- Boxes are pre-checked to make donations to the Mehmet Oz Senate campaign recurring.
- Former President Donald Trump's 2020 campaign employed the same tactic.
- The FEC has urged Congress to ban the practice.
Donors to Dr. Mehmet Oz's Senate campaign could be in for a surprise if they don't read the fine print.
The campaign for the celebrity doctor-turned-Republican-politician is using a tactic previously exploited by the Trump campaign to automatically sign up contributors for monthly recurring donations — as well as a one-time doubling of their initial contribution.
Oz's campaign achieves this with a pair of small, pre-checked boxes. Visitors to his campaign website who elect to donate are asked to choose a sum. But if they don't uncheck the boxes themselves, they will be agreeing to pay that amount twice and every month thereafter — up to $2,900, the maximum individual contribution limit.
Leaving both boxes checked, a person who chose to donate $500 on December 1 would end up contributing $1,500 by January 2. The Oz campaign's reliance on this tactic was first reported by the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
Oz launched his campaign in November to replace outgoing Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.
None of the leading contenders for the Democratic nomination employ the tactic, including Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Rep. Connor Lamb, and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta. Nor does Jeff Bartos, a real estate developer seeking the GOP nod.
But at least one other Republican running for Senate in Pennsylvania does, Carla Sands, a businesswoman and major Trump donor who served as US ambassador to Denmark during the last administration.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which helps fund House races, also makes monthly donations the default.
'Felt like it was a scam'
The practice is not illegal. But regulators think it should be.
As The New York Times reported in April 2021, former President Donald Trump's 2020 campaign used the same tactic, and it left some donors — unaware of what they had actually signed up for — feeling swindled. "It felt like it was a scam," Russell Blatt told the newspaper.
In May 2021, the bipartisan Federal Election Commission unanimously agreed that Congress should ban the practice, stating that "many contributors are unaware of the 'pre-checked' boxes and are surprised by the already completed transactions appearing on account statements."
A spokesperson for Oz didn't reply to Insider's request for comment and a call to Sands' campaign office wasn't returned.
Have a news tip? Email this reporter: [email protected]