spokesman Bill Burton said Obama returned the money from the Mardirossian children Monday — the same day USA TODAY asked about the donations.

Obama doesn't accept money from anyone younger than 16, Burton said, and the donations were refunded "once we ascertained that they fell outside of the parameters for donations that we accept."

These candidates are really being hit hard.

First, it was the dirty Hsu money. Now, it's the child donors who are coming under scrutiny. Tsk, tsk.

...It's hard to determine how much campaign money comes from minors. Candidates report occupations, such as student, but not donors' ages. White House hopefuls have received 1,079 donations worth about $2 million from students so far this year, the Center said. Nearly 2,500 students gave $2.8 million in 2004.

Syracuse University student Jacqueline Jacobs, 20, gave $4,600 of her own funds to Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton. Jacobs said her father, a Clinton fan and Nassau County (N.Y.) Democratic chairman, "would never tell me to give money."

A 20-year-old can vote. Although unlikely, I guess it's possible that someone that age would want to part with thousands of dollars in personal funds to back a candidate. Of course, the individual must have money to burn and no college loans to worry about.

But children at 7 and 8, donating $4,600 each to Barack Obama?

Yes, after thoroughly researching the candidates and carefully weighing their options, these grade school kids determined how much of their own money they wished to donate.

Perhaps they were energized by Obama's message, caught up in the excitement. Maybe they feel it's time for a change in Washington. They're tired of the old politics. They're longing for something new.

Sure. That's sounds legitimate.

No parental influence there. Noooooooo.

Don't you love campaign finance reform?