Don't shoot the piano player.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Foreign nationals cannot contribute to the upcoming presidential campaign, but what if you are a five-time Grammy award winner?

Sir Elton John, the British singing sensation, performed at Radio City Music Hall in New York City last month with full ticket sales contributed to Hillary Clinton for President campaign.

An online post by John McCaslin's "Inside the Beltway" for The Washington Post questioned if the concert violated the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA). McCaslin wondered in the March 26 post if Sir Elton was "indirectly" contributing to the campaign, which would be unlawful.

The FECA "prohibits any foreign national from contributing, donating or spending funds in connection with any federal, state, or local election in the United States, either directly or indirectly. It is also unlawful to help foreign nationals violate that ban or to solicit, receive or accept contributions or donations from them. Persons who knowingly and willfully engage in these activities may be subject to fines and/or imprisonment."

But foreign nationals are not restricted from donating uncompensated time to presidential campaigns. The Clinton camp responded that the concert didn't violate any laws and confirmed that Sir Elton wouldn't be compensated, according to The Fact Hub on the campaign's Web site.

The presidential candidate also quoted Federal Election Commission (FEC) Spokesman Bob Biersack as saying, "I did not intend to convey in my conversation with The Washington Times reporter that there is anything unlawful about Elton John performing in a concert to raise money for a U.S. presidential candidate."

The FEC can give advisory opinions for a situation's legality if a formal complaint is made, but several advisories over the years support that a foreign national is able to volunteer time to a presidential campaign.