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Is Your Trust Agreement Politically Correct?Is Your Trust Agreement Politically Correct?

Considerations for campaign contributions in an estate plan.

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Melisa Seyhun, Craig Engleand 1 more

November 19, 2024

16 Min Read
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Even though the 2024 election has passed, estate planners will continue to have clients who wish to promote partisan interests by financing political causes in their estate plans. This isn’t very different from gifts made to favored social causes in the hope that those issues will continue to thrive. But a big difference is that lifetime and legacy political giving are subject to restrictions, prohibitions and reporting requirements, and sometimes, a fiduciary is required to balance competing considerations in administering the gift.

We’ll examine the growing intersection of campaign finance law and estate planning and: (1) identify the campaign contribution limits for U.S. persons (which include a trust or an estate1); (2) give tips for ...

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About the Authors

Melisa Seyhun

Assistant Vice President, Strategic Wealth Advisory Group, Merrill Private Wealth Management

Melisa is an Assistant Vice President in the Strategic Wealth Advisory Group (SWAG) within Merrill Private Wealth Management. Melisa works closely with the advisors of wealthy families and individuals, helping clients to achieve their financial, personal, and legacy goals. She works collaboratively with clients’ advisors, providing holistic service to aid in pursuing sustainable, long term strategies.

Melisa is a Trust & Estate Fellow with the American Bar Association’s Real Property Trust & Estate Law Section, serves on the Chicago Community Trust’s Young Professional Advisory Committee, and participates in the Young Leaders Fund, providing grants to small Chicago charities focused on Childhood Development and Education. She is a graduate of The George Washington University Law School (J.D. 2016) and Loyola Law School (LL.M. Taxation 2017).

Craig Engle

Partner, ArentFox Schiff LLP

Craig Engle is a partner at ArentFox Schiff LLP.

Allison K. Pfeifle

Partner, ArentFox Schiff LLP

Allison K. Pfeifle is a partner at ArentFox Schiff LLP.