Super PACs from The Center for Public Integrity

PAC profile: Restore Our Future

2013-01-17T17:45:52-05:00

Type of organization: Super PAC

Supports candidate: Mitt Romney

Founded: Oct. 8, 2010

Website: restoreourfuture.com

Social media: YouTube channel, Facebook page

Principals:

Carl Forti (co-founder): Romney’s 2008 political director. Adviser to American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS. Co-founder of Black Rock Group, a strategic communications and public relations firm.
Charles Spies (treasurer): Romney’s chief financial officer and counsel in 2008.
Larry McCarthy (co-founder): Member of Romney’s media team in 2008. President of McCarthy Hennings Media, Inc.
Steve Roche (fundraiser): Former top fundraiser for Romney in 2008 and until August 2011.

Profile:

During the 2012 election cycle, no other super PAC raised as much money as Restore Our Future, which collected nearly $154 million thanks to a network of deep-pocketed individuals, companies and parnterships.

In all, nearly one-third of the money Restore Our Future raised came from individuals and organizations in the financial sector, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. And nearly half of the early money raised by the pro-Romney group was from financial industry sources, with especially large contributions coming from hedge fund and private equity managers.

Restore Our Future’s staff includes Larry McCarthy, known for the infamous “Willie Horton” ad that helped sink Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis in 1988. The group ran attack ads in Iowa that were widely credited with undermining former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s popularity and boosting Romney to a very close second-place finish in the Iowa caucuses.

In fact, during the GOP presidential primaries, more than 93 percent of the nearly $43 million the group spent was on negative ads, according to the Sunlight Foundation.

With its lush bank account, it dramatically outspent Romney's rivals and their allies and helped carry Romney to victory over Gingrich and former GOP Sen. Rick Santorum, who were both substantially aided by super PACs during the extended primary fight.

Romney attended several of Restore Our Future’s fundraising events, including a dinner in New York on July 19, 2011. The dinner was also attended by one of the PAC’s million-dollar donors, John Paulson, the hedge-fund manager who made billions betting against the housing market. In addition to his contribution to the super PAC, Paulson was also a leading fundraiser/bundler for the Romney campaign and hosted a money bash at his home in the Hamptons during the summer of 2011, as the Center for Public Integrity previously reported.

Several big-dollar contributions to Restore Our Future came from obscure businesses suspected of being shell corporations to mask the identity of the actual donors.

On multiple occasions, Restore Our Future refunded corporate contributions and then accepted the same amount of money from individual donors instead. Two of these situations involved former employees of companies that Romney himself used to work for.

Additionally, in February, the group refunded a $100,000 donation from the Rod and Leslie Aycox Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was legally prohibited from donating to the super PAC.

Among the super PAC's early donors were two other mysterious corporations, which each invested $1 million in Restore Our Future’s success: F8 LLC and Eli Publishing, which share an address in Provo, Utah. They are connected to prominent Mormon businessman Steve Lund, the vice chairman of the board of nutrition and cosmetics company Nu Skin, and former Nu Skin lawyer (and Lund son-in-law) Jeremy Blickenstaff.

Another Mormon business executive, Frank VanderSloot, has used a network of corporate accounts connected to his cleaning products, cosmetics and vitamins company, Melaleuca Inc. — which has been accused by some of being a pyramid scheme — to give $1 million to Restore Our Future in August of 2011. VanderSloot also personally gave the super PAC $100,000. And thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, Melaleuca further directly spent more than $200,000 on pro-Romney television and radio advertisements by Election Day.

Notably, Restore Our Future also received $2 million from the sons of hotel magnate John Willard Marriott, after whom Romney is named: J.W. "Bill" Marriott, Jr., and Richard Marriott, both influential Mormon businessmen, have each contributed $1 million to Restore Our Future. Romney previously served on the board of directors of the Marriott hotel chain and after his loss in November, he rejoined the company's board.

In August of 2012, Restore Our Future received a $1 million contribution from reinsurance company OdysseyRe of Conn., a “wholly-owned subsidiary” of Canadian insurance and investment management giant Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited. While officials with both companies maintained that the transaction complied with all U.S. campaign finance laws, Paul S. Ryan, an attorney at the Campaign Legal Center, told the Center for Public Integrity that OdysseyRe’s donation raised “some legal red flags."

Restore our Future spent exclusively to aid Romney during the GOP primary. After becoming the Republican presidential nominee, the super PAC nicknamed "Romney's Death Star" turned its sights on President Barack Obama, spending about $100 million during the general election, according to the Sunlight Foundation.

See more data on Restore Our Future at OpenSecrets.org, or more background information at FactCheck.org.

Advertisements:

Restore Our Future’s anti-Gingrich ad, ran in Iowa just before the primary.
The "Right Experience" ad attacked Santorum with several misleading claims, Factcheck.org reported. It ran in Tennessee, Oklahoma, Alabama and Mississippi.
The "Reagan" ad run in Florida said that despite Gingrich's constant Reagan name-dropping, Gingrich "is no Ronald Reagan."
The anti-Santorum ad "Values" aired in Michigan.
Another anti-Santorum "Own Words" ad aired in Ohio, Oklahoma and Tennesee. It went after Santorum for voting for bills that included support for Planned Parenthood.
"Doing Fine" was part of a summer campaign taking advantage of a quote by Obama saying, "The private sector is doing fine."
"Disappearing" refers to those who have dropped out of the workforce and criticized Obama for the economic recovery.
For more ads, see Restore Our Future's YouTube channel.

Last updated: Jan. 17, 2013

PAC profile: Priorities USA Action

2013-01-17T17:45:19-05:00

Type of organization: Super PAC

Supports: President Barack Obama

Founded: April 29, 2011

Website: prioritiesusaaction.org

Social media: YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter profile

Principals:

Bill Burton (co-founder): Campaign press secretary for Obama in 2008 who was later named White House deputy press secretary.
Sean Sweeney (co-founder): Former chief of staff to Rahm Emanuel, while he served as White House chief of staff.
Harold Ickes (president): Registered lobbyist with strong union ties who was formerly the deputy chief of staff to President Bill Clinton and who served in senior positions in the presidential campaigns of both Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Profile:

Priorities USA Action, which first registered with the Federal Election Commission in April of 2011, is the main super PAC associated with President Barack Obama. Its stated goal is to ensure “the re-election of President Obama and setting the record straight when there are misleading attacks against him and other progressive leaders.”

Bill Burton, one of the group’s founders, served as Obama’s 2008 campaign press secretary and deputy press secretary in the White House; he was considered to succeed Robert Gibbs in that role before Jay Carney was appointed. Sean Sweeney, the other co-founder, served under Rahm Emanuel for many years, eventually serving as his chief of staff at the White house before Emanuel left to run for mayor of Chicago.

Many of the super PAC's donors fit the stereotype held by right-wingers of Obama — that he's beholden to traditional Democratic allies such as labor unions, trial lawyers and celebrities.

For instance, Dreamworks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg donated $3 million to the group, director Steven Spielberg contributed $1.1 million and comedian Bill Maher gave $1 million.

When asked about his donation to Priorities, Katzenberg told USA Today he donated to the group because “the stakes are too high for us to simply allow the extremism of a small but well-funded right-wing minority to go unchallenged.”

Meanwhile, the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing, Pipefitting and Sprinkler Fitting Industry gave $2.4 million to Priorities USA Action.

Other unions also chipped in, including the American Federation of Teachers ($1.5 million), the National Air Traffic Controllers Association ($1.25 million) and the Service Employees International Union ($1 million).

Furthermore, trial lawyer Steve Mostyn of Texas was one of the super PAC's top donors, giving just over $3 million. The American Association for Justice, the trial lawyers' primary trade group, donated $150,000 to Priorities USA Action. And the Florida-based firm Morgan & Morgan, known for its slogan “representing the people, not the powerful” and its ubiquitous advertising, gave $50,000 to the super PAC in March.

John Morgan, the Florida firm's founder, is also a bundler for Obama who brought in more than $500,000 for the president's re-election efforts. The personal injury firm also employs Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat Charlie Crist, the former GOP governor who was defeated by Republican rising star Marco Rubio during the state's 2010 U.S. Senate race.

The No. 1 donor to Priorities USA Action was hedge fund manager James Simons, the founder and former CEO of Renaissance Technologies, who gave $5 million. During the Democratic National Convention in August, Simons hosted a fundraiser for the super PAC at his home in the Charlotte suburbs.

Priorities USA Action drew criticism for its ad "Understands," which linked Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's actions as chairman and CEO of Bain Capital to a woman's death from cancer. Another of the group's most memorable ads featured a worker describing how building the stage on which officials announced the plant’s closure, after it was bought by Bain Capital, was like building his “own coffin” and made him “sick.”

For much of the 2012 election cycle, Priorities USA Action's fundraising was dwarfed by GOP-leaning groups.

A Politico story in January highlighted concerns over Priorities' fundraising among Democrats, driven in part by the Obama White House’s stance on the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling that paved the way for super PACs. Yet in early February, Obama signaled support for Priorities and other outside Democratic groups, a shift that paved the way for increased fundraising.

Later, the group announced that veteran Democratic operative Mary Beth Cahill would also be signing on as a consultant. Cahill was the campaign director for Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., during his 2004 presidential campaign, and she also previously worked for the United Auto Workers union as well as EMILY's List, a group that seeks to elect more female elected officials who support abortion rights.

Ultimately, Priorities USA Action raised nearly $80 million, compared to the roughly $154 million raised by the pro-Romney Restore Our Future and $117 million raised by GOP-aligned American Crossroads.

See more data on Priorities USA Action at OpenSecrets.org, or more background information at FactCheck.org.

Advertisements:

The PAC went up with its first video in May of 2011. "Pages" attacked Romney and linked him to Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., who was not yet his running mate.
In November 2011, the PAC spent $100,000 to launch another attack on Romney.
"Understands," the controversial cancer ad, was released in August.
"Small Minded," released in August, criticized Romney's low tax rate and put a photo of Romney and Ryan in a cartoon heart.
For more ads, see Priorities USA Action's YouTube channel.

Last Updated: Jan. 17, 2013

PAC profile: Congressional Leadership Fund

2013-01-23T12:59:20-05:00

Type of organization: Super PAC

Supports candidate: Republican

Founded: October 21, 2011

Website: congressionalleadershipfund.org

Social media: YouTube channel, Twitter profile

Principals:

Norm Coleman (chairman): Coleman, a Republican, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 and served one term before narrowly losing to Democrat Al Franken after an extended recount fight. He is also the chairman of the related nonprofit American Action Network.
Brian Walsh (president): As the former political director for the National Republican Congressional Committee, Walsh helped the GOP take control of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010. Walsh also serves as the president of the American Action Network.
Fred Malek (adviser): Malek, a former aide to President Richard Nixon, sits on the board of the Congressional Leadership Fund. He is also a founder of the American Action Network, as well as the chairman of the American Action Forum, AAN’s associated 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Vin Weber (adviser): A former Republican congressman from Minnesota, Weber served from 1981 to 1993. He is currently a partner at the lobbying firm Mercury Public Affairs in Washington, D.C.

Profile:

Created as a conservative counterweight to the Democrat’s House Majority PAC, the Congressional Leadership Fund was formed in October 2011 to focus “solely and exclusively on maintaining the Republican majority in the House of Representatives,” according to the group’s website.

The lion’s share of the first $6.5 million raised by the Congressional Leadership Fund through June 30 — $5 million — came from 79-year-old casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam, in February.

Overall, Adelson and his family members have contributed more than $93 million to super PACs in the 2012 election cycle, the Center’s research shows.

Likewise, Texas homebuilder Bob Perry — the third-largest donor to super PACs this cycle — donated $1 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, all of which came in April.

The group also received a $2.5 million contribution on Oct. 7 from Chevron Corp., which is ranked ranked No. 3 on the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S. companies. Chevron is one of just a handful of Fortune 500 companies to donate to super PACs this election, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of corporate giving, and by far the largest.

Chevron’s donation to the Congressional Leadership Fund represented the bulk of the group’s receipts for the pre-general reporting period.

On Sept. 14, the Congressional Leadership Fund made its first independent expenditure — $558,000 in television ads opposing Rep. Betty Sutton D-Ohio. The group ultimately spent more than $2.7 million against Sutton, as she went down to defeat to Republican Rep. Jim Renacci after redistricting pitted the two incumbents against each other.

The Congressional Leadership Fund is the super PAC arm of American Action Network, a nonprofit that, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, spent nearly $20 million on ads aimed at electing Republicans in the 2010 elections. The groups share personnel and office space in Washington, D.C., according to Federal Election Commission filings.

American Action Network is not required to disclose its donors, but documents filed with the Internal Revenue Service indicate it has received funds from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the Republican Jewish Coalition, the American Natural Gas Alliance and Crossroads GPS.

Advertisements:

“Sutton Works for Pelosi,” linked Rep. Betty Sutton, D-Ohio, to Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and slammed Sutton for her support of the Democrat's health care reform law.
“Look,” was an ad that attacked the record of Texas state Rep. Pete Gallego, a Democrat, who challenged Republican Rep. Francisco “Quico” Canseco for the U.S. House in Texas’s 23rd District.

Last Updated: Jan. 15, 2013

PAC profile: YG Action Fund

2013-01-23T12:59:20-05:00

Type of organization: Super PAC

Supports: Republican candidates

Founded: Oct. 27, 2011

Website: ygaction.com

Social Media: YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter profile

Principals:

John Murray (president, founder and treasurer): President and founder of YG Action Network, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit and YG Policy Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; previously served as deputy chief of staff to Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va.
Brad Dayspring (adviser): Served as aide in the second President George W. Bush administration; former deputy chief of staff to Cantor.

Profile:

YG Action Fund — the super PAC of the conservative “Young Guns” movement — spent more than $4.7 million on independent expenditures boosting Republicans in congressional races during the 2012 election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam, are the group’s primary financial backers. The Adelsons accounted for $5 million of the $5.9 million that the group raised.

The group also received $250,000 in donations from billionaire New York hedge fund manager Bruce Kovner and his wife, Suzanne.

The “Young Guns” is a group of Republican congressmen who got their nickname from a Weekly Standard magazine cover in 2010. They are led by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., GOP Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. and Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the chairman of the powerful House Budget Committee who was the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2012.

The movement’s super PAC is associated with a non-disclosing nonprofit group, YG Action Network, organized under Section 501(c)(4) of the U.S. tax code as a “social welfare” organization.

The super PAC is run by two former Cantor aides, John Murray and Brad Dayspring. Murray, Cantor’s former deputy chief of staff, founded and currently runs all three components of the “Young Guns” brand: YG Action Fund, the nonprofit YG Network and YG Policy Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that pens studies and provides educational programs.

It actively supported Republican candidates in both primary elections and the Novemeber general election.

Advertisements:

"Two Mikes” said Democratic Rep. Mike McIntyre of North Carolina “talks like a conservative” but has voted like a liberal.
“Something New” painted Democratic House candidate Bill Enyart of Illinois as out of touch and reminded voters he was appointed by disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich

Last Updated: Jan. 16, 2013

PAC profile: Club for Growth Action

2013-01-16T19:19:25-05:00

Type of organization: Super PAC

Supports: Conservative candidates

Founded: Aug. 9, 2010

Website: clubforgrowth.org

Social media: YouTube channel, Twitter profile, Facebook page (all accounts jointly operated with Club for Growth Inc.)

Principals:

Chris Chocola (treasurer, president): Chocola runs the Club for Growth network. Previously, he was CEO at CTB, a manufacturing corporation in Indiana, and from 2003 to 2007, he represented Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Profile:

Club for Growth Action is the sister super PAC to free-market nonprofit Club for Growth Inc., which was founded by economist Stephen Moore in 1999.

The Club for Growth network’s platform of “economic freedom” includes a flat tax, lower income tax, school choice, deregulation, social security reform, free trade and the repeal of the estate tax, according to its website. The super PAC says its sole mission is to "defeat big-government politicians and replace them with economic conservatives.”

To this end, Club for Growth Action spent millions on tea party-aligned candidates in GOP primaries across the country, including numerous Senate primaries.

The group showered millions on Texas GOP primary candidate Ted Cruz, who ultimately won the U.S. Senate primary there after a runoff against establishment favorite Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. Club for Growth Action spent roughly $5 million on ads opposing Dewhurst and an additional $600,000 supporting Cruz.

The group was also active in Indiana's GOP Senate primary, which saw tea party-aligned (and Club for Growth-backed) Richard Mourdock beat out longtime incumbent Sen. Richard Lugar in Lugar's first contested primary in decades.

Hoping to replay its victories in Indiana and Texas, Club for Growth Action was the top outside spender in the Wisconsin GOP Senate primary on Aug. 14 at nearly $1.7 million. However, the group’s favored candidate, former congressman Mark Neumann, did not win.

Its preferred candidate also lost in the Nebraska GOP Senate primary, but its favored politician prevailed in the Republican Senate primary in Arizona.

It also participated in numerous House races and spent about $10,600 on ads opposing President Barack Obama.

Some of the super PAC’s top donors are members of Club for Growth’s board of directors and other leadership roles:

Virginia James, a New Jersey-based investor, contributed $1.4 million and is on the group's leadership council.
John Childs, the founder of JW Childs Associates, a private equity firm, sits on the board and gave the super PAC $1.1 million.
Jerry Hayden, who sits on the board, contributed $1.1 million, and his wife, Marilyn, contributed an additional $700,000.
Jackson T. Stephens Jr., who gave $1 million, is chairman of the board.
John D. Bryon, who sits on the board, contributed $377,000.

Advertisements:

“Moderate” slammed Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst for not being conservative enough. Club for Growth Action favored Ted Cruz, who won the primary runoff.
“Only Worse” attacked former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson and Eric Hovde. Thompson won the GOP nomination for Senate. Club for Growth Action favored former congressman Mark Neumann.
“Choice” attacked Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar, a moderate Republican, for supporting some of President Barack Obama’s policies. The ad urged voters to choose Richard Mourdock, the tea party favorite who went on to defeat Lugar in the Indiana GOP primary.
"Typical" opposed Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., who faced Mourdock in the state's Senate race in November.
For more ads, see Club for Growth Action’s YouTube page.

Last updated: Jan. 15, 2013

PAC profile: Ending Spending Action Fund

2013-01-18T10:45:45-05:00

Type of organization: Super PAC

Supports candidate: Conservative

Founded: Oct. 5, 2010

Website: endingspendingfund.com

Social media: YouTube channel

Principals:

J. Joe Ricketts (founder): Ricketts is the founder of brokerage firm TD Ameritrade and his family owns the Chicago Cubs. He is also the founder of the super PAC’s associated nonprofit, Ending Spending, Inc.
Brian Baker (president): Baker served as an advisor to former Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., and Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala. He is also the chairman and general counsel to Ending Spending, Inc.
Nancy Watkins (treasurer): Watkins and her husband Robert are based in Tampa, Fla., but have developed a reputation as the unofficial CPAs to the GOP. She has handled the accounting for dozens of federal and state political committees, including Ending Spending Action Fund Wisconsin.

Profile:

Ending Spending Action Fund first flexed its muscles in the U.S. Senate Republican primary in Nebraska. With $255,000 in last-minute ads supporting Deb Fischer and attacking her opponents, Ending Spending Action Fund helped her clinch the nomination, the Center for Public Integrity reported.

The campaign by the super PAC marked founder J. Joe Ricketts’ entrance into the 2012 election, leading to worry by watchdogs that Ricketts was “buying” access, as the Center later reported. Ricketts would go on to give the Ending Spending Action Fund nearly $12.5 million before Election Day in November.

On Sept. 17, the super PAC announced plans to launch a $12 million fall advertising campaign — $10 million supporting Republican Mitt Romney in the presidential race and $2 million on congressional races, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The super PAC was founded alongside the 501(c)(4) nonprofit Ending Spending, Inc. (formerly known as Taxpayers Against Earmarks). Over the course of 2012, the super PAC received in-kind contributions from Ending Spending Inc., totaling about $176,000.

Both groups call themselves nonpartisan, and indeed, Ricketts is not registered with any political party, according to the New York Times. But the organization aligns itself with the GOP.

Ending Spending Action Fund came to national prominence when the New York Times obtained a $10 million ad proposal pitched to Ricketts that focused on the race-infused rhetoric of Obama’s former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Ricketts publicly rejected the ad. Romney, the Obama campaign and many other politicos also denounced it, the New York Times reported.

Ending Spending Action Fund threw itself into the Wisconsin recall election with its "1.91 committee" (a sort of state-level super PAC), Ending Spending Action Fund Wisconsin. According to filings with Wisconsin’s elections board, the Wisconsin fund spent $245,000 on an ad supporting Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

Unlike super PACs, 1.91 groups do not disclose their donors, so it is not known who bankrolled the pro-Walker ad, nor the source of the rest of the $24.5 million that 1.91 groups in Wisconsin spent, according to a Center for Public Integrity investigation.

See more data on Ending Spending Action Fund at OpenSecrets.org.

Advertisements:

“Him: Anyone but Bruning” was one of two last-minute ad buys designed to help Deb Fischer win the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate in Nebraska.
“Her: Rancher, Mother, Leader” capitalized on Sarah Palin’s endorsement of Fischer and ran just before the GOP primary in Nebraska.
"Agents of Change” featured 2008 supporters of President Barack Obama explaining why they supported Republican Mitt Romney for president in 2012.
For more ads, see Ending Spending Action Fund’s YouTube page.

Last Updated: Jan. 15, 2013

PAC profile: FreedomWorks for America

2013-01-16T19:25:01-05:00

Type of organization: Super PAC

Supports: Conservative candidates

Founded: Sept. 6, 2011

Website: freedomworksforamerica.org

Social media: Twitter profile, Facebook page, YouTube channel

Principals:

Ryan Hecker (COO, treasurer, legal counsel): A Houston-based activist who laid out a platform for the nascent tea party on his online “Contract from America.”
Russ Walker (executive director, assistant treasurer): Head of Oregon’s FreedomWorks chapter that funded a campaign against two ballot initiatives that would have raised taxes on the wealthy and corporations in 2010.
Matt Kibbe (president and CEO of Freedomworks, Inc.): Tea party architect, former chief economist for the Republican National Committee and policy analyst for Citizens for a Sound Economy.
Dick Armey (now ex-chairman of FreedomWorks Inc): A leader in the tea party movement, Armey is a former Republican House Majority Leader and co-author of the 1994 Contract with America. He left FreedomWorks in the fall of 2012.
Dean Clancy (assistant treasurer): FreedomWorks legislative counsel who served as a senior policy adviser to Armey.

Profile:

FreedomWorks for America is part of a political one-stop shop. In addition to the super PAC, there is FeedomWorks, Inc., a 501(c)(4) “social welfare” nonprofit; FreedomWorks Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; FreedomWorks, Inc. PAC, a traditional political action committee and various state-level PACs.

The FreedomWorks nonprofit was born in 2004 from the merger of Empower America and Citizens for a Sound Economy, an industry-funded think tank promoting deregulation and funded in large part by the billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch. After two federal court rulings, including the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, made way for super PACs, FreedomWorks spawned one of its own: FreedomWorks for America.

A major tea party benefactor, FreedomWorks for America “utilizes its over a million-strong grassroots volunteer base to elect candidates who fight for lower taxes, less government and more freedom,” according to its website.

Even as the group’s website urged visitors to “Fire Obama,” FreedomWorks for America was not shy about targeting Republican candidates. Ahead of the election, the organization rated dozens of congressional and presidential candidates — and its top presidential picks for the Republican presidential nomination were Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich.

In 2012, the super PAC poured money into Senate primaries, throwing its support behind Republican candidates Adam Hasner, Richard Mourdock and Donald Stenberg. The group also spent money opposing incumbent Sens. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., and Richard Lugar, R-Ind. The organization focused a signficant portion of its early expenditures on thwarting the re-election of Utah’s Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, an effort that was unsuccessful.

FreedomWorks for America became especially active in the U.S. Senate GOP primary in Texas where Ted Cruz, the tea party favorite, and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who was preferred by many in the GOP Party establishment, faced off. Cruz ultimately won after the primary went to a runoff between the two men. The super PAC spent more than $487,000 supporting Cruz and attacking Dewhurst prior to the runoff.

The super PAC released several waves of online ads targeting contested U.S. Senate races, including 11 on Sept. 17, as the Center for Public Integrity reported.

By the end of March, nearly half the super PAC's receipts were from its sister nonprofit, FreedomWorks Inc. April's report to the Federal Election Commission revealed that the super PAC continued to receive major funding from the nonprofit, with $155,000 out of $345,000 (44 percent) raised in April coming from FreedomWorks Inc. in the form in in-kind contributions for staff, overhead and travel.

The trend continued in the subsequent months, but changed dramatically in the fall.

Specialty Group Inc. of Knoxville, Tenn., wrote seven checks totaling nearly $5.3 million to FreedomWorks for America in early October. By Election Day, the company's total giving was $10.6 million.

The corporation was created on Sept. 26. The name and address listed on incorporation records are those of a Knoxville, Tenn., area attorney named William S. Rose, Jr. Another of Rose's companies, called Kingston Pike Development LLC, also donated $1.5 million to FreedomWorks for America.

On Dec. 20, the Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 21, two campaign finance reform groups, filed complaints with the Federal Election Commission and Department of Justice allegedly that Specialty Group and Kingston Pike were "straw companies" created to obscure the true source of political contributions from the public.

On Dec. 27, the Washington Post reported that Richard J. Stephenson, a reclusive Illinois millionaire who founded the for-profit Cancer Treatment Centers of America and sits on FreedomWorks board, was the original source of the money that went through Rose's companies.

In April, the Center reported on the large salary and first-class flights for FreedomWorks chairman Dick Armey.

The former Republican House Majority Leader tendered his resignation from the organization on Nov. 30, according to Mother Jones. Armey was upset with the direction of the organization and left with an $8 million pay-out.

Advertisements:

A January ad entitled “Defeat Orrin Hatch in Utah” claimed the senator’s 35-year career was riddled with broken promises, including support for auto industry bailout.
A September ad took aim at President Barack Obama’s handling of the economy. In “You Broke It, You Own It,” FreedomWorks blamed Obama for citing natural disasters to deflect blame for the slow economy since 2008. The ad was created by independent filmmaker Ben Howe, who is also responsible for the Obama Volt parody ad, the Center for Public Integrity discovered.
Tea party-aligned U.S. Senate candidate Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, garnered support from FreedomWorks, which ran ads calling Cruz a “special candidate” and likening him to former President Ronald Reagan.
“All Hat and No Cattle,” an ad against David Dewhurst, the lieutenant governor of Texas and Cruz's rival, put a photo of his head on an animated bucking bronco. The ad accused him of being a “country club moderate,” not a “conservative cowboy.”
This ad released in July featured an incorrect news report that liberal billionaire George Soros was backing an anti-Allen West super PAC in Florida.
This pro-Cruz ad that aired in Texas in early July said Cruz was "fighting the epic fight" against the Affordable Care Act.
"Senator Space Cadet" opposed Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.

Last Updated: Jan. 16, 2013

PAC Profile: American Bridge 21st Century

American Bridge — 2013-01-17T11:09:18-05:00

Type of organization: Super PAC

Supports: Democratic candidates

Founded: Nov. 23, 2010

Website: americanbridgepac.org

Social media: YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter profile

Principals:

David Brock (founder and treasurer): A conservative-turned-liberal pundit and writer who is the founder of Media Matters for America.
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (chairwoman): Former lieutenant governor of Maryland and deputy assistant district attorney general during the Clinton administration.
Rodell Mollineau (president): Previously staff director of the Senate Democratic Communications Center under Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Profile:

American Bridge 21st Century was started by former journalist and liberal activist David Brock, who staffed the super PAC with former Hill staffers and employees of his nonprofit, Media Matters for America.

Media Matters describes itself as a “progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.” American Bridge’s mission is similar, with a strong focus on opposition research to help Democratic candidates and other allied super PACs.

The group monitors GOP candidates’ records and public appearances and has made news with some of its findings. It also deployed social media to share its findings — to “[help] you ascertain when Republican candidates are pretending to be something they’re not.”

American Bridge pounced on Republican U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin of Missouri after he said that "legitimate rape" rarely results in pregnancy because the female body has a way of trying to "shut that whole thing down." The super PAC even produced a direct mail piece that featured audio of Akin's remarks.

American Bridge also made independent expenditures designed to aid President Barack Obama, Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly in Indiana's U.S. Senate race and Democratic House candidate Tammy Duckworth in Illinois' 8th Congressional District. The group's preferred candidates won in all four contests.

As the Center for Public Integrity has reported, American Bridge was one of several progressive political groups to coordinate fundraising efforts for the 2012 elections.

Like Democratic-aligned super PACs House Majority PAC and Majority PAC, American Bridge’s address of record is the Washington offices of the Perkins Coie law firm.

In July, American Bridge, together with the Courage Campaign Super PAC, launched "Mitt Gets Worse," a website that claimed GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney had worked to "diminish the rights and the freedoms of LGBT Americans" and would continue to do so if elected. The site featured video testimonials from gay and lesbian activists.

American Bridge also has a 501(c)(4) arm, which is called the American Bridge 21st Century Foundation. The foundation, which is not legally required to publicly disclose its funders, ranks as the super PAC's No. 1 donor, giving slightly more than $1 million, mostly for "overhead and staff" expenses.

Advertisements:

"A Bipartisan Mourdock?" countered GOP U.S. Senate nominee Richard Mourdock's ad's claim that he would work with both sides of the aisle.
"Romney/Ryan Bromance: You Complete Me" came out just after Romney announced Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., as his running mate.
For more ads, see American Bridge 21st Century's YouTube channel.

Last updated: Jan. 17, 2013

PAC profile: Majority PAC

2013-01-17T17:26:20-05:00

Type of organization: Super PAC

Supports: Democratic Senate members and candidates

Founded: June 11, 2010

Website: majority2012.com

Social media: YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter profile

Principals:

Susan McCue (founder): Former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who founded Message Global LLC, a public affairs firm with a focus on global outreach and humanitarian issues.
Monica Dixon (executive director): former consultant to the campaign of Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and former deputy chief of staff to Vice President Al Gore.
Harold Ickes (adviser): registered lobbyist with strong union ties who was formerly the deputy chief of staff to President Bill Clinton, served in senior positions in the presidential campaigns of both Bill and Hillary Clinton and is currently the president of pro-Obama super PAC Priorities USA Action.
Jim Jordan (strategist): Democratic strategist who managed Democrat John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign and previously served as the executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Profile:

Majority PAC’s stated mission is to maintain the Democratic majority of the U.S. Senate. It is especially outspoken against Karl Rove and the conservative super PAC, American Crossroads, which Rove helped create, as well as the tea party. Like American Crossroads, Majority PAC is run by a number of long-time party operatives.

Created in response to American Crossroads and other GOP outside groups, Majority PAC is partly a melding of two earlier Democratic groups that were active in the 2010 elections. One is Commonsense Ten, which, in 2010, spent more than $3 million to aid Democratic Senate candidates. The second is Patriot Majority, which spent nearly $3 million to help re-elect Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Majority PAC focused its efforts on Senate races in several key states, including Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. In each of those states, Majority PAC spent at least $2 million on independent expenditures.

In Virginia's high-stakes contest between Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican George Allen, Majority PAC invested more than $6 million, more than it spent in any other race. Kaine ultimately prevailed with about 53 percent of the vote.

Over the entire 2012 election cycle, Majority PAC saw its preferred candidates win in 14 of 17 races, the Center for Public Integrity calcuated.

Labor unions provided a substantial portion of Majority PAC's funds.

The United Brotherhood of Carpenters; American Federation of Teachers; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and Laborers International Union of North America all made seven-figure contributions to the Democratic super PAC. Overall, unions accounted for about one-third of the money Majority PAC raised, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Casino giant Caesars Entertainment Corporation was one of the few Fortune 500 companies to donate to super PACs during the 2012 election cycle. The company gave $150,000 to Majority PAC in March of 2012 through its subsidiary Caesars Entertainment Operating Company, Inc.

Majority PAC worked closely with House Majority PAC and American Bridge 21st Century, the other two major Democratic-aligned super PACs, as well as Priorities USA Action, the main super PAC working to re-elect President Barack Obama.

Advertisements:

"Short Leash," as the Center for Public Integrity previously reported, opposed Rep. Rick Berg, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in North Dakota.
"Cards" opposed former wrestling executive Linda McMahon, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Connecticut. The ad was jointly paid for with Connecticut's Future PAC.
The super PAC spent millions to aid embattled Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., including this radio ad campaign about Medicare.
About $406,300 was spent on several ads in support of Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., who ultimately decided not to run for re-election.
Another $32,400 went to ads in support of Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., before he opted against seeking another term in January.
For more ads, see Majority PAC's YouTube channel.

Last Updated: Jan. 17, 2013

PAC profile: House Majority PAC

2013-01-17T12:24:09-05:00

Type of organization: Super PAC

Supports: Democratic House members and candidates

Founded: April 6, 2011

Website: thehousemajoritypac.com

Social media: YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter profile

Principals:

Alixandria "Ali" Lapp (founder and executive director): A former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee deputy director and the wife of DCCC consultant John Lapp.
Candace Bryan Abbey (treasurer): Previously served as chief of staff to Democratic Reps. Charlie Wilson, Jackie Speier and Tom Lantos, and worked on the House Foreign Affairs Committee from 2004 until 2008.

Profile:

House Majority PAC’s mission is to “help win back the House Majority for Democrats.” It is the successor to America’s Families First Action Fund.

Ali Lapp, who runs the super PAC, earned her spurs at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2006 when the Democrats won back the majority. Lapp was campaign director of the DCCC in 2006, and as deputy director of the committee, she helped spearhead its independent expenditure effort. That same year, Lapp’s husband, John, was the DCCC's executive director and then-Rep. Rahm Emanuel, who is now the mayor of Chicago, chaired the campaign committee.

House Majority PAC’s major contributors read like a who’s who of labor unions.

Of the nearly $36 million House Majority PAC raised ahead of the November elections, more than $10 million came from unions, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. And of the first $3 million it raised in 2011, labor unions contributed $1.9 million, with donors including the Laborers International Union of North America, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the Service Employees International Union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the American Federation of Teachers, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.

The super PAC's largest donor was Chicago media mogul Fred Eychaner, who gave $4.25 million.

Another large donor was S. Donald Sussman, the founder and chairman of hedge fund Paloma Partners LLC. Sussman, who gave slightly more than $1 million, is also the husband of U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine.

House Majority PAC worked closely with Majority PAC and American Bridge 21st Century, the other two major Democratic-aligned super PACs, as well as Priorities USA Action, the main super PAC working to re-elect President Barack Obama.

Notably, the super PAC placed several six-figure ad buys designed to aid Democratic state Assemblywoman Julia Brownley of California as she competed in a three-way primary against Republican state Sen. Tony Strickland and independent Linda Parks, a Ventura County supervisor. Parks was targeted by the group during the state's "jungle primary" to help ensure Brownley would advance to the November election, where she prevailed against Strickland.

Over the entire 2012 election cycle, House Majority PAC saw its preferred candidates win in 40 of 71 races, the Center for Public Integrity calcuated.

Advertisements:

"Independence" supported Christie Vilsack, the former first lady of Iowa and Democratic candidate for U.S. House. The ad was produced in conjunction with the SEIU and AFSCME.
"Brew" opposed Colorado Republican House candidate Joe Coors for his anti-abortion position.
"Neon" opposed Arizona state Sen. Jonathan Paton, a Republican candidate for the U.S. House, who was a registered lobbyist for the payday loan industry.
For more ads, see House Majority PAC's YouTube channel.

Last Updated: Jan. 17, 2013