In light of insider reports showing record-breaking contributions to the 2025 presidential inauguration, this Essay surveys the current state of inauguration committees in the United States, including primary research on statutes in all fifty states. This Essay argues that inaugural committees involve contributions and expenditures that would be regulated under campaign finance law but escape scrutiny and regulation because of the unique timing and purpose of inauguration ceremonies. This Essay classifies four approaches to regulating inaugural committees, examines how each reflects broader trends of money in politics, and addresses constitutional concerns potential regulation faces.
Copyright 2025 by Joe Beebe
Cite as: Joe Beebe, Sworn-In, Paid Out: Inauguration Committees as a Blind Spot of Campaign Finance Law, 119 Nw. U. L. Rev. Online 381 (2025), https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1359&context=nulr_online.