Private Contributions

Presidential candidates may return contributions solicited for the general election campaign and accept public financing with its stricter limitations, the Federal Election Comission ruled Thursday. By a 5-0 vote, the commission gave candidates the option of paying for their general election campaigns with private contributions or with taxpayer money from a presidential campaign fund.

The commission acted on the request for FEC advice from Democrati presidential candidate Barack Obama, the Illinois senator. Commissioners hailed the decision as one way of helping to preserve a public financing system that is in danger of becoming obsolete.