(CNN) Andrew Yang announced Thursday that his presidential campaign will give 10 people $1,000 a month for a year in an expansion of his signature "universal basic income" policy platform.

Yang announced during the third Democratic presidential debate on ABC News that he will raffle off 10 "Freedom Dividends" that will be financed by campaign donations from supporters. Yang's "Freedom Dividends" are central to his campaign platform, and he's dipped into his personal funds in the past to road-test his idea -- providing the monthly payments to three families in Iowa, New Hampshire and Florida, according to his campaign.

The businessman has argued that a universal basic income for all Americans older than 18 would play a key role in making the modern economy more equitable.

In a statement, Yang's campaign aides said they had consulted with their lawyers, who say the "Freedom Dividends are fully compliant with all FEC regulations."

But campaign-finance experts say his unusual gambit -- using donors' money for these payments -- may run afoul of federal law that bars converting campaign funds to personal use.

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