Dear supporter,

THANK YOU for your willingness to financially support my campaign! The campaign bank account is finally set up, as is the online contribution mechanism.

Checks may be sent to:

FEC regulations require me to request that you name your employer/occupation, so I'm asking (the memo line of your check would be a good place for that).

My initial fundraising goal is $4,500 (more about how I plan to spend it below). This is below the Federal Elections Commission reporting threshold of $5,000 (I'm pledging up to $400 of my own money, $100 of which I've already spent on filing fees). I don't want to exceed that FEC threshold and get bogged down in paperwork until and unless I know that I can use your contributions effectively to make an impact.

The maximum pre-primary contribution to a candidate, under our nation's campaign finance laws, is $2,300. However, I am personally limiting contributions to a maximum of $1,000, and refusing corporate and PAC contributions -- I'll accept contributions from individuals only. If you'd like to contribute more, I suggest that you support other Libertarian candidates, or the Missouri Libertarian Party, with your money.

My rough campaign budget looks something like this:

$1,000 -- postcard/brochure printing and mailing
$1,000 -- yard signs and frames
$2,000 -- advertising
$900 -- everything else (booth rentals, bank fees, etc.)
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$5,000 total

If spending that money produces visible effects -- media coverage, voter interest, contacts for the Libertarian Party and so forth -- then I'll raise more money to do more things.

Update, 06/28/08 -- Earlier this week, we ordered the first run of campaign postcards/doorhangers. They'll be going out by mail and in "door knock / lit drop" operations in late July to maximize participation in the Missouri Libertarian Party's primary election on August 5th. By then, I hope to also have yard signs in hand to promote the campaign polling places and to hand out to constituents who are willing to display them. Your contributions are making a difference!

Yours in liberty,
Tom Knapp
Libertarian for US House of Representatives