PAC 2 pol act comm

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">see PAC/527 for older</font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">i am prolly losing distinction 501 c vs 4?</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">dark $</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">outside $?
</font><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">gop dominates 2018, where are supposed unions?</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2021/10/exxonmobil-climate-tax/"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.alternet.org/2021/10/exxonmobil-climate-tax/</font></a></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx</font></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"><div><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The truth behind ExxonMobil’s claims to support a carbon tax</font></b></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> Elliott Negin and Independent Media Institute October 13, 2021</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">   </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">When then-ExxonMobil lobbyist Keith McCoy conceded in a secretly recorded video in May that the oil giant voiced support for a carbon tax only because it assumed it would never happen, <b>ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods said the company was "shocked by these interviews" and stood by its "commitments to working on finding solutions to climate change."</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Wood's reaction was reminiscent of Captain Louis Renault feigning surprise to discover gambling at Rick's Café in the 1942 film "Casablanca." After quietly pocketing his winnings, Renault justifies closing down the nightclub by exclaiming, "I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!"</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Woods was shocked? Really? Just one look at his company's financial records would show that despite claiming to endorse a carbon tax—initially in a cynical attempt to derail a cap-and-trade bill that was under consideration in 2009—ExxonMobil has funneled millions of dollars over the last decade to lawmakers who staunchly oppose the idea.</font></span></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Backing Climate Science Deniers</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">One tried-and-true way corporations ensure access to Congress is by making campaign contributions. Although there may not be a verifiable quid pro quo, donations guarantee access, and access guarantees influence.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">So, given ExxonMobil's professed support for a carbon tax, one might reasonably assume that the company's political action committee (PAC) and employees would back lawmakers who sponsor such legislation and, over time, withdraw their funding for senators and representatives who stand in the way.</font></b></div><div><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></b></div><div><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In fact, the opposite is true.</font></b></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">During the video interview, McCoy—who at the time was ExxonMobil's senior director of federal relations—compared lobbying Congress with fishing.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"When you have an opportunity to talk to a member of Congress," he said, "I liken it to fishing, right? You know you have bait, you throw that bait out…. And… [then you start to] reel them in…. They're a captive audience. They know they need you. And I need them."</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The goal, he explained, is to develop a close relationship with legislative staff. "You want to be able to go to the chief… and say, look, we've got this issue, we need Congressman So-and-So to be able to either introduce this bill, we need him to make a floor statement, we need him to send a letter," he said. "You name it, we've asked for everything."</font></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Not quite everything. ExxonMobil apparently has not asked for a carbon tax, notwithstanding the fact that the company was one of the founding members of the Climate Leadership Council (CLC), a bipartisan, industry-supported group, which was formed in 2017 to promote a carbon tax, and a year later, the company pledged to give $1 million over a two-year period to Americans for Carbon Dividends(AFCD), the council's lobbying arm. Over the last decade, members of both houses have voted on a handful of carbon tax-related amendments and nonbinding resolutions. In every case, a sizable majority who received donations from ExxonMobil's PAC and employees rejected the idea. For example:</font></span></div><div><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></b></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>In March 2015, the Senate voted 58 to 42 to pass a budget amendment prohibiting a carbon tax. Thirty of the 40 senators who had received ExxonMobil campaign contributions since 2010, including amendment sponsor<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"> Roy Blunt (R-MO)</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">, </span>voted in favor of the prohibition.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In June 2016, the House passed a resolution introduced by Steve Scalise (R-LA) stating that a carbon tax "would be detrimental to American families and businesses" by a 237 to 163 margin. Eighty-five percent of the House members who voted for the resolution had received ExxonMobil political donationssince 2013. By contrast, only 26 of the representatives who voted against the resolution—16 percent—had received ExxonMobil money.</font></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In July 2018, the House passed another Scalise-sponsored resolution asserting that "a carbon tax would be detrimental to the United States economy," this time by a 229 to 180 vote. During the 2018 election cycle, <b>75 percent of the representatives who gave the resolution a thumbs up received ExxonMobil donations. Only 23 percent of the 180 who voted against it got ExxonMobil funding.</b></font></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></span></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The disparity between <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">ExxonMobil's PAC donations to supporters of the July 2018 Scalise resolution and its opponents is even more telling, given that <b>PACs—which can contribute as much as $10,000 to a candidate per two-year cycle</b>—more accurately represent a company's agenda than that of individual employees.</span> <b>The ExxonMobil PAC contributed more than $935,000 to 74 percent of the resolution's supporters, but only $109,500 to opponents during the 2018 election cycle. Scalise, the resolution's sponsor, and 37 of his 48 resolution cosponsors received ExxonMobil PAC contributions.</b></font></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The most recent congressional carbon tax vote took place in the Senate in February during a round of votes on the pandemic relief bill. John Hoeven (R-ND) sponsored an amendment that would have prohibited such a tax. It was rejected on a strict party-line vote: All 50 Republican senators voted for the amendment; all 50 Democratic senators voted no.</font></span></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ExxonMobil PAC donations to those senators are mostly party-line, too. Twenty-seven of the 50 Republicans collectively have received $233,000 during the 2018 and 2020 election cycles. Over that same time frame, the PAC contributed just $62,000 to 11 of the Democrats.</font></b></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Snubbing Carbon Tax Proponents</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In January 2018, ExxonMobil Vice President of Public and Government Affairs Suzanne McCarron reaffirmed the company's support for a carbon tax, the Paris climate agreement and other related climate policies in a blog post on the company's website. ExxonMobil, she maintained, is "committed to being part of the solution."</font></span></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Nevertheless, during the 2018 and 2020 election cycles, ExxonMobil employees and its PAC donated nearly $834,000 to 28 of the 30 senators and <b>90 of the 109 representatives currently in Congress who, according to the Center for American Progress, still reject the scientific consensus that global temperatures are rising and that burning fossil fuels is largely to blame</b>. <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The company's PAC funded 16 of the climate science deniers in the Senate and 81 in the House.</span></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Lawmakers sponsoring carbon tax legislation, meanwhile, have enjoyed considerably less support. Over the last two election cycles, climate science deniers in the 117th Congress received six and a half times more from ExxonMobil than carbon tax proponents.</font></b></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Two carbon tax bills have been introduced in the Senate this session, both by<b> Democrats: one sponsored by Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, which has nine cosponsors, the other by Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin</b>. Three carbon tax bills have been introduced in the House: one sponsored by <b>Pennsylvania's Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick with one cosponsor, another by Connecticut's Democratic Rep. John Larson with two cosponsors, and a third by Florida's Democratic Rep. Theodore Deutch with 84 cosponsors.</b></font></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></span></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Since 2017, ExxonMobil employees and the company </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">PAC</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"> have donated only $127,692 to these carbon tax proponents: $35,486 to eight of the 11 sponsors and cosponsors in the Senate and $92,206 to 33 of the 90 sponsors and cosponsors in the House. The PAC contributed to only three of the senators and 12 of the representatives.</span></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Despite this decidedly lopsided funding pattern, McCoy insisted during the interview that ExxonMobil wants to work with lawmakers on carbon tax legislation. "Put forth a bill and we'll show you that we'll support that bill, we'll help you work on that bill," he said. But, he added, "Nobody wants to do that because it's not politically expedient to put forth a tax for people, it just isn't."</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In fact, a number of lawmakers have "put forth a bill" to establish a carbon tax in successive congressional sessions, but the company has shown no support, and neither McCoy nor ExxonMobil's other in-house lobbyists have broached the topic with members of Congress since 2018—the same year it announced its $1 million donation to the Climate Leadership Council's lobbying arm, AFCD—according to ExxonMobil's quarterly lobbying reports.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Staffers working for Rep. Larson and Sen. Whitehouse, who both have been sponsoring carbon tax legislation for years, recently verified that ExxonMobil has not expressed support for their respective proposals.</b> Larson introduced a bill in 2009, the same year that ExxonMobil announced that it favored the policy, while Whitehouse first sponsored one in 2014 and has reintroduced a version of it in every session since.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Out of frustration, Whitehouse and his fellow bill sponsor, Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, sent a letter to ExxonMobil in August 2016 criticizing the company for its indifference</b>....</font></div></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/11/republican-fundraising">https://www.alternet.org/2020/11/republican-fundraising</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">roger s salon</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">a  <a href="https://www.salon.com/topic/super_pacs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">Super PAC</a> founded by Trump-supporting Republicans who tried to make inroads with Amish <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/11/12/trumps-false-voter-fraud-claims-could-blow-gops-chances-of-holding-senate/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">voters in Pennsylvania</a> has ended the 2020 cycle in the black. <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/11/06/joe-bidens-victory-is-imminent-after-he-pulls-ahead-in-pennsylvania-georgia/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has finished down</a> more than 65,000 votes in the state so far.</font></div><p style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Amish PAC, funded in large part by a secretive Colorado billionaire and a Louisiana-based oil executive, was created during the 2016 Republican primary by a pair of <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/07/21/republicans-rush-to-redirect-money-from-trumps-campaign-to-vulnerable-senate-republicans-report_partner/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">GOP strategists</a>. One of them was a former member of the socially conservative community, who saw an opportunity for voter outreach.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"The PAC's founders saw that the GOP was doing nothing to reach out to a large and growing potential voting bloc that shared its values of limited government, focus on rural issues and small business empowerment, and saw a need to engage them," a PAC spokesperson told Salon in an email.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The spokesperson said "the team has since changed a bit" since then. Both co-founders — Ben Walters and Ben King — are no longer active members of the PAC.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The PAC's website <a href="https://www.amishpac.com/about-us.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">does not disclose</a> the group's current members. The only publicly available information can be found in the group's <a href="https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/326/201903270300270326/201903270300270326.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">filings</a> with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC), which list Taylor <b>Swindle</b> as its treasurer. Swindle is also treasurer of <a href="https://www.troopsabroadpac.com/donate.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">Troops Abroad PAC</a>, which shares an Arlington, Va., address with Amish PAC, according to the groups' websites.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Amish PAC raised $57,803 in the 2018 cycle and $181,762 in the 2020 election cycle. Of the funds raised for 2020, most came in small sums, but three donors accounted for about one-third of the total.</font></p><p style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>Frank "Scotty" Moran, who runs <a href="http://www.bossierparishla.gov/Libraries/2019%20Proceedings/03-20-2019.sflb?download=true" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">Moran Oil</a>, gave more than $46,000 to the 2020 cycle. <a href="https://www.aspentimes.com/news/colorados-top-political-contributors/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">Reclusive Aspen billionaire</a> Tatnall Hillman</b> has <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?data_type=processed&committee_id=C00615344&contributor_name=tatnall&two_year_transaction_period=2020&two_year_transaction_period=2018" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">contributed</a> a total of $15,000. Christopher Carlino, who identifies himself in his filing as an "investor" and appears to be <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-carlino-86b64325" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">a partner</a> in a Philadelphia construction firm, gave the group $10,000 on Sept. 11, 2020. Carlino does not appear to have made any political donations prior to June 2020, when he began giving to Trump, according to federal <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?data_type=processed&contributor_name=christopher+carlino&two_year_transaction_period=2020&two_year_transaction_period=2018" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">filings</a>.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Though they are all Republican donors, internet searches conducted by Salon did not turn up connections between the three men and the Amish community.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">(Weight loss industry mogul Jenny Craig also contributed $3,000, filings show.)</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The PAC said it put that money towards billboards and ads in Amish newspapers, encouraging members of the community to register to vote.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"At a time when there's been billions of dollars flooding into TV and Facebook ads, it's been refreshing to focus on old-fashioned Amish friendly mediums," a group spokesperson told Salon.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This cycle, however, the group chose not to promote a specific candidate.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"We didn't want to be perceived as telling Amish who they should vote for," the spokesperson said. "The goal was simply to answer their questions about getting registered to vote and let them make up their mind from there."</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The PAC said it focused its ads issues of concern to the Amish community.</font></p><p style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">"This year, the Lancaster Amish were impacted by a high-profile <a href="https://www.fox43.com/article/news/crime/four-months-later-the-search-for-linda-stoltzfoos-continues/521-9e52ce97-0175-40d0-be25-e349ea96791d" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">kidnapping</a> and likely murder that shook their community," a spokesperson said, pointing also to "racial protests in Lancaster;" trade fluctuations, which affected farming; and coronavirus shutdowns, which impacted the tourism industry.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"So we've found that while voting has still not been widely embraced by the Amish, they have plenty of reasons to become more engaged in choosing their representatives," the spokesperson said.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As for its successes, the group said its hotline received "hundreds of calls" from Amish curious about registration.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"The calls far outnumbered what the PAC received in 2016," the spokesperson said, adding that while community interest appears to be growing, participation would likely not increase dramatically without the endorsement of church leaders.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Going into 2020, Dr. Kyle Kopko of Elizabethtown College, an expert on the Amish, calculated that of the 15,055 Amish eligible to vote in Pennsylvania, only 2,052 were registered. Of those registered voters, only 1,016 cast a ballot in 2016.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The turnout record among the Amish was set in 2004, when former president George W. Bush visited the community during his re-election campaign and openly courted its vote. A total of 1,300 voted that year, the spokesperson said.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As for whether they beat that number, the spokesperson said, "We'll evaluate whether we did once the dust settles."</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"In 2016, we almost never heard from Amish women," the spokesperson added. "This year, we heard from countless Amish women. They've traditionally been much, much less likely to vote than men, but that's changing! We're very excited to see women becoming so much more engaged and making their voices heard."</font></p><p style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">As for its spending, Open Secrets <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/amish-pac/C00615344/expenditures/2020" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">data</a> shows the group's biggest vendor is a company called District List Company LLC, which is registered in Delaware and otherwise <a href="https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_de/6289279" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">untraceable</a>. </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The only other group to use District List as a donor? Swindle's </span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/campaign-expenditures/vendor?cycle=2020&vendor=District+List+Co" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">Troops Abroad PAC</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. Amish PAC said District List handled all of its media buys.</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Keep in mind that this breakdown doesn't include any of our October spending on media," the PAC spokesperson said, adding that the group had spent "a ton" ahead of voter registration deadlines that month.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The PAC placed billboards, mainly in rural Lancaster, as well as Holmes County, Ohio. Newspaper ads targeted Lancaster.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Basically, if calls kept coming, and the Amish showed interest, we kept the ads going," the spokesperson said.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As for its accomplishments, the spokesperson was vague.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"We know for sure we registered new voters this year," the spokesperson said.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The spokesperson would not disclose to Salon who ran <b>District List Company LLC.</b></font></p><div class="around-the-web" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="from-your-siteheadline" style="text-transform: uppercase;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FROM YOUR SITE ARTICLES</font></div><ul class="around-the-weblist" style="margin: 0px; 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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ct fail?</font></div><div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.8; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A federal judge on Thursday struck down FEC regulations barring unauthorized political action committees from using a candidate’s name to mislead voters and attract donations, a ruling critics warned could lead to the proliferation of “scam PACs.”</font></p><div class="p1_13" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.8; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Paul S. Ryan, vice president for policy and litigation with Common Cause, <a href="https://www.commoncause.org/press-release/federal-court-strikes-down-ban-on-unauthorized-committees-using-candidate-names-in-web-urls/" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">said</a> the ruling “will embolden scam PACs to trade on the names of candidates to raise money for their own ends from unknowing citizens.”</font></p><div class="p2_13" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="teadsNative" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.8; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“The Federal Election Commission (FEC) can and should still be enforcing the ban—and opening a rulemaking to establish new disclaimer requirements for non-candidate websites that use a candidate’s name in the URL,” Ryan added.</font></p><div class="p3_13" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.8; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In a <a href="https://twitter.com/EllenLWeintraub/status/1108902246455173120" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">series of tweets</a>, FEC chair Ellen Weintraub explained that political action committees are still barred from using candidates’ names in their formal titles.</font></p><div class="p4_13" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.8; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But, Weintraub continued, the judge’s ruling will allow PACs to use candidates’ names in their “solicitations, other communications, and special projects.”</font></p><div class="p5_13" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.8; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“This can be grossly misleading, and this is the hole scam PACs are going to drive a truck through,” Weintraub warned.</font></p><div class="p6_13" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.8; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As <em style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">NPR</em>‘s Jessica Taylor <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/03/21/705594068/federal-court-ruling-may-open-the-door-to-more-scam-pacs" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">reported</a>, there have already been cases of PACs using candidates’ names to trick unwitting citizens out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations.</font></p><div class="p7_13" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.8; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Earlier this week, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/california-man-set-bogus-websites-bernie-beto-defraud-donors-prosecutors-n985036" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">federal prosecutors charged a California man</a> with setting up political action committees purporting to support prominent Democrats, including Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, bilking donors out of more than $250,000,” Taylor wrote.</font></p><div class="p8_13" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.8; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Taylor continued:</font></p><div class="p9_13" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 10px 20px 10px 24px; position: relative; line-height: 1.7; overflow: hidden; background: rgb(245, 245, 245); border: none !important;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.7;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Another example, pointed out by <a href="https://twitter.com/davelevinthal/status/1108783990658469893" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">the Center for Public Integrity’s Dave Levinthal</a>, roped in “James Bond” actor Daniel Craig, who thought he was donating to a super PAC supporting Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Democratic presidential bid in 2016.</font></p><div class="p10_13" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.7;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The <a href="https://publicintegrity.org/federal-politics/did-this-shady-pro-bernie-sanders-super-pac-just-dupe-james-bond/" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">group was initially named</a> “Ready for Bernie Sanders 2016” and “Bet on Bernie 2016,” even though they had no affiliation with Sanders, who had renounced any super PAC support. Thus, the confusion from Craig and others.</font></p><div class="p11_13" style="font-style: italic; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></div></blockquote><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.8; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">After the judge’s ruling on Thursday, said Weintraub, such scams are likely to become far more common.</font></p><div class="p12_13" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.8; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“This is unfortunate,” she tweeted. “It will lead to confusion in the political marketplace. It provides a wide opening for scam PACs to exploit.”</font></p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://people.howstuffworks.com/super-pac1.htm">https://people.howstuffworks.com/super-pac1.htm</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">what exactly is a PAC? According to Michael Beckel of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Responsive Politics, a non-profit and non-partisan organization that tracks money in politics, traditional PACs represent businesses, <a href="https://money.howstuffworks.com/labor-union.htm" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">labor unions</a> or ideological interests: examples would be the <a href="https://computer.howstuffworks.com/microsoft.htm" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">Microsoft</a> PAC, the Teamsters PAC and the <a href="https://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/hunting/clubs-and-organizations/nra.htm" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">National Rifle Association</a> PAC. "An organization's PAC will solicit money from the group's employees or members and make contributions in the name of the PAC to candidates and political parties," Beckel says.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PACS have been influencing elections and campaigns since they first appeared in the 1940s, but there are limits to what they can donate in campaign and party contributions. The amount of money PACs can give per election -- meaning a <a href="https://people.howstuffworks.com/primary.htm" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">primary</a>, general or special election -- is capped at $5,000 per candidate. Additionally, PACs can give no more than $15,000 each year to a national party.</font></p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">and <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">when it comes to actually raising the money they can use to contribute to candidates or political parties, <b>PACs also face limitations: Individuals can give no more than $5,000 per year to a PAC</b> [source:</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> </span><a href="https://people.howstuffworks.com/super-pac5.htm" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">Beckel</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">].</span></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</span></font></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Citizens can contribute money directly to parties and candidates, as well, but those donations also have limits. Every calendar year, individuals can give a maximum of $30,800 to a national political party committee, such as the Republican National Committee, and the ceiling for individual contributions to a candidate is $2,500 per election</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> [source: </span><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/overview/limits.php" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">Center for Responsive Politics</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">].</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Things have changed though. Now the emergence of Super PACs has the potential to fundamentally alter the landscape of money in politics, and also represents a sharp departure from previous restrictions on financial contributions. That's because as of July 22, <b>2010, the FEC green-lighted Super PACs all but eliminating the previous financial donation limitations.</b> Thanks to the FEC ruling, individuals, corporations and unions can now contribute unlimited cash to Super PACs, which essentially means there is no ceiling to how much money is injected into elections.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The <b>main prohibition placed on Super PACs, aside from having to report their expenditures and contributors to the FEC, </b>is that t<b>hey cannot coordinate directly with the campaign staff of individual candidates. (Regular PACs have to abide by these same mandates as well</b>) [source: <a href="https://people.howstuffworks.com/super-pac5.htm" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">Beckel</a>]. There is another key difference. <b>Super PACs can't contribute directly to candidates the way PACs do. The money Super PACs raise can only be used for such things as creating TV or radio ads supporting or excoriating particular candidates.</b></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Read on to learn about the Supreme Court decision that made Super PACs possible.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><b style=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Super PACs would not be possible without the</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> 2010 <a href="https://people.howstuffworks.com/supreme-court-appointment.htm" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">Supreme Court</a> decision in the Citizens United </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">v. the Federal Election Commission case,</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> which lifted prohibitions on corporate spending in elections. The case had a years-long journey to arrive at the high court and had its roots in a conservative group's displeasure with Michael Moore's documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11," which was highly critical of former President George W. Bush's handling of the </span><a href="https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/september-11th.htm" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">2001 terrorist attacks on the United States</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2004, the conservative non-profit corporation Citizens United filed a complaint with the FEC saying that commercials for Moore's film violated the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 -- better known as the McCain-Feingold Act -- which prohibited corporations and <a href="https://money.howstuffworks.com/labor-union.htm" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">unions</a> from funding TV ads advocating for the victory or defeat of a candidate within 30 days of a <a href="https://people.howstuffworks.com/primary.htm" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">primary</a> or 60 days of a general election. The FEC dismissed the complaint.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">During the 2008 primary, when then-Senator Hillary Clinton was running for the Democratic presidential nomination, Citizens United produced a political documentary titled "Hillary: The Movie," which was highly unflattering of the former First Lady. The group also attempted to buy airtime for ads touting the film, but in January of 2008, a U.S. District Court ruled that the advertisements violated the McCain-Feingold Act. Citizens United appealed the ruling of the District Court and the Supreme Court took up the case and heard arguments in 2009.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Supreme Court's decision was announced in early 2010 and was one of the most contentious in recent history. The court split largely along ideological lines, and ruled 5 to 4 in favor of the notion that the government cannot place restrictions on election spending by corporations [source: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/22/us/politics/22scotus.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">Liptak</a>].</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As the slim majority deciding the Citizens United case indicates, this was, and continues to be, an extremely controversial issue. In the past, the Supreme Court had upheld various legislative efforts to control corporate spending in campaigns. The Citizens United case overruled former rulings such as Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce and part of McConnell v. The Federal Election Commission, both of which upheld the McCain-Feingold Act and maintained efforts to staunch the flow of corporate cash into elections [source: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/22/us/politics/22scotus.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">Liptak</a>].</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">With the new interpretation of the Constitution, the majority justices, including conservatives Chief Justice John Roberts, Anthony Kennedy and Antonin Scalia, declared that banning or limiting the amount of money corporations could spend on elections -- even for commercials -- was tantamount to limiting free speech [source: <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-205.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission</a>].</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The reaction to the Citizens United case was, by and large, partisan in nature. President Barack Obama, a Democrat, criticized the ruling, calling it a big victory for oil, insurance and Wall Street corporations that would help them "drown out the voices of everyday Americans." Many conservative Republicans, however, cheered the ruling as a validation of the Constitution's protection of free speech.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Keep reading to find out how many Super PACs there are and whether their existence favors Democrats or Republicans.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It didn't take long after the Citizens United case for Super PACs to begin impacting elections. The FEC ruling green lighting Super PACs occurred just a few months before the 2010 midterm elections, and it's likely that the decision helped Republicans achieve their resounding victory, which included retaking the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Indeed, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, conservative Super PACs were responsible for 55 percent of all the spending by Super PACs in the midterms, while their liberal counterparts accounted for only 44 percent of total expenditures [source: <a href="https://people.howstuffworks.com/super-pac5.htm" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">Beckel</a>].</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The biggest spender -- shelling out three times as much as the second biggest spending Super PAC in 2010 -- was American Crossroads, a group founded by former Republican President George W. Bush's adviser Karl Rove. American Crossroads alone raised $28 million during the 2010 election cycle, one quarter of which came from Bob Perry, a wealthy Texas homebuilder [source: <a href="https://people.howstuffworks.com/super-pac5.htm" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">Beckel</a>]. Another conservative Super PAC is operated by the Club for Growth, which advocates for policies that reduce regulations on businesses.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Democrat-leaning Super PACs are also multiplying. In the 2010 midterms, EMILY's List, a pro-choice group formed a Super PAC that was active (albeit unsuccessful) in trying to defeat Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown, who won a special election to replace the late Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Other liberal Super PACs have also formed, including Priorities USA Action and House Majority PAC. In total, the Center for Responsive Politics says that as of September, 2011, there were 141 Super PACs, though that number was escalating quickly, with a new one being added just about every week.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>So how will so many Super PACS affect the next presidential election? </b>We'll find out next.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> has become a common political observation that the next presidential election will be the "most expensive in history." But the 2012 election is different. The introduction of Super PACs into the contest for the <a href="https://money.howstuffworks.com/white-house-job.htm" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">White House</a> all-but assures it will be the most expensive, if for no other reason that Super PACs allow corporations, <a href="https://money.howstuffworks.com/labor-union.htm" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">unions</a> and individuals to write very big checks to support a candidate.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Super PACs allow donors who have already maxed out to their preferred candidate to make unlimited contributions to groups designed to aid that candidate's electoral prospects," says Michael Beckel of the Center for Responsive Politics. "Wealthy candidates don't have to sit on their hands after they've maxed out to a candidate; now they can open their checkbook for Super PACs."</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Beckel also speculates that Super PACs may contribute to a coarsening of an already hyper-negative political process. After all, coordination between Super PACs and candidates is prohibited and if a candidate doesn't like what the Super PAC is saying, there isn't anything they can do to stop it. "[A Super PAC] may opt to take an even more negative tone than a candidate would choose to take," Beckel says. "They have the ability to say pretty much whatever they want, whenever they want, no matter how partisan or scathing."</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b style="">In the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Super PACs generated controversy. </b>In August 2011, news broke that a company -- W Spann LLC -- that contributed $1 million to the Restore Our Future Super PAC, which supported former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's bid for the nomination, was dissolved soon after it was created, leading to<b> allegations that the company was just a shell to cover the identities of donors </b>[source: <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44011308/ns/politics-decision_2012/t/firm-gives-million-pro-romney-group-then-dissolves" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">Isikoff</a>]. Lawsuits and negative media coverage eventually led one individual, Ed Conrad, a former executive at the investment company Romney founded, to step forward and ask the FEC to amend its public disclosure reports to show him as the donor, not the company</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> [source: </span><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44011308/ns/politics-decision_2012/t/firm-gives-million-pro-romney-group-then-dissolves" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">Isikoff</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">].</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 26px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">While it seems almost certain that Super PACs will not only lead to more controversy and a ceaseless stream of political advertisements, with Stephen Colbert in the mix, at least there should also be a few <a href="https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/emotions/laughter.htm" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);">laughs</a>.</font></p><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://maplight.org/story/corporate-political-action-committees-pour-120-million-into-congressional-campaigns-for-2018-midterms/">https://maplight.org/story/corporate-political-action-committees-pour-120-million-into-congressional-campaigns-for-2018-midterms/</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Members of Congress have raked in more than $120 million from corporate political action committees since January 2017. Almost two-thirds has gone to Republicans, according to a MapLight analysis of campaign finance data.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">House Republicans have received roughly $263,000 from corporate PACs on average -- 67 percent more than the typical House Democrat, who have received roughly $158,000.  The difference between the parties in the Senate is less stark, with an average Republican raising $263,000 from corporate PACs and the average Democrat raising $260,000. Fundraising from corporate PACs accounts for roughly 14 percent of campaign money raised so far by members of Congress during the 2018 midterm election cycle.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Corporate PACs are generally funded by the corporation’s employees -- who may be asked to contribute or even </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-workers-insight/the-new-u-s-office-politics-funding-your-bosss-political-causes-idUSKBN0NW0AC20150511" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">encouraged to do so</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"> by their employer.  According to data compiled by the </span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/toppacs.php?cycle=2018&Type=C" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">Center for Responsive Politics</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">, Northrop Grumman ($2.3 million), AT&T ($2 million), and the National Beer Wholesalers Association ($2 million) are the top PAC contributors to federal candidates for the 2018 election.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Under federal law, contributions from individuals to PACs are capped at $5,000.  Contributions from PACs to candidates are capped at $10,000 ($5,000 each for the primary and the general election).  Corporations cannot contribute directly to candidates or to a PAC, but since the Supreme Court’s 2010 </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Citizens United</i><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">ruling, they can contribute unlimited amounts to outside groups -- like super PACs or secretive, dark money nonprofits.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">With Americans </span><a href="http://www.people-press.org/2018/04/26/the-public-the-political-system-and-american-democracy/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">increasingly frustrated</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"> by the influence of money in politics, a growing number of candidates have sworn off contributions from corporate PACs.  According to End Citizens United, a political action committee that fights special interest money in politics, about 70 candidates have </span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/02/two-more-senators-ditch-corporate-pacs/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">pledged</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"> not to take contributions from corporate PACs heading into the 2018 election.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Explore the charts below to see the top recipients of money from corporate PACs in Congress.  View interactive data <a href="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Own1C/1/" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">here for the Senate</a> and <a href="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/S2pK6/2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">here for the House of Representatives</a>.</font></span></p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><table class="datatable-default responsive dataTable" id="datatable" aria-describedby="datatable_info" style="width: 552px; border: 0px; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 5px; border-collapse: collapse; clear: both;"><tbody role="alert" aria-live="polite" aria-relevant="all" style="border-top: 0px;"><tr class="odd"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">dean Heller</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Republican</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">NV</font></td><td class="text " title="2018 Election" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Yes</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$1,202,937.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">17.2%</font></td></tr><tr class="even" style="background: rgb(250, 250, 250) !important;"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">John Barrasso</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Republican</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">WY</font></td><td class="text " title="2018 Election" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Yes</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$1,081,070.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">24.9%</font></td></tr><tr class="odd"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Luther J Strange Iii</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Republican</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">AL</font></td><td class="text " title="2018 Election" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">No</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$933,581.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">23.8%</font></td></tr><tr class="even" style="background: rgb(250, 250, 250) !important;"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Heidi Heitkamp</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Democrat</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ND</font></td><td class="text " title="2018 Election" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Yes</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$912,250.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">11.5%</font></td></tr><tr class="odd"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Orrin Hatch</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Republican</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">UT</font></td><td class="text " title="2018 Election" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Yes</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$896,700.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">24.4%</font></td></tr><tr class="even" style="background: rgb(250, 250, 250) !important;"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Robert Casey</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Democrat</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PA</font></td><td class="text " title="2018 Election" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Yes</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$842,262.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6.7%</font></td></tr><tr class="odd"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Joe Donnelly</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Democrat</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">IN</font></td><td class="text " title="2018 Election" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Yes</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$755,450.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">10.5%</font></td></tr><tr class="even" style="background: rgb(250, 250, 250) !important;"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Roger Wicker</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Republican</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">MS</font></td><td class="text " title="2018 Election" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Yes</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$745,712.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">13.3%</font></td></tr><tr class="odd"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jon Tester</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Democrat</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">MT</font></td><td class="text " title="2018 Election" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Yes</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$710,372.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">5.4%</font></td></tr><tr class="even" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); background: rgb(250, 250, 250) !important;"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Timothy Michael Kaine</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Democrat</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">VA</font></td><td class="text " title="2018 Election" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Yes</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$679,005.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6%</font></td></tr></tbody></table><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">7/18</font></div><div><table class="datatable-default responsive dataTable" id="datatable" aria-describedby="datatable_info" style="width: 700px; border: 0px; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 5px; border-collapse: collapse; clear: both;"><tbody role="alert" aria-live="polite" aria-relevant="all" style="border-top: 0px;"><tr class="odd"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">l Ryan</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Republican</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">WI</font></td><td class="number " title="District" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$1,815,200.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">14.1%</font></td></tr><tr class="even" style="background: rgb(250, 250, 250) !important;"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Kevin Mccarthy</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Republican</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">CA</font></td><td class="number " title="District" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">23</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$1,615,750.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">24.5%</font></td></tr><tr class="odd"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Kevin Brady</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Republican</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TX</font></td><td class="number " title="District" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">8</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$1,411,273.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">34.2%</font></td></tr><tr class="even" style="background: rgb(250, 250, 250) !important;"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Greg Walden</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Republican</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">OR</font></td><td class="number " title="District" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$1,349,834.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">35.5%</font></td></tr><tr class="odd"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Mr. Steve Scalise</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Republican</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">LA</font></td><td class="number " title="District" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$1,142,108.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">29.0%</font></td></tr><tr class="even" style="background: rgb(250, 250, 250) !important;"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Mr. Steve Stivers</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Republican</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">OH</font></td><td class="number " title="District" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">15</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$971,250.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">33.9%</font></td></tr><tr class="odd"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Peter Roskam</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Republican</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">IL</font></td><td class="number " title="District" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$932,700.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">26.3%</font></td></tr><tr class="even" style="background: rgb(250, 250, 250) !important;"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Steny Hoyer</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Democrat</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">MD</font></td><td class="number " title="District" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">5</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$898,725.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">37.2%</font></td></tr><tr class="odd"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Patrick Mchenry</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Republican</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">NC</font></td><td class="number " title="District" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">10</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$877,656.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">34.5%</font></td></tr><tr class="even" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); background: rgb(250, 250, 250) !important;"><td class="text" title="Name" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Richard Neal</font></td><td class="text " title="Party" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Democrat</font></td><td class="text " title="State" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">MA</font></td><td class="number " title="District" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1</font></td><td class="number sorting_1" title="Corporate PAC Total" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$820,165.00</font></td><td class="number " title="% Corporate PACs" style="text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) !important; border-right: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230) !important; border-left: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); border-image: initial !important; padding: 10px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">42.%</font></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>