Contributions to "527" independent campaign finance groups more than doubled during the 2004 election cycle, a study released Wednesday said.
The groups are named after a section of the tax code under which they are organized.
Democratic-oriented groups received nearly four times as much "527" money as Republican-oriented ones last year -- $321 million to $84 million.
The non-partisan Campaign Finance Institute, affiliated with The George Washington University, said federal "527" groups received $405 million in net contributions (discounting for inter-group transfers) in the 2004 cycle, an increase of $254 million since the 2002 cycle.
If "527s" become fully accepted and institutionalized, the institute said they could play even larger financial roles in the future, including the presidential election in 2008.
The "527" groups have, thus far, replaced part of soft money banned by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. Of $591 million in 2002 party soft money, $337 million was not replaced by "527" contributions during 2004, the study said.
© Copyright 2005 by United Press International
