Wednesday, October 16, 2019

From Open Secrets: Super PACs

For out look at campaign financing.

- Click here for the article.

Super PACs are a relatively new type of committee that arose following the July 2010 federal court decision in a case known as SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission.

Technically known as independent expenditure-only committees, super PACs may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, associations and individuals, then spend unlimited sums to overtly advocate for or against political candidates. Unlike traditional PACs, super PACs are prohibited from donating money directly to political candidates, and their spending must not be coordinated with that of the candidates they benefit. Super PACs are required to report their donors to the Federal Election Commission on a monthly or semiannual basis – the super PAC's choice – in off-years, and monthly in the year of an election.

As of October 16, 2019, 1,563 groups organized as super PACs have reported total receipts of $177,298,278 and total independent expenditures of $11,684,880 in the 2020 cycle. See more on Outside Spending.