The news lately is full of reports that some politicians are going to great lengths to avoid being labeled candidates for president in 2016. Some reports have even suggested that these “un-candidates” can more or less do as they please, raising unlimited sums and coordinating with super PACs and other outside spending groups. This view is simply not accurate: Politicians cannot avoid campaign finance laws merely by not calling themselves candidates. The rules are clear: Individuals who are, as the Federal Election Commission puts it, “testing the waters” — considering whether to become candidates — are not in an anything-goes zone. Quite the contrary, they are subject to the same fundraising limits as declared candidates, and they cannot establish and coordinate future support with outside groups.
Delaying your candidacy doesn’t mean you can avoid campaign finance rules - The Washington Post
