Jimmy Carter says when he ran against Gerald Ford, he didn't raise any money | PolitiFact

That was the first presidential election run under the post-Watergate amendments to the Federal Election Campaign Act. Under this law, presidential candidates were able to receive a partial federal match for money they raised for the primary, up to $5 million. For the general election, candidates could receive full federal funding, up to $20 million, as long as they raised no private money for the general election and stuck to expenditure limits.

We were able to obtain original campaign-finance documentation during a visit to the public records room of the Federal Election Commission in Washington, D.C.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2013/feb/26/jimmy-carter/jimmy-carter-says-when-he-ran-against-gerald-ford-/