What would IAF affiliation mean?
The Independent American Federation is developing a recognizable standard for candidates who want to make a public commitment to independent service. Affiliation will need to mean more than permission to display a logo.
The intended process
- Read the commitment. A prospective candidate examines the public standards and decides whether they can honestly uphold them.
- Make a public declaration. Future candidates would acknowledge the commitment in a documented, reviewable form.
- Demonstrate compliance. A defined process would review campaign-finance practices and other applicable representations.
- Stay accountable. Affiliation would be subject to continuing disclosure, review, and withdrawal for substantiated breaches.
Candidate enrollment, certification, directories, endorsements, badge licensing, and campaign use of IAF marks are not available at launch. We will publish the process when governance and campaign-finance review are complete.
Why the separation matters
IAF is publicly presented through A Common America, an independent expenditure-only political committee. A political committee's activities and a candidate's campaign have distinct legal rules. Publishing an ethical standard does not by itself authorize coordinated campaign activity, financial support, or use of IAF branding by a candidate.
If you're interested in the development of the commitment, join the general IAF update list. The list is not a candidate application.