Super PAC

Super PACs Already Spending Big On State Level Races

Ryan J. Reilly | May 7, 2012, 5:50AM

Six months ahead of the election, super PACs have already spend more than $12 million in congressional races, according to data compiled for TPM by the Center for Responsive Politics.

While super PACs have already had a major impact in the Republican presidential primary, observers expect state-level super PAC spending in Senate and House races to have an even bigger impact than it has in the presidential race. A total of 24 separate races have already received an influx of more than $100,000 in super PAC funds, money with much more potential to swing local races than it does national.

So far, the race for Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar's seat has seen the most super PAC money, with $2.5 million in the race, most of it against the Indiana Republican or in support of his primary opponent. Tea Party Republicans are backing state treasurer Richard Mourdock, and FreedomWorks alone has spent over half a million in the race.

Read more »

Federal Election Commission

FEC Deadlocks On Question Of 'Uncoordinated' Coordination

Ryan J. Reilly | December 1, 2011, 12:30PM

Updated: Dec. 1, 1:05PM

The Federal Election Commission deadlocked on a request by Karl Rove's "super PAC" to allow advertisements shot in coordination with candidates for federal office to be considered uncoordinated and not amount to in-kind donations. A motion in support of a draft opinion to reject the request failed on a three-to-three party line vote.

Republican FEC member Donald McGhan lead the questioning of a lawyer for American Crossroads, the conservative "super PAC" that is requesting to run advertisements featuring federal candidates for office.

Read more »

FEC

Four Ways The FEC Could Rule On Uncoordinated Coordination By American Crossroads

Ryan J. Reilly | November 28, 2011, 1:05PM

The Federal Election Commission is supposed to rule this week on an issue Stephen Colbert has given a lot of attention: a request from Karl Rove's American Crossroads "super PAC" to let groups like theirs coordinate filming "uncoordinated" advertisements with federal candidates.

Last week, the FEC posted four draft responses to the request for an advisory opinion. That means there's a strong possibility that the FEC wouldn't give any advice on the topic because they can't get four votes for any of the drafts. But just in case they do, here's how each finding would break down.

Read more »

Colbert Super PAC

Colbert Fans Email The FEC About Karl Rove's Super PAC Request

Ryan J. Reilly | November 18, 2011, 5:35AM

Stephen Colbert's "super PAC" Americans For A Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow last week asked supporters to write the Federal Election Commission in "support" of American Crossroads' request to, essentially, coordinate "non-coordinated" campaign advertisements with politicians.

Colbert was mocking a request for an advisory opinion sent to the FEC on behalf of Karl Rove's American Crossroads which stated: "While these advertisements would be fully coordinated with incumbent Members of Congress facing re-election in 2012, they would presumably not qualify as 'coordinated communications."

Read more »

American Crossroads

Watchdogs Ask IRS To Probe Non-Profits Affiliated With Karl Rove And Obama Aides

Ryan J. Reilly | September 28, 2011, 11:35AM

Karl Rove

Two good government groups have formally asked the IRS to investigate the actions of Crossroads GPS, Priorities USA, American Action Network and Americans Elect, who they say should be inelligible for tax exempt status.

Under the Internal Revenue Code, officials with the Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 21 write, section 501(c)(4) organizations "are required to primarily engage in the promotion of social welfare in order to obtain tax exempt status."

Read more »

Karl Rove

Swiftboat Ad Funder Gives Big Bucks To Karl Rove's Super PAC

Ryan J. Reilly | June 24, 2011, 4:00PM

Bob Perry, the Texas real estate mogul who bankrolled the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth advertisements against then-Presidential candidate John Kerry back in 2004, is now cutting checks to a conservative "super PAC" run by two former aides to George W. Bush.

Read more »

KY-SEN

American Crossroads' Banker Owns Nursing Home Accused Of Failing To Report Abuse

Rachel Slajda | October 28, 2010, 11:17AM

Terry Forcht

The owner of the bank used by American Crossroads also owns a nursing home that has been charged -- by Kentucky Attorney General and Senate candidate Jack Conway -- with failure to report the sexual abuse of one of its patients.

The Karl Rove-backed super PAC American Crossroads, as the Washington Post noted today, uses a small Kentucky bank for its financial dealings. Forcht Bank, based in Lexington, Ky., is owned by Terry Forcht, who also owns several other businesses, including a chain of nursing homes.

Read more »

Campaign Finance

Franken Asks FEC To Investigate Chamber For Foreign Donors

Rachel Slajda | October 6, 2010, 4:10PM

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN)

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) wants the Federal Elections Commission to investigate whether the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is violating election law by raising money from foreign donors. In a letter to the agency, he also asked the FEC to review its own regulations.

The Chamber raises thousands from foreign individuals and companies through its overseas branches, ThinkProgress reported yesterday. The money reportedly goes into the Chamber's general fund, which it is using to run a $75 million midterm campaign, mostly against Democrats. (The Chamber denies doing anything illegal, and says it only raises about $100,000 in dues from its foreign branches.)

It is illegal to solicit or accept donations from foreign nationals, directly or indirectly, for election activity.

Read more »

American Crossroads

Fundraising Group Led By GOP All-Stars Falling Short Of Goals

Eric Lach | June 22, 2010, 11:10AM

Karl Rove, former Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush

American Crossroads, formed by some of the GOP's biggest names with the aim of helping the party win the 2010 midterms, launched a few months ago with an ambitious $52 million fundraising goal. So how much did the group pull in in May? A whopping $200.

Read more »

American Crossroads

Gearing Up For Midterms, GOP Heavyweights Raise $30M For New 527 Group

Justin Elliott | April 2, 2010, 1:30PM

Former RNC Chair Mike Duncan and former White House adviser Karl Rove

Some of the biggest names in the GOP are organizing an outside group to help Republicans win in the 2010 midterms -- and donors have already pledged a whopping $30 million for the new project, according to National Journal.

The new group -- which, as a 527, can collect unlimited soft money donations and won't be regulated by the Federal Election Commission -- is called American Crossroads. It's a name you'll likely hearing a lot, in part because, as the Wall Street Journal points out, the group's ambition to raise $52 million makes it "the largest ever planned by a pro-Republican outside campaign entity."

Read more »