{"id":143563,"date":"2016-04-13T09:17:40","date_gmt":"2016-04-13T15:17:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=143563"},"modified":"2016-10-12T13:10:59","modified_gmt":"2016-10-12T19:10:59","slug":"trump-disavows-super-pacs-but-pro-trump-pac-wants-your-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2016\/04\/trump-disavows-super-pacs-but-pro-trump-pac-wants-your-money\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump disavows Super PACs, but pro-Trump PAC wants your money"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_72372\"  class=\"wp-caption module image alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 771px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/gageskidmore\/5440990018\/in\/photolist-9hNuLJ-9hKrun-9hHqDv-9hLwdw-9hNwso-9hHpJr-9hLx6s-9hLwSC-9hKpTt-9hKraP-9hNwi1-9hKp4g-9hNvWh-HkLZL-2oQiC-9KUYs-9hLxAs-9VjNra-9KD2oX-qu7Gu-9rmBGH-9VT6fh-uooUsi-5RhK99-9hNwCN-9hKpmZ-9hNvfQ-9hKrPH-9hNvzC-9hKoVK-9hKrkx-9u7qjZ-9rd77n-xRyc1-9rknN8-5KnqeT-9rphtQ-9wtCb2-9uayT3-9FTZtY-fNcrqH-vPTJzZ-6Rnrkd-5Dd1xc-bXt9R-4r8psj-vGv8u-uT5y6P-vMTbLN-9DncXb\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-72372 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Trump-Donald-771x494.jpg\" alt=\"Donald Trump\" width=\"771\" height=\"494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Trump-Donald-771x494.jpg 771w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Trump-Donald-336x215.jpg 336w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Trump-Donald-768x493.jpg 768w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Trump-Donald-1170x750.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Trump-Donald-780x500.jpg 780w, https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Trump-Donald.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Gage Skidmore \/ Creative Commons<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">So who is Great America PAC? The Federal Election Commission says it\u2019s a hybrid super PAC. But didn\u2019t Trump say he was opposed to super PACs? (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\">photo cc info<\/a>)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The Republican establishment wants to deny <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/2015\/06\/16\/17488\/9-things-know-about-donald-trump\" target=\"_blank\">Donald Trump<\/a> the Republican nomination for president, even though he\u2019s the <a href=\"https:\/\/interactives.ap.org\/2016\/delegate-tracker\/\" target=\"_blank\">delegate leader<\/a>, and a new TV ad wants to know if its viewers think that is wrong.<\/p>\n<p>Right?<\/p>\n<p>Well, yes, but the nationally airing ad is as much about raising money for the sponsor as\u00a0it is about boosting the candidate.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"module align-left half type-aside\">\n<h3>About this article<\/h3>\n<p>This story comes from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/2016\/04\/12\/19551\/pro-trump-super-pac-wants-your-money\" target=\"_blank\">Center for Public Integrity<\/a>, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative media organization in Washington, D.C. It\u2019s\u00a0part of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/politics\/buying-president-2016?utm_campaign=syndication&amp;utm_source=yahoo-news&amp;utm_medium=taxonomy-link\" target=\"_blank\">Buying of the President 2016<\/a>. Tracking the candidates, political committees and nonprofits that are making this presidential election the most expensive in history.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/politics\/buying-president-2016?utm_campaign=syndication&amp;utm_source=yahoo-news&amp;utm_medium=taxonomy-link\" target=\"_blank\">Click here<\/a> to read more stories in this investigation.<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cDonald Trump is the true front-runner in the presidential race,\u201d the boisterous narrator says over a still image of Trump. \u201cAnd we need you to pick up the phone and let us know your opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dial one of the two toll-free numbers on the screen and you hear the same voice asking callers to press \u201c1\u201d if they agree that this is wrong. And then, the same voice asks for a donation to Great America PAC.<\/p>\n<p>So who is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.greatamericapac.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Great America PAC<\/a>? The Federal Election Commission says it\u2019s a\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/ivn.us\/2013\/03\/30\/hybrid-super-pacs-growing-in-popularity\/\" target=\"_blank\">hybrid super PAC<\/a>. But didn\u2019t Trump say he was opposed to super PACs?<\/p>\n<h3>The ad\u2019s sponsor<\/h3>\n<p>Great America PAC formed in February, but under a different name: TRUMPAC.<\/p>\n<p>Great America PAC is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/2015\/02\/01\/16682\/hybrid-pacs-generating-few-greenbacks\" target=\"_blank\">\u201chybrid\u201d political action committee<\/a>, meaning that like a super PAC, it can raise and spend in unlimited amounts to advocate for or against candidates. But it also operates as a traditional PAC, collecting limited amounts of money that is sent directly to a candidate.<\/p>\n<p>Hybrid PACs were born out of the 2011 federal court case <em>Carey v. Federal Election Commission<\/em> that opened the door for such groups to exist, so long as they keep separate bank accounts for the two activities.<\/p>\n<p>And the treasurer of Great America PAC is Dan Backer, the conservative attorney who helped to make hybrid PACs possible.<\/p>\n<h3>Who\u2019s behind it?<\/h3>\n<p>Backer, a conservative lawyer, is known for winning <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/2014\/04\/22\/14611\/mccutcheon-decision-explained-more-money-pour-political-process\" target=\"_blank\">McCutcheon v. FEC<\/a><\/em>, a decision that further opened the flood gates for money flowing into elections. The decision eliminated aggregate limits for individual donors.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Also behind the group is Bill Doddridge, founder of diamond retailer The Jewelry Exchange.<\/p>\n<p>Doddridge co-founded Great America PAC with tea party operative Amy Kremer. In March they recruited Jesse Benton, a Republican operative who previously oversaw a super PAC supporting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/2015\/04\/07\/17068\/12-things-know-about-rand-paul\" target=\"_blank\">Rand Paul<\/a>. Paul quit\u00a0the presidential race in February.<\/p>\n<p>Eric Beach, also a former Paul ally, is overseeing fundraising for Great America PAC.<\/p>\n<h3>Money in<\/h3>\n<p>Doddridge and Beach are the biggest benefactors of Great America PAC, together contributing $50,000 to the group, though federal records show that Great America PAC is mostly a small-dollar operation.<\/p>\n<p>Out of its 825 disclosed contributions through February, nearly 98 percent were in the amount of $5. In March, Great America PAC solicited donations via email, using Trump\u2019s trademarked \u201cMake America Great Again\u201d slogan. A portion of the donations would be forwarded to the campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Great America PAC forwarded about $3,300 to the official Trump campaign through February, according to its most recent FEC report.<\/p>\n<p>Great America PAC raised roughly a total $73,000 through the end of February, but if its reported <a href=\"http:\/\/docquery.fec.gov\/cgi-bin\/forms\/C00608489\/1059460\/se\" target=\"_blank\">TV buys<\/a> are any indicator, it raised at least $1 million since.<\/p>\n<h3>Money out<\/h3>\n<p>Great America PAC has reported spending about $1.1 million on expenditures such as TV ads, radio spots and email list rentals, according to FEC filings. The ad is airing primarily on satellite and cable stations, according to the group.<\/p>\n<h3>Why it matters<\/h3>\n<p>Trump frequently talks on the campaign trail about how much he dislikes super PACs, calling them \u201ca disaster&#8221; and \u201cvery corrupt\u201d during a Republican debate hosted by CNN in March.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd frankly, I know the system better than anybody else and I&#8217;m the only one up here that&#8217;s going to be able to fix that system because that system is wrong,\u201d Trump added.<\/p>\n<p>Though not closely linked with Trump, Great America PAC has emerged as the most moneyed super PAC complementing his efforts. Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.donaldjtrump.com\/press-releases\/donald-j.-trump-calls-on-all-presidential-candidates-to-return-dark-money\" target=\"_blank\">previously disavowed super PACs<\/a> supporting him, though he has yet to do the same for Great America PAC.<\/p>\n<p>Great America PAC\u2019s efforts also come at a time when the self-described \u201cself-funding candidate\u201d is being targeted in attack ads fueled by super PACs and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/2016\/01\/20\/19156\/what-political-dark-money-and-it-bad\" target=\"_blank\">\u201cdark money\u201d<\/a> organizations. Just before Florida\u2019s primary in March, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicintegrity.org\/2016\/03\/16\/19432\/super-pacs-built-wall-around-florida-and-trump-destroyed-it\" target=\"_blank\">a band of outside groups paid for more than 4,300 TV ads attacking Trump.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Whether or not Trump has changed his tune on super PACs is uncertain. Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>So who is Great America PAC? The Federal Election Commission says it\u2019s a hybrid super PAC. But didn\u2019t Trump say he was opposed to super PACs?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":72372,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[708,3307,705,226,116],"class_list":["post-143563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-and-analysis","tag-2016-election","tag-donald-trump","tag-money-in-politics","tag-presidential-race","tag-washington"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=143563"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143563\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=143563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=143563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=143563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}