The Center for Public Integrity

Super PAC American Crossroads and its sister organization raised more than $51 million last year with more than 60 percent of the total flowing into Crossroads GPS, the nonprofit arm that is not required to report its donors.

American Crossroads, a super PAC that reports to the Federal Election Commission, raked in $18.4 million last year, including a $5 million donation from Texas tycoon Harold Simmons, plus another $2 million from Contran, a company that he controls, according to Crossroads sources.

Crossroads GPS, the nonprofit group that shares leadership and offices with American Crossroads, pulled in $31.6 million last year, a ratio similar to what the two groups accounted for in 2010 when they raised a combined $71 million.

The two Republican groups were launched in 2010 by GOP super consultants Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie.

They are now getting fundraising help from former Mississippi Governor and ex-party chairman Haley Barbour. The groups have publicly said that they’re shooting to raise at least $240 million to help the GOP win the White House and control both houses of Congress.

Donors and fundraisers who have been solicited by Barbour and other group leaders, say that privately the two Crossroads groups are aiming for $300 million, the most ambitious outside effort underway.

Currently plans call for spending about half the funds to help take the White House, and the rest to win the Senate and keep the House, say fundraisers close to the groups.

The Crossroads groups appear to be the biggest beneficiaries of court rulings in 2010 that permitted corporations, individuals and unions to give unlimited amounts to groups that expressly advocate for or against candidates.

"Make Us Great Again," the presidential super PAC that supported Texas Gov. Rick Perry, raised $5.5 million, according to election reports filed Tuesday with a big chunk of the funds coming from energy companies.

Oil companies and executives dominated the list of contributors giving at least $1.3 million, according to a Center for Public Integrity review of the government filing.

The largest amount given by a single donor was from Contran Corp., of Dallas, which gave two $500,000 contributions for a total of $1 million.  Contran Corp. is a large holding company with diverse interests. It is controlled by Texas billionaire and mega-donor Harold Simmons who has supported Perry in Texas politics.

Such corporate contributions would be illegal were it not for the Citizens United Supreme Court decision in 2010, which allowed corporations and labor unions to fund ads to support or oppose a candidate. 

Make us Great Again was founded by Mike Toomey, a former chief of staff to Perry. Toomey gave $100,000 to the super PAC as did Texas homebuilder Bob Perry. The group ran mostly positive ads showing Perry in a favorable light.

The closeness of the super PAC to Perry’s campaign was cause for some controversy, leading several good government groups to file a complaint with the FEC. The groups claimed that Make Us Great Again shared video with the Perry campaign to be used in advertisements.

Perry endorsed Newt Gingrich when he dropped out of the race. He is not term limited in Texas and may make another run for governor.

The super PAC reported $605,000 cash on hand.

Herman Cain, barely two weeks after suspending his presidential bid, founded his own super PAC called Cain Connections.

The problem is that Herman Cain may — by the letter of the law — still be an active presidential candidate.

“Suspending” one’s campaign means nothing legally to the Federal Election Commission, according to the agency. Cain has not filed to terminate his campaign committee with the FEC, nor has he publicly announced the definitive end of his campaign.

In fact, he was on Tuesday's Florida primary ballot.

Nine days after Cain Connections’ inception, it had its first contribution — $50,000 from real estate magnate and former New York Post publisher Peter Kalikow. Super PACs, which cannot spend money in coordination with a particular candidate’s campaign, can accept unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations and unions.

But because Cain himself is running the super PAC, some questions of legality arise.

Paul Ryan, at the Campaign Legal Center, said that if Herman Cain is indeed still an active candidate, Cain Connections’ acceptance of the $50,000 contribution would be a violation of campaign finance law.

That $50,000 contribution to his super PAC could be seen as a $50,000 contribution to Cain’s campaign. The legal limit is $2,500 per candidate per election.