[Calpernia]

You can donate to a campaign before a candidate declares?

I didn’t know that.

[kevkrom]

You can donate to a campaign before a candidate declares? I didn’t know that.

That's the whole point of an exploratory (a/k/a "testing the waters") committee -- to raise preliminary funds and start putting together an organization. "Friends of Fred Thompson" launched June 1.

[SE Mom]

It’s been that way for a long time- this is also known as an “exploratory committee”...most of them do this before declaring.