Politics

Libertarian presidential hopeful only accepting gold, Bitcoin for donations

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Betsi Fores The Daily Caller News Foundation
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While the 2016 presidential election is still far off, one hopeful is getting a head start on fundraising by accepting unorthodox forms of campaign donations.

In an open letter to the Federal Election Commission, Libertarian Party presidential candidate Darryl Perry declared that his campaign will use Internet currencies like Bitcoin wallet and Litecoin wallet as well as precious metals to finance his bid for the White House.

“The Darryl W. Perry for President (2016) campaign will not be accepting donations in currencies recognized by the federal legal tender laws,” the letter states.

Alternative forms of currency have grown popular among libertarians who are skeptical of the Federal Reserve

Bitcoin made headlines last month during the Cyprus bank crisis when the government declared they were conducting a one-time tax on existing bank deposits. People looking to store their money elsewhere saw Bitcoin as a safe haven.

Also in his letter, Perry announced that he has no intention of following the Federal Election Commission’s election guidelines because he does not believe the FEC has authority.

“As a libertarian, I do not believe the Federal Election Commission has legitimate authority to regulate the fundraising of candidates or donations of those giving to candidates or their campaigns,” he wrote.

The letter is intended to be the campaign’s only interaction with the commission. Perry says he will not file a statement of candidacy, statement of organization, or any financial reports.

 “I believe this is a major step in the progression of presidential campaigns and elections, in general,” Perry said in a press release announcing his candidacy. “If I’m going to avoid their regulations in my campaign, I should also avoid using their money in my campaign.”

While Bitcoin is not currently accepted as tender in most places, the Libertarian Party announced that it will be accepting donation pledges in the form of the Internet currency.

“Many Libertarians have begun using Bitcoin, a decentralized digital currency. The Libertarian Party is now equipped to accept Bitcoin donations through the services of BitPay,” the party’s website states.

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