Wisconsin Politician Forced to Return $100 Bitcoin Donation
A politician from the US state of Wisconsin has returned a $100 bitcoin donation following guidance from the Government Accountability Board (GAB), a state-level campaign finance watchdog. As first publicised by the Wisconsin Reporter, Alderman Mark Clear, who is running for a seat in the state legislature, returned the donation after the GAB decided to wait for a forthcoming decision from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) as to the legality of such contributions. The FEC announced in late April that it had postponed its decision on bitcoin donations until its next meeting on 8th May.....
Related News
This morning, Pfhub reported that Alderman Mark Clear of Wisconsin had returned a Bitcoin donation accepted by his political campaign for State Assembly. The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB) had previously ruled not to allow Bitcoin or any Digital Currency donations given their value fluctuation and non-negotiable value status. Though people in the GAB have voiced suggestions for Bitcoin donations to be treated as in-kind donations, echoing the current status quo on handling Bitcoin donations around the country, the official word in Wisconsin that is being handed down to all....
The long-awaited decision by the US Federal Election Commission (FEC) to allow political candidates to solicit campaign contributions in bitcoin was issued earlier this May, effectively giving campaigns the green-light to accept up to $100 per donor. The decision, an advisory opinion, treats bitcoin as cash when establishing limits on donations, though they must be reported as in-kind contributions. As a result of this announcement, a number of federal candidates have rushed to begin accepting the digital currency, joining an already strong number of local and state politicians. However,....
Where there's a politician, there's a request for a donation. It's no different with Steve Stockman - Representative of the 36th congressional district in the state of Texas. Stockman now has a donation page up on his website allowing users to submit funds via a connection with digital payments processor BitPay for his run for United States Senate. This is not Stockman's first run-in with bitcoin. He was seen at a New Year's Eve party at 'The Bitcoin Center' in Manhattan's financial district holding up a QR code with a donation address. Could this be the start of a new thing in the....
A whitetail doe and her fawn run through the woods at the Donges Bay Gorge, a parcel of Lake Michigan-fronting land wedged between new McMansions in Mequon, Wisconsin. The nature preserve is one of the many properties in this part of the Midwest whose future protection could be funded by bitcoin. The properties are owned or managed by the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust, a non-profit entity that posts its bitcoin address on its website for potential donations. "Donate your bitcoins and we'll plant trees," said executive director Shawn Graff, a cryptocurrency enthusiast who brought the idea....
One of bitcoin’s most-often cited challenges is the need for widespread merchant adoption. In examining this issue, bitcoin researchers often note that only a handful of big-name merchants like Tiger Direct accept bitcoin. What often gets less attention is the benefits small merchants are finding with bitcoin; the reason being that smaller merchant adoption is harder to track. High Violet Salon and Spa in Wisconsin Dells, a tourist city in northern Wisconsin, has embraced bitcoin for the same reasons that many other businesses have – lower transaction fees, ease of use, and the option of....