The group hopes to raise $1 million and is considering creating a political action committee to provide direct donations to candidates.

Some of the temple's supplies came from direct donations by the king.

Part of the proceeds from each sale goes toward a direct donation to a charity organization.

"I personally don't want to do it at all," he said of raising the limits on direct donations.

There is also a direct donation from the United Way.

Clearly, however, the money came from corporations, and under Wisconsin law, direct corporate donations to politicians are illegal.

And unlike the case with direct donations, no records of independent spending have to be disclosed.

Instead the college raises most of its money through direct donations for a project or to the endowment.

It is not just direct donations that buys influence with politicians.

More than $130,000 of the gross was direct donations to the fund.