Backer, Dan

<h1 class="title-news" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 20px 0px 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: none; overflow: visible; text-indent: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 36px; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-weight: bold !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</h1><div>promoted primary. OMG born russia</div><div>
</div><div>lawyer for mccutchen v FEC</div><div>
</div><div><h1 class="title-news" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 20px 0px 0px; border: 0px; overflow: visible; line-height: 36px;">Next Citizens United? McCutcheon Supreme Court Case Targets Campaign Contribution Limits</h1></div><div>
</div><div>gt am pac funds wi recount fight</div><div>venders are funders? eg spec ops</div><div>
</div><div>biggest expenditure: Postage For Direct Mail Fundraising LLC</div><div>
</div><div>=</div><div><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/24/exclusive-investigation-donald-trump-faces-foreign-donor-fundrai/">https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/24/exclusive-investigation-donald-trump-faces-foreign-donor-fundrai/</a></div><div>
</div><div>no links</div><div>
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</div><div>Telegraph   News</div><div>Exclusive investigation: Donald Trump faces foreign donor fundraising scandal</div><div> Investigations team</div><div>
</div><div>24 OCTOBER 2016 • 8:10PM</div><div>
</div><div>Donald Trump’s presidential campaign is facing a fundraising scandal after a Telegraph investigation exposed how key supporters were prepared to accept illicit donations from foreign backers.</div><div>
</div><div>Senior figures involved with the Great America PAC, one of the leading "independent" groups organising television advertisements and grassroots support for the Republican nominee, sought to channel $2 million from a Chinese donor into the campaign to elect the billionaire despite laws prohibiting donations from foreigners.</div><div>
</div><div>In return, undercover reporters purporting to represent the fictitious donor were assured that he would obtain “influence” if Mr Trump made it to the White House.</div><div>
</div><div>Last week Eric Beach, the PAC’s co-chairman, confirmed to the reporters at an event in Las Vegas that their client's support would be "remembered" if Mr Trump became president.</div><div>
</div><div>Eric Beach, co-chair of Great America PAC told undercover reporters that a fictitious Chinese donor would be "remembered" by Donald Trump CREDIT: THE TELEGRAPH</div><div>The disclosure raises questions about the origins of money being ploughed into supporting Mr Trump’s candidacy. </div><div>
</div><div>The PAC “consultant” who brokered the deal proposed using as a conduit a type of organisation he admitted is seen as being responsible for the “’dark money’ in politics”.</div><div>
</div><div>The revelations also highlight the apparent desperation of Mr Trump's supporters to finance the final weeks of his campaign amid a series of controversies and polls showing him losing in key states.</div><div>
</div><div>Mr Trump once labelled Super PACs a “disaster” that have “total control of the candidates”, and has criticised Mrs Clinton for relying on outside groups.</div><div>
</div><div>Undercover reporters posing as consultants acting for a Chinese benefactor approached specific pro-Trump and pro-Clinton fundraisers and groups after receiving information that individuals were involved in hiding foreign donations.</div><div>
</div><div>Sources also said PACs, “independent” organisations that can raise unlimited sums of money to lobby for or against particular candidates, were being used to circumvent rules. </div><div>
</div><div>The pro-Clinton organisations did not respond to initial approaches. But earlier this month an undercover reporter spoke by telephone to Eric Beach, co-chairman of the pro-Trump Great America PAC, which has the backing of Rudy Giuliani, one of Mr Trump’s most senior advisers, as well as the billionaire's son Eric.</div><div>
</div><div>Undercover reporters were invited to a Great America PAC event at Stoney's Rockin Country bar in Las Vegas</div><div>The reporter said a Chinese client wished to donate to the PAC to support Mr Trump's campaign.</div><div>
</div><div>Mr Beach appeared interested despite raising concerns about his nationality and saying he would need to know the donor’s identity.</div><div>
</div><div>He suggested the donation could be put through a social welfare organisation called a 501(c)(4) - or C4 - , which unlike a PAC is not subject to a blanket ban on receiving foreign money, and not required to name donors. He stressed in an email that "any path we recommend is legal".</div><div>
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</div><div>The reporter then received an email from Jesse Benton, a senior figure at the PAC until being convicted in May in connection with buying a senator’s endorsement on a prior campaign. He said he was a “consultant” and that Mr Beach had not wanted a “paper trail” of contact. He and the PAC later denied that he had worked for it at all since May.</div><div>
</div><div>Mr Benton proposed channelling the donation through his own company to mask its origin. It would then be passed on to two C4s before being donated by them to the PAC, or simply used to fund projects the PAC had already planned.</div><div>
</div><div>Jesse Benton described himself as a "consultant" for Great America PAC  CREDIT: THE TELEGRAPH</div><div>
</div><div>Mr Benton said the $2 million, for which he would submit an invoice for “appearances” would “definitely allow us to spend two million more dollars on digital and television advertising for Trump.” The Chinese benefactor's generosity would be “whispered into Mr Trump’s ear.” He said he had previously helped US donors conceal donations.</div><div>
</div><div>Mr Beach then said at the Vegas event last Wednesday: "Trump knows that you know, people have stuck with him … I’m not gonna twist your arm or anything,  I just think that there’s no way that this group, and you guys have been participating indirectly or directly, won’t be remembered."</div><div>
</div><div>Eric Beach with Donald Trump in December 2015 CREDIT: FACEBOOK</div><div>
</div><div>Mr Benton denied any “unethical” behaviour. He claimed he spoke to the reporters after a “business referral” from Mr Beach and proposed a  “public affairs contract” with his firm “having determined money could not go into a 501(c)4”.</div><div>
</div><div>Dan Backer, counsel to the PAC, denied that Mr Beach asked Mr Benton to act for him and said Mr Benton “has not had a role with the PAC since May and does not speak for it”. The "professional referral" for "Mr Benton's own benefit" was so that "Mr Benton could explore legal options for your reporters' alleged client".</div><div>
</div><div>He continued: “Mr Benton has not solicited any contributions to the PAC that I am aware of, nor has he been asked to do so.”</div><div>
</div><div>He suggested Mr Benton had simply engaged in “puffery and self-promotion”, adding that “the conduct of the PAC and Mr. Beach’s conduct was appropriate, ethical and legal at all times.”</div><div>
</div><div>Mr Backer added that "The PAC has never ... solicited or accepted contributions from a foreign national or entity" and said Mr Beach had been suggesting how "a US company with a foreign parent company could potentially engage in legal political activity".</div><div>
</div><div>Asked if Mr Trump's campaign was aware of the scheme suggested by Mr Benton, his spokeswoman said: " We publicly disavowed this group back in April.  This is public via Federal Election Commission filings.</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>How it unfolded: Pro-Trump fundraisers agree to accept illicit foreign donation</div><div>
</div><div>Taking to a podium in Colorado last week, Donald Trump resumed a line of attack he had long used against his opponent: “Her international donors control her every move”.</div><div>
</div><div>Yet fundraisers supporting his bid for the White House were in the process of finalising the details of a $2 million donation from a Chinese benefactor seeking unspecified future “influence” under a Trump presidency. Under US law it is illegal for a foreign national to make any contribution in connection with an election.</div><div>
</div><div>But when an undercover reporter telephoned Eric Beach, the co-chairman of the Great America PAC, one of the leading “independent” groups financing campaign work for Mr Trump, to convey his fictitious Chinese client’s desire to make such a donation, his approach did not appear unwelcome.</div><div>
</div><div>Eric Beach spoke to undercover reporters at a Great America PAC event in Las Vegas</div><div>In an initial call on October 4 the reporter explained that the benefactor wanted to donate to support Mr Trump’s campaign, “but he’s not a US national.”  </div><div>
</div><div>Mr Beach agreed that making such a donation to the PAC could be difficult. But he did, however, have a suggestion involving a 501(c)(4) – a tax-exempt “social welfare organisation” – which he described as a “non-disclose entity” through which the client could make a contribution for a “specific purpose”.</div><div>
</div><div>You shouldn’t put any of this on paper</div><div>Jesse Benton</div><div>Mr Beach’s response, along with his later statements on the matter, appeared ambivalent for someone who was clearly aware of the ban on foreign nationals making donations in connection with US elections.</div><div>
</div><div>Despite warning about the need to know the origins of the money, he was already aware that the donor was a foreign national who would naturally be banned from donating for his stated purpose.</div><div>
</div><div>Political observers and campaign groups have raised concerns about 501(c)(4)s, labelling them “dark money” groups because, unlike PACs, they are not required to name donors.</div><div>
</div><div>A PAC with a “sister” 501(c)(4) could therefore encourage donors to give to that body. The 501(c)(4) could then contribute to the PAC, or simply spend the money on a project that the group would otherwise have funded.</div><div>
</div><div>That scheme was subsequently laid out to two reporters at a meeting in a New York hotel by Jesse Benton, a long-time Republican strategist, who emailed the reporter with the subject “From Eric Beach” and the opening line: “Eric Beach asked me to reach out”.</div><div>
</div><div>Great America PAC is a Donald Trump supporting super PAC CREDIT: REUTERS</div><div>Mr Benton was a senior figure at the PAC until he was convicted in May in connection with buying a senator’s endorsement for Ron Paul’s presidential campaign in 2012.</div><div>
</div><div>At the meeting on October 13, he explained that Mr Beach, 38, needed to maintain a “deliberate disengagement”.</div><div>
</div><div>Mr Benton's proposal was for the Chinese client to pay his $2 million, via the reporters’ Singapore-based communications consultancy, to Mr Benton’s own public affairs firm, Titan Strategies LLC, in order to mask the fact that the money was coming from abroad.</div><div>
</div><div>He set out the scheme in writing in an email on October 5 in which he said he had “checked with our attorney, and there is no prohibition on what I propose”, although “he is giving one final review for full legal vetting.”</div><div>
</div><div>At the meeting more than a week later, he explained how he would direct the funds evenly to two 501(c)(4)s which could donate the money to the Great America PAC in their name, or spend it on activities the PAC would otherwise have funded.  One of the organisations was Vision for America, which is run by Mr Beach.</div><div>
</div><div>“I’ll send money from my company to both,” Mr Benton said.</div><div>
</div><div>Undercover reporters met Eric Beach at a Great America PAC event held at Stoney's Rockin' Country bar in Las Vegas</div><div>Mr Benton said: “I don’t know if you ever hear journalists wring their hands about ‘dark money’ in politics  - they’re talking about 501(c)(4)s.”</div><div>
</div><div>He told the reporters: “There’s no prohibition against what we’re doing, but you could argue that the letter of the law says that it is originating from a foreign source and even though it can legally go into a 501(c)(4) then  it shouldn’t be done”.</div><div>
</div><div>Discussing how the money would be spent on pro-Trump grassroots campaigning as well as television advertising, he warned: “You shouldn’t put any of this on paper.”</div><div>
</div><div>He suggested that the $2 million paid to his firm could be billed simply as “a large retainer” for consulting work. He then sent a $2 million invoice, for the sake of “appearances”, for his services providing “analysis of the American political and business landscape”. </div><div>
</div><div>In one of a series of telephone conversations over a two-week period, he explained that the work, which “doesn’t cost any money” apart from a “couple hours of my time” would be reports on the spending of the 501(c)(4)s and PAC.</div><div>
</div><div>“It would be one more way … for your client to have an assurance that quality work’s being done with his money. You know, it would give you a window into what the c4s and the super PAC are doing.”</div><div>
</div><div>Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump at the final debate in Las Vegas CREDIT: POOL</div><div>And the fictitious Chinese benefactor’s generosity would not go unrewarded should the donor a require a line of communication to Mr Trump if he became president.</div><div>
</div><div>“We can have that whispered into Mr Trump’s ear whenever your client feels it’s appropriate,” he said. After a telephone conversation with Mr Beach, Mr Benton said that the PAC wished to invite the reporters to a party the group was hosting in Vegas on October 19, the night of the final presidential debate.</div><div>
</div><div>He later passed on a briefing on the event prepared by Mr Beach. Mr Benton warned that he would have to stay away from Vegas because “everything that we’re doing is legal by the book but there’s perceptions and some grey areas.”</div><div>
</div><div>Jesse Benton speaking to undercover reporters in New York CREDIT: TELEGRAPH</div><div>
</div><div>Mr Beach also needed to be kept “deliberately ignorant” of the “exact arrangements”. But at the event the PAC's co-chairman clearly understood their client’s apparent request for an assurance that Mr Trump would remember his contribution.</div><div>
</div><div>“One thing he has to understand is, what you guys have to understand is: you can get credit, but don’t overdo it with the influence,” he said. The particular sticking point was the highly discreet method by which the client would be donating.</div><div>
</div><div>You’re going to get credit but your ‘non-disclosed’ [donation] is not disclosed.  Not just for your benefit, but for everyone’s benefit.</div><div>Eric Beach, Great America PAC co-chair</div><div>
</div><div>“I would just manage your expectations, say: ‘you’re going to get credit but your ‘non-disclosed’ [donation] is not disclosed.  Not just for your benefit, but for everyone’s benefit.’”</div><div>
</div><div>Then Mr Beach’s ambivalence, or possibly confusion, about the proposal appeared to return. “I would never let you guys give to the PAC, to give to the C4, because that’s illegal,” he added. “See the C4 is technically not illegal, but it’s not – it’s just not the best way to go.”</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>Lawrence Noble, who was general counsel at the US Federal Election Commission for 13 years and is now at the Campaign Legal Centre, a DC-based advocacy group, said: "If there is evidence that representatives of a super PAC were soliciting or knowingly accepting foreign national money and helping arrange for it to get into the super PAC through a 501(c)(4) organisation, then it should be investigated by the FEC and by the Department of Justice as a criminal violation."</div><div>
</div><div>Mr Benton denied any “unethical” behaviour and said he was not “an agent of Great America PAC”, while Dan Backer, counsel to the PAC said Mr Benton “has not had a role with the PAC since May and does not speak for it”. Mr Backer added that “the conduct of the PAC and Mr. Beach’s conduct was appropriate, ethical and legal at all times.”</div></div><div>=</div><div>
</div><div>...</div><div>oligarchs</div><div>
</div><div>...McConnell surely knew as a participant in high level intelligence briefings in 2016 that our electoral process was under attack by the Russians. Two weeks after the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued a joint statement in October 2016 that the Russian government had directed the effort to interfere in our electoral process, McConnell's PAC accepted a $1 million donation from Blavatnik's AI-Altep Holdings. The PAC took another $1 million from Blavatnik's AI-Altep Holdings on March 30, 2017, just 10 days after former FBI Director James Comey publicly testified before the House Intelligence Committee about Russia's interference in the election.</div>
And consider Steve Mnuchin, Trump's campaign finance chairman. Could he have known that the Trump Victory Fund, jointly managed by the Republican National Committe and Trump's campaign, took contributions from Intrater and Kukes? Mnuchin owned Hollywood financing company RatPac-Dune with Blavatnik until he sold his stake to accept Trump's appointment as the Treasury secretary.
Which PAC officials are making the decisions to accept these donations?
The Supreme CourtThe contributions are legal because the Supreme Court's 2010 ruling, Citizens United, and several subsequent decisions, allowed American corporations and citizens to give unlimited amounts of money to PACs and non-profit 501c4 organizations, regardless of how they make their money, where they make their money, or with whom they make their money. The only caveat is that PACs and non-profits cannot coordinate their activities with the political candidates they support.
The man who led the winning fight for Citizens United was David Bossie, president of the conservative non-profit since 2001. In 1996, Bossie was hired by Republican Rep. Dan Burton to lead an investigation into President Bill Clinton's campaign fundraising. Burton fired him 18 months later for manipulating recordings of conversations among law officials and Webb Hubbell, a Clinton confidant who resigned as associate attorney general and pleaded guilty to tax fraud during the Whitewater investigation. CNN reported at the time that Newt Gingrich, who was speaker of the House, called Bossie's tampering with the Hubbell recordings an embarrassment to the Republicans.
Bossie served as Trump's deputy campaign chairman.
The Super PAC, Make America Number 1, is primarily funded by Trump's largest donor, Robert Mercer. His Renaissance Technologies hedge fund donated $15.5 million to the PAC.
Mercer's daughter, Rebekah, assumed control of Make America Number 1 in September 2016 and is now tainted by her role in the communications between Wikileaks and Cambridge Analytica, the firm that Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, hired for $5.9 million to handle the digital portion of the Trump campaign.
Robert and Rebekah Mercer are major investors in Cambridge Analytica. According to The Wall Street Journal, Rebekah Mercer asked Cambridge chief executive Alexander Nix if the firm could compile stolen emails related to Hillary Clinton so that they could be more easily searched. (This suggestion came from someone she met at an event supporting Sen. Ted Cruz, according to The Hill. Cambridge Analytica had worked on digital marketing for Cruz before he dropped out of the Republican primary.)
Nix confirmed that he had asked Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to forward the Clinton-related emails. Assange said he declined the request.
Rebekah Mercer also heads the non-profit Making America Great, formed in March 2017. The non-profit ran a seven-figure ad campaign highlighting Trump's achievements. Bossie is the group's chief strategist.[russia in brexit w/ c anal?]
Erik Prince, brother of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, contributed $150,000 to Mercer's Make America Number 1 PAC and another $100,000 to the Trump Victory Fund. Prince has recently testified to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence about his trip to the remote Seychelles for a secret meeting in December 2016 with a close ally of Putin, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund. The purpose of the meeting was allegedly to setup a back channel of communication between then president-elect Donald Trump and the Russians, though Prince has denied this allegation. Before the 2015-16 elections, Prince's political contributions totaled a mere $31,800 as far back as 2007, according to FEC records.
The hybrid super-PAC, The Committee to Defend the President, was formed in 2013 under the name Stop Hillary PAC. It is managed by Dan Backer, the lead attorney who won the McCutcheon vs. Federal Election Commission case in 2014. The Supreme Court decision eliminated the cap on how much wealthy individuals can donate to federal candidates, parties and PACs in a single, two-year election cycle.
Like Bossie, Dan Backer helped to open the floodgates to millions of dollars of influence brought to bear on incumbents and their political challengers who are now pressured to kowtow to their donors with the biggest bank accounts, even if their billions are earned in Russian rubles.
Backer was born in Russia and emigrated with his family to the U.S. in 1978.
The changes to our campaign finance laws created an avenue for Russia to try to influence our elections. There are holes in our firewall and they aren't on the internet.
Cyprus is at the center of a circle of corruption surrounding TrumpTouch chart to see info:
Ruth May is a business professor at the University of Dallas and an expert on the economies of Russia and Ukraine. She wrote this column for The Dallas Morning News. Twitter: @ruthcmay=<a href="https://www.pressherald.com/2018/07/19/u-s-political-spending-getting-more-secretive-with-irs-change/">https://www.pressherald.com/2018/07/19/u-s-political-spending-getting-more-secretive-with-irs-change/</a>
APPolitical spending in the U.S. is about to become even more secretive after the IRS this week dropped a requirement that many nonprofits have to provide lists of their major donors.The federal government will stop collecting donor information from certain types of nonprofit groups, including business associations, labor unions and “social welfare” organizations, which have become major players in the nation’s politics over the past decade.<div class="inner-sidebar" style="">Election watchdogs, already concerned about opaque political funding, say the lack of transparency could get worse and make it easier for certain groups to take money from foreign entities.“Taking away a law enforcement tool is not a good idea, especially when one of the things this information could do is help look for foreign money being funneled into elections,” said Ian Vandewalker, a lawyer who works on campaign finance issues at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU.Meanwhile, the conservative groups that dominate this kind of political giving are supporting the announcement. It was made late Monday, the same day President Donald Trump dominated the news cycle for his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.Dan Backer, a campaign finance lawyer whose clients include Great America Alliance, a social welfare group that supports Trump’s policies, said the information was not useful to the IRS. He said states that collected it used it to target conservatives for audits.<div id="adslot0" style="margin: 0px auto; text-align: center;">The rule change, he said, “takes away that weapon for state enforcement –rather for state harassment.”Political spending throughout the country has changed significantly over the past decade.A big part of the reason is the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling, which found that the government cannot limit political spending by companies, nonprofits, associations and unions. Many of them have been able to ramp up their political spending without publicly disclosing the sources of their money.Most of these “dark money” groups are classified as social welfare organizations by the IRS. They include such disparate groups as the National Rifle Association, the NAACP, organizations in Charles and David Koch’s empire of free-market groups such as Americans for Prosperity, and other organizations on both the right and left.The Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit that tracks money in politics, has tallied more than $27 million in dark money reported spent so far this year, and more than $160 million in 2014’s midterm elections.The center found that the vast majority of that money is spent by groups on the right that support Republican candidates or conservative policies.Annual political spending hits billions of dollars, but the Brennan Center found that “dark money” is concentrated in competitive elections where it can pack the biggest punch. In 2014, it amounted to more than $1 of every $4 spent on close U.S. Senate elections and was $1 of every $6 in such elections in 2016.Several states have tried to enact laws aimed at requiring political spenders to reveal their individual donors, but federal efforts to do so have not gotten far.While the organizations did not have to disclose to the public where their money came from, they did have to provide the IRS with a list of everyone who contributes more than $5,000.That’s the rule the IRS is dropping for the business associations, unions and social welfare groups, starting with tax filings that cover this year. Charities – the largest group of nonprofits – are still required to file the papers.The IRS said organizations must still keep records of donors that they could share if the agency requested it. The agency also said the information was not being used systematically and was at risk of being leaked.The IRS settled a lawsuit in 2014 with the National Organization for Marriage, which opposes same-sex marriage, after its list of donors was made public. Donors to several groups, including Planned Parenthood, were accidentally made public on a California state website.California and New York are among a handful of states that require nonprofits that solicit money in their states to file lists of donors. Mike Cooney, a Washington lawyer who represents nonprofits, said those states might be able to continue collecting donor lists even as the IRS stops doing so.Advocates for more transparency in political spending say there are no signs that the IRS has done much in recent years with the donor data.Ann Ravel, a chairwoman of the Federal Election Commission under President Barack Obama, said the documents could have helped the IRS determine whether social welfare groups were meeting the requirement that they spend at least half their money on work other than politics.“There won’t be any enforcement of that,” she said. “I guess they’re doing it purposely because they don’t really want to enforce it.”John Pudner, executive director of Take Back Our Republic, a conservative group that calls for election spending transparency, has been pushing for regulations on credit-card campaign donations, arguing that they make it easier to hide foreign contributions. Dropping disclosure requirements for the IRS is a step in the wrong direction, he said.“Anything that looks like an easy way to funnel money illicitly,” he said, “is logically going to lead to more money.”
<a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/09/frat-house-fund-raising-with-dan-backer.html">http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/09/frat-house-fund-raising-with-dan-backer.html</a>Billy, a large frat brother in a green shirt and white backward hat, cups his hands over his mouth and calls out: “Up next, we have a fund-raiser where we’re gonna throw water balloons at Dan Backer.” It’s Labor Day at American University in Washington, D.C., and Backer is standing with his wife and two small boys on the edge of a group of about 25 fraternity and sorority members wearing bathing suits and jorts. “He won McCutcheon v. FEC,” Billy says. “And — long story short — he is the reason campaign-finance law is what it is right now.” The students respond with haphazard applause and a few boos. Backer, in a blue wicking shirt and trunks, puts on his goggles and takes a seat in a lawn chair across from the crowd. “Any of you guys like Hillary Clinton?” he shouts, but the students, who are gathering balloons to throw at him, don’t seem to notice his trolling. “Oh, come on,” he says. “Nobody likes Hillary Clinton?!”<p class="clay-paragraph" data-editable="text" data-uri="nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/components/clay-paragraph/instances/ambrose-2c187e7cb043bc150851396d8aafd608-4@published" data-word-count="53" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 20px; position: relative;">Perhaps nobody likes her less than Backer does. To him, “Hillary, the brand” — her status as a pantsuit-wearing cultural icon — “is bullshit.” Whatever she’s done as senator and secretary of State, it does not impress him: “This is someone,” he says, “who has not had a substantial accomplishment other than marrying poorly.”<p class="clay-paragraph" data-editable="text" data-uri="nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/components/clay-paragraph/instances/ambrose-2c187e7cb043bc150851396d8aafd608-5@published" data-word-count="137" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 20px; position: relative;">Ever since the Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling allowing corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts on elections, Backer has been leading the charge to get more money into politics. In 2011, he won a federal case allowing the creation of hybrid PACs, a new class of groups that are allowed to raise unlimited sums while also giving limited amounts to chosen candidates, as long as they keep separate accounts. Three years later, he won that Supreme Court case, McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, that removed aggregate limits on the amounts individual donors can give in an election cycle. He’s listed as a treasurer for about 40 PACs, the best known of which is the Stop Hillary PAC, which has raised more than $1 million. Depending on your views, he is either ruining democracy or vigorously defending free speech.<p class="clay-paragraph" data-editable="text" data-uri="nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/components/clay-paragraph/instances/ambrose-2c187e7cb043bc150851396d8aafd608-6@published" data-word-count="61" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 20px; position: relative;">Or, to the kids at Zeta Psi, a powerful frat brother they can make a few bucks throwing water balloons at. Backer, who was a Zeta Psi at UMass Amherst, has stayed involved with the group’s alumni organization and is happy to be the target of some water balloons tossed by college liberals to raise funds for the D.C. Rape Crisis Center.<p class="clay-paragraph" data-editable="text" data-uri="nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/components/clay-paragraph/instances/ambrose-2c187e7cb043bc150851396d8aafd608-7@published" data-word-count="103" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 20px; position: relative;">“What about Trump?! Long live Trump!” he says, taunting the students. One kid steps forward and tosses a balloon at him. It lands wide. “Oh, look, a liberal!” he shouts. The kids surge forward and begin chucking, all at once. Backer dodges two balloons, catches one, and flinches as another explodes on his shoulder. Two kids step forward with a giant plastic bucket to dump on him, but he’s able to slip out of his chair just in time to evade the waterfall. The students groan. Soon they’ve run out of water balloons, except for two Backer’s mother-in-law bought for his kids to toss.<p class="clay-paragraph" data-editable="text" data-uri="nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/components/clay-paragraph/instances/ambrose-2c187e7cb043bc150851396d8aafd608-8@published" data-word-count="20" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 20px; position: relative;">“Throw them at Daddy hard!” he instructs. They do, but the balloons bounce off his chest and burst on the ground.<p class="clay-paragraph" data-editable="text" data-uri="nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/components/clay-paragraph/instances/ambrose-2c187e7cb043bc150851396d8aafd608-9@published" data-word-count="61" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 20px; position: relative;">Everyone takes a break while the organizers gather more balloons. “I can’t believe no one wanted to raise their hand to say they liked Hillary!” he says, removing his goggles. “I’m kinda bummed! I had a whole routine ready, like, ‘I’m in charge of Stop Hillary PAC — when you hear of all the shit she’s doing, we broke that story!’ ”<p class="clay-paragraph" data-editable="text" data-uri="nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/components/clay-paragraph/instances/ambrose-2c187e7cb043bc150851396d8aafd608-10@published" data-word-count="175" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 20px; position: relative;">Clearly, Backer has no problem drawing attention to his efforts. “I’m into the political theater of it all,” he told me this summer when I went to visit his office. “We do stuff that is probably tasteless to some people, but we think it’s hilarious.” When I asked him what he meant, he popped open his laptop and offered a sneak peek at an unaired Stop Hillary PAC ad. “Remember when Hillary Clinton’s foundation took all that money from the sultan of Brunei?” a narrator asked, showing an image of Clinton with the sultan set to music, “and then stood up to him for stoning gay men? No?” The music stopped and the video cut to a clip that appeared to show a man being stoned to death. “Neither do we.” Stop Hillary PAC runs email campaigns aimed at small donors and has delivered more than 400,000 petition signatures to Congressman Trey Gowdy’s office in support of his Benghazi investigations. (Gowdy, for his part, made it clear he did not want Republicans fund-raising off the issue.)<p class="clay-paragraph" data-editable="text" data-uri="nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/components/clay-paragraph/instances/ambrose-2c187e7cb043bc150851396d8aafd608-11@published" data-word-count="68" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 20px; position: relative;">On the quad, the college kids have returned with more balloons. Backer takes his seat and resumes his taunts. “Did someone say Trump?” he says to no one in particular. “We’ve got to make America great again!” A balloon crashes against his knees, spattering him. He dodges one, catches two more, chucks them back into the crowd. Within minutes, the ammo is again spent. The kids begin to disperse.<p class="clay-paragraph" data-editable="text" data-uri="nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/components/clay-paragraph/instances/ambrose-2c187e7cb043bc150851396d8aafd608-12@published" data-word-count="201" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 20px; position: relative;">Backer, in his wet bathing suit, walks over to a bench near the campus spiritual-life center, pulls up a dinosaur video to distract one of his sons, and starts explaining how he found his calling. His Russian Jewish parents fled Novosibirsk in 1978, when he was a year old, and raised him in New Jersey. Always something of a rebel, he decided to launch an alternative newspaper at his high school and ran afoul of administrators when he published the perspective of a senior kid who’d gotten in trouble for, as Backer remembers it, “slap[ping] some freshman girl on the ass.” After he graduated from law school, a mentor asked him for help with the paperwork of his PAC. Backer found himself a niche advising PACs and eventually began to challenge the boundaries of what they were legally allowed to do. He’s also helped organize the Stop Pelosi PAC and Stop R.E.I.D. PAC, and helps run the Conservative Action Fund, a tea-party group funded by Shaun McCutcheon. He is rarely the public face of these groups; Backer has Tourette’s syndrome, which causes facial tics and other TV-unfriendly gestures, like the tendency to gesture at you with both middle fingers as he’s speaking.<p class="clay-paragraph" data-editable="text" data-uri="nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/components/clay-paragraph/instances/ambrose-2c187e7cb043bc150851396d8aafd608-13@published" data-word-count="120" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 20px; position: relative;">“Individuals and organizations spending money to talk to me about what they think I should do is their right. And it’s my right to listen or not,” he says. “Money in politics is great. Restraints on political communication are fundamentally about protecting the status quo, and also about preventing people from having every bit of information they want to consume.” How, then, do you stop politicians from being corrupted by the very rich? “I totally believe in base limits,” he says. “I think they should be higher, but … it is a fundamentally obvious thing to me that if I give you, a candidate, a million dollars, I may not have bought you, but it sure as hell looks that way.”<p class="clay-paragraph" data-editable="text" data-uri="nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/components/clay-paragraph/instances/ambrose-2c187e7cb043bc150851396d8aafd608-14@published" data-word-count="123" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 20px; position: relative;">Despite all that, Backer is not universally well regarded on the right. His groups raise a lot of money that goes back into his firm, a practice that’s led some people to call them “scam PACs.” The term pisses Backer off. “[John] Boehner complains very loudly that one of my clients raised a lot of money to primary him. Well, you know what? If you don’t want to be primaried, pay attention to the people that are complaining about you. Don’t call them assholes. [Eric] Cantor can be spending $160,000 on steak dinners for lobbyists, but we’re a scam? What it comes down to is: People who don’t want you to speak are going to say anything they can to stop you from speaking.”<p class="clay-paragraph" data-editable="text" data-uri="nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/components/clay-paragraph/instances/ambrose-2c187e7cb043bc150851396d8aafd608-15@published" data-word-count="88" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 20px; position: relative;">Backer points to the 400,000 signatures on the Benghazi petition as evidence of the support behind the Stop Hillary PAC, and he says it will mobilize supporters in increasingly public campaigns this fall. “We have a particularly large project that we’re going to be rolling out. The RNC could never, ever do it,” he says. “Our volunteers will fight because they see Hillary as an existential threat.” It’s called Operation Black Box. “This,” he promises, sounding very sure of himself, “is the thing that’s going to do Hillary in.”<p class="clay-paragraph" data-editable="text" data-uri="nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/components/clay-paragraph/instances/ambrose-2c187e7cb043bc150851396d8aafd608-16@published" data-word-count="13" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 20px; position: relative;">*This article appears in the September 21, 2015 issue of New York Mag<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">=</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">shocked! shocked!</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p class="yiv3668632623headline3" style="text-align: left; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color"><a rel="noreferrer" target="blank" href="https://rawstory.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=80b42ecc21f29763320aceb90&id=944e6e29ab&e=4da1f92934" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Feds Indict Brothers for Scam PACs That Bilked Over $50 Million from Gullible Republican Donors</a><p style="text-align: left; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" font-style="font-style" italic="italic" color="color" rgb="rgb">By Steven Rosenfeld, Independent Media InstituteScam PACs make pitches across the political spectrum, evading regulators. <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://rawstory.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=80b42ecc21f29763320aceb90&id=cb39eb4e68&e=4da1f92934" class="yiv3668632623readmore" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0.1em;">READ MORE»</a></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">=</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/12/15/putins-proxies-helped-funnel-millions-gop-campaigns">https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/12/15/putins-proxies-helped-funnel-millions-gop-campaigns</a></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">...</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">
</div><div style=""><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">There is no doubt that Kukes has close ties to the Putin government. When he left his job as CEO of TNK in June 2003, he joined the board of Yukos Oil, which at the time was the largest oil company in Russia owned by the richest man in Russia, Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Four months after Kukes joined the board, authorities arrested Khodorkovsky at gunpoint on his private plane in Siberia on trumped up charges of tax evasion and tapped Kukes to be CEO. This decision could only have been made at the highest levels in the Kremlin. The arrest of Khodorkovsky rattled the nerves of international investors and was the first tangible sign that Putin was not going to be the kind of leader that global executives and Western governments had expected him to be when he first took office in 2000.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Khodorkovksy was given a 13-year sentence in a Siberian prison and served 10 years before being released by Putin in December 2013, a month before the start of the 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi, as a sign of goodwill. As for the fate of Khodorkovksy's company, its largest oil subsidiary was sold in a sealed bid auction to Baikal Financial Group, a shell company with an unpublished list of officers. Baikal was registered at an address that turned out to be a mobile phone store in Tver, Russia. Three days after the auction, all of Baikal's assets were acquired for an undisclosed sum by Rosneft, the Russian oil giant that went on to buy TNK-BP in 2013.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">In total, Blavatnik, Intrater, Shustorovich and Kukes made $10.4 million in political contributions from the start of the 2015-16 election cycle through September 2017, and 99 percent of their contributions went to Republicans. With the exception of Shustorovich, the common denominator that connects the men is their association with Vekselberg. Experts who follow the activities of Russian oligarchs told ABC News that they believe the contributions from Blavatnik, Intrater and Kukes warrant intense scrutiny because they have worked closely with Vekselberg.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Even if the donations by the four men associated with Russia ultimately pass muster with Mueller, one still has to wonder: Why did GOP PACs and other Trump-controlled funds take their money? Why didn't the PACs say, "Thanks, but no thanks," like the Republicans said to Shustorovich in 2000? Yes, it was legal to accept their donations, but it was incredibly poor judgment.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">McConnell surely knew as a participant in high level intelligence briefings in 2016 that our electoral process was under attack by the Russians. Two weeks after the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued a joint statement in October 2016 that the Russian government had directed the effort to interfere in our electoral process, McConnell's PAC accepted a $1 million donation from Blavatnik's AI-Altep Holdings. The PAC took another $1 million from Blavatnik's AI-Altep Holdings on March 30, 2017, just 10 days after former FBI Director James Comey publicly testified before the House Intelligence Committee about Russia's interference in the election.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia">And consider Steve Mnuchin, Trump's campaign finance chairman. Could he have known that the Trump Victory Fund, jointly managed by the Republican National Committe and Trump's campaign, took contributions from Intrater and Kukes? Mnuchin owned Hollywood financing company RatPac-Dune with Blavatnik <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-20/mnuchin-completes-ethics-divestitures-without-naming-buyers" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 0.1s linear; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(50, 156, 232);">until he sold his stake to accept Trump's appointment</a> as the Treasury secretary.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Which PAC officials are making the decisions to accept these donations?<h2 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px;" gotham="Gotham" ssm="SSm" a="A" b="B" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" unicode="Unicode" lucida="Lucida" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" line-height="line-height" rem="rem" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color">The Supreme Court</h2><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">The contributions are legal because the Supreme Court's 2010 ruling, Citizens United, and several subsequent decisions, allowed American corporations and citizens to give unlimited amounts of money to PACs and non-profit 501c4 organizations, regardless of how they make their money, where they make their money, or with whom they make their money. The only caveat is that PACs and non-profits cannot coordinate their activities with the political candidates they support.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">The man who led the winning fight for Citizens United was David Bossie, president of the conservative non-profit since 2001. In 1996, Bossie was hired by Republican Rep. Dan Burton to lead an investigation into President Bill Clinton's campaign fundraising. Burton fired him 18 months later for manipulating recordings of conversations among law officials and Webb Hubbell, a Clinton confidant who resigned as associate attorney general and pleaded guilty to tax fraud during the Whitewater investigation. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/05/12/cq/campaign.finance.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 0.1s linear; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(50, 156, 232);">CNN reported at the time</a> that Newt Gingrich, who was speaker of the House, called Bossie's tampering with the Hubbell recordings an embarrassment to the Republicans.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Bossie served as Trump's deputy campaign chairman.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">The Super PAC, Make America Number 1, is primarily funded by Trump's largest donor, Robert Mercer. His Renaissance Technologies hedge fund donated $15.5 million to the PAC.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Mercer's daughter, Rebekah, assumed control of Make America Number 1 in September 2016 and is now tainted by her role in the communications between Wikileaks and Cambridge Analytica, the firm that Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, hired for $5.9 million to handle the digital portion of the Trump campaign.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Robert and Rebekah Mercer are major investors in Cambridge Analytica. According to The Wall Street Journal, Rebekah Mercer asked Cambridge chief executive Alexander Nix if the firm could compile stolen emails related to Hillary Clinton so that they could be more easily searched. (This suggestion came from someone she met at an event supporting Sen. Ted Cruz, <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/357558-top-trump-donor-asked-data-firm-to-help-organize-hacked-wikileaks-emails" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 0.1s linear; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(50, 156, 232);">according to The Hill</a>. Cambridge Analytica had worked on digital marketing for Cruz before he dropped out of the Republican primary.)<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Nix confirmed that he had asked Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to forward the Clinton-related emails. Assange said he declined the request.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Rebekah Mercer also heads the non-profit Making America Great, formed in March 2017. The non-profit ran a seven-figure ad campaign highlighting Trump's achievements. Bossie is the group's chief strategist.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia">Erik Prince, brother of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, contributed $150,000 to Mercer's Make America Number 1 PAC and another $100,000 to the Trump Victory Fund. Prince has recently testified to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence about his trip <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/erik-prince-tells-house-investigators-he-met-with-kremlin-linked-banker-in-seychelles/2017/11/30/c8a66e3e-d62e-11e7-95bf-df7c19270879_story.html?utm_term=.6277cbd93c37" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 0.1s linear; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(50, 156, 232);">to the remote Seychelles</a> for a secret meeting in December 2016 with a close ally of Putin, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund. The purpose of the meeting was allegedly to setup a back channel of communication between then president-elect Donald Trump and the Russians, though Prince has denied this allegation. Before the 2015-16 elections, Prince's political contributions totaled a mere $31,800 as far back as 2007, according to FEC records.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">The hybrid super-PAC, The Committee to Defend the President, was formed in 2013 under the name Stop Hillary PAC. It is managed by Dan Backer, the lead attorney who won the <a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/04/22/14611/mccutcheon-decision-explained-more-money-pour-political-process" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 0.1s linear; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(50, 156, 232);">McCutcheon vs. Federal Election Commission</a> case in 2014. The Supreme Court decision eliminated the cap on how much wealthy individuals can donate to federal candidates, parties and PACs in a single, two-year election cycle.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Like Bossie, Dan Backer <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/03/10/dan-backer-campaign-finance-mccutcheon-supreme-court/6259863/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: color 0.1s linear; text-decoration-line: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(50, 156, 232);">helped to open the floodgates</a> to millions of dollars of influence brought to bear on incumbents and their political challengers who are now pressured to kowtow to their donors with the biggest bank accounts, even if their billions are earned in Russian rubles.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Backer was born in Russia and emigrated with his family to the U.S. in 1978.<p style="text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2.125rem 0px 0px; line-height: 2.125rem;" pt="PT" serif="serif" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" georgia="Georgia" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">The changes to our campaign finance laws created an avenue for Russia to try to influence our elections. There are holes in our firewall and they aren't on the internet.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">=</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2016/04/12/19551/pro-trump-super-pac-wants-your-money">https://www.publicintegrity.org/2016/04/12/19551/pro-trump-super-pac-wants-your-money</a></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="container" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; border: 0px; width: 1280px;"><div class="field-item even first" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><div class="body-copy-inner" itemprop="articleBody" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 410px 0px 250px; border: 0px; line-height: 28px; width: 1280px;">The Republican establishment wants to deny <a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/06/16/17488/9-things-know-about-donald-trump" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Donald Trump</a> the Republican nomination for president, even though he’s the <a href="https://interactives.ap.org/2016/delegate-tracker/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">delegate leader</a>, and a new TV ad wants to know if its viewers think that is wrong — right?Well, yes, but the nationally airing ad is as much about raising money for the sponsor than it is about boosting the candidate.“Donald Trump is the true front-runner in the presidential race,” the boisterous narrator says over a still image of Trump. “And we need you to pick up the phone and let us know your opinion.”Dial one of the two toll-free numbers on the screen and you hear the same voice asking callers to press “1” if they agree that this is wrong. And then, the same voice asks for a donation to Great America PAC.So who is <a href="http://www.greatamericapac.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Great America PAC</a>? The Federal Election Commission says it’s a <a href="http://ivn.us/2013/03/30/hybrid-super-pacs-growing-in-popularity/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">hybrid super PAC</a>. But didn’t Trump say he was opposed to super PACs?The ad’s sponsorGreat America PAC formed in February, but under a different name: TRUMPAC.Great America PAC is a <a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/02/01/16682/hybrid-pacs-generating-few-greenbacks" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">“hybrid” political action committee</a>, meaning that like a super PAC, it can raise and spend in unlimited amounts to advocate for or against candidates. But it also operates as a traditional PAC, collecting limited amounts of money that is sent directly to a candidate.Hybrid PACs were born out of the 2011 federal court case Carey v. Federal Election Commission that opened the door for such groups to exist, so long as they keep separate bank accounts for the two activities.And the treasurer of Great America PAC is Dan Backer, the conservative attorney who helped to make hybrid PACs possible.Who’s behind it?Backer, a conservative lawyer, is known for winning <a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/04/22/14611/mccutcheon-decision-explained-more-money-pour-political-process" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">McCutcheon v. FEC</a>, a decision that further opened the flood gates for money flowing into elections. The decision eliminated aggregate limits for individual donors.Also behind the group is Bill Doddridge, founder of diamond retailer The Jewelry Exchange.Doddridge co-founded Great America PAC with tea party operative Amy Kremer. In March, they recruited Jesse Benton, a Republican operative who previously oversaw a super PAC supporting <a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/04/07/17068/12-things-know-about-rand-paul" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Rand Paul</a>. Paul dropped out of the presidential race in February.Eric Beach, also a former Paul ally, is overseeing fundraising for Great America PAC.</div></div></div><div class="container" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; border: 0px; width: 1280px;"><div class="field-item odd" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><div class="body-copy-inner" itemprop="articleBody" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 410px 0px 250px; border: 0px; line-height: 28px; width: 1280px;">Doddridge and Beach are the biggest benefactors of Great America PAC, together contributing $50,000 to the group, though federal records show that Great America PAC is mostly a small-dollar operation.Out of its 825 disclosed contributions through February, nearly 98 percent were in the amount of $5. In March, Great America PAC solicited donations via email, using Trump’s trademarked “Make America Great Again” slogan. A portion of the donations would be forwarded to the campaign.Great America PAC forwarded about $3,300 to the official Trump campaign through February, according to its most recent FEC report.Great America PAC raised roughly a total $73,000 through the end of February, but if its reported <a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00608489/1059460/se" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">TV buys</a> are any indicator, it raised at least $1 million since.Money outGreat America PAC has reported spending about $1.1 million on expenditures such as TV ads, radio spots and email list rentals, according to FEC filings. The ad is airing primarily on satellite and cable stations, according to the group.Why it mattersTrump frequently talks on the campaign trail about how much he dislikes super PACs, calling them “a disaster" and “very corrupt” during a Republican debate hosted by CNN in March.“And frankly, I know the system better than anybody else and I'm the only one up here that's going to be able to fix that system because that system is wrong,” Trump added.Though not closely linked with Trump, Great America PAC has emerged as the most moneyed super PAC complementing his efforts. Trump <a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-calls-on-all-presidential-candidates-to-return-dark-money" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">previously disavowed super PACs</a> supporting him, though he has yet to do the same for Great America PAC.Great America PAC’s efforts also come at a time when the self-described “self-funding candidate” is being targeted in attack ads fueled by super PACs and <a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2016/01/20/19156/what-political-dark-money-and-it-bad" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">“dark money”</a> organizations. Just before Florida’s primary in March, <a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2016/03/16/19432/super-pacs-built-wall-around-florida-and-trump-destroyed-it" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">a band of outside groups paid for more than 4,300 TV ads attacking Trump.</a>Whether or not Trump has changed his tune on super PACs is uncertain. Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks did not respond to requests for comment.</div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;"></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">http://www.dbcapitolstrategies.com/</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">off bs</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">DB Capitol Strategies PLLC is a cutting edge campaign finance and political law firm in Alexandria, VA, providing comprehensive legal guidance to PACs, campaigns, and political organizations on the entire range of candidate, campaign, campaign finance, and organizational regulations. Our firm provides a broad suite of personalized services, support, and strategic advice to our clients, and has not shied away from zealously advancing clients’ interests before the Federal Election Commission and in federal court, including the U.S. Supreme Court.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">many almost heroic pix that don't quite work:</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p class="font_8" style="text-align: left; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Backer is the founding attorney of DB Capitol Strategies, a premiere campaign finance and political<p class="font_8" style="text-align: left; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">law firm boutique in Alexandria, Virginia.  Through his work at DB Capitol Strategies, and as founder and president of the Coolidge Reagan Foundation, Mr. Backer has served as counsel to over 40 campaigns & candidates, PACs, and political organizations.  He has filed more than a dozen FEC Advisory Opinion Requests, numerous lawsuits against the FEC, and regularly represents political law clients before the FEC.<p class="font_8" style="text-align: left; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> <p class="font_8" style="text-align: left; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Mr. Backer is a staunch defender and advocate at the forefront of free speech and associational rights. He was Plaintiffs’ counsel in McCutcheon v FEC (striking aggregate contribution limits, US Supreme Court) and Carey v FEC (Creating the Hybrid PAC, US District Court for the District of Columbia). He is also counsel in Stop REID PAC et. al. v FEC (prior restraints on speech, in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia) and Combat Veterans For Congress PAC v FEC (personal liability of PAC Treasurers, in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia).<p class="font_8" style="text-align: left; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> <p class="font_8" style="text-align: left; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Before starting DB Capitol Strategies, Mr. Backer served as a “Legal Policy Analyst and Subject Matter Expert” in military and overseas voting for the Department of Defenses' Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP).  He is admitted to practice law in both Virginia and the District of Columbia, and before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for DC, and the US District Courts for the Eastern & Western Districts of Virginia and DC.  Mr. Backer has a Bachelor’s in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a JD from George Mason University School of Law, a Masters Certificate in PAC Management from George Washington University, and the Professional Lobbying Certificate (PLC) from the American League of Lobbyists.<p class="font_8" style="text-align: left; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> <p class="font_8" style="text-align: left; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Mr. Backer was a 2014 recipient of the prestigious William F. Buckley Leadership Award of the Young Conservatives Coalition.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><h5 class="font_5" style="text-align: left; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.2em;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; line-height: 1.2em;"><span class="color_11" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Contact Us</h5><p class="font_9" style="text-align: left; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.3em;"> <p class="font_9" style="text-align: left; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.3em;"><span class="color_11" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; 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background-clip: initial;">EMAIL<p class="font_8" style="text-align: left; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.3em;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; line-height: 1.3em;"><span class="color_11" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><a class="auto-generated-link" data-auto-recognition="true" data-content="DBacker@DBCapitolStrategies.com" href="mailto:DBacker@DBCapitolStrategies.com" data-type="mail" style="margin: 0px; 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font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.3em;"><span class="color_15" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; line-height: 1.3em;">MEDIA CONTACT<p class="font_8" style="text-align: left; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.3em; max-width: 99.9%;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; line-height: 1.3em;"><span class="color_11" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><a class="auto-generated-link" data-auto-recognition="true" data-content="JamesM@DBCapitolStrategies.com" href="mailto:JamesM@DBCapitolStrategies.com" data-type="mail" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">JamesM@DBCapitolStrategies.com</a> </div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;"></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div style="text-align: left;">Litigation matters</div><div style="text-align: left;">DB Capitol Strategies is at the cutting edge of campaign finance law, advancing critical challenges to restraints on speech and assocation against the Federal Election Commission.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Carey v FEC</div><div style="text-align: left;">(Hybrid traditional/SuperPACs)</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">The National Defense PAC submitted an FEC Advisory Opinion Request seeking to establish a new bank account consistent with the Citizens United and SpeechNow cases to solicit unlimited “SuperPAC” contributions for Independent Expenditures without creating a new PAC, while still raising amount- and source-limited funds for candidate contributions.  When the FEC failed to issue an Advisory Opinion, the PAC and its founder, Rear Admiral (Ret.) James J. Carey, filed suit. The FEC lost a motion for preliminary injunction and settled the suit in Carey’s favor, creating the legal framework for Hybrid PACs and Carey Accounts.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Tea Party Leadership Fund v FEC</div><div style="text-align: left;">(restraints on grassroots speech)</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">The Tea Party Leadership Fund PAC, based on AOR 2012-32, and others sued the FEC to challenge the 6-month registration period for multicandidate PAC status. A PAC that has been registered for 6 months, received contributions from more than 50 people, and contributed to at least 5 candidates may contribute up to $5,000 per candidate; otherwise it may only contribute up to the individual limit, then $2,500. Plaintiffs argued First Amendment violation creates an unconstitutional waiting period on full speech rights and does not prevent actual, or apparent, quid pro quo corruption as required for speech restraints.  The case was ultimately withdrawn.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Combat Veterans For Congress PAC v FEC (Treasurer liability)</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Combat Veterans for Congress PAC was fined for late-filing of 3 FEC reports in 2010, which the PAC argued was a result of the knowing, willful, and reckless conduct of its then-Treasurer.  The FEC, rather than following the statute, regulations, and every published comment on the matter that clearly intends to hold Treasurer personally liable in such circumstances.  While pending, the PAC discovered rampant irregularities with FEC voting practices that became central to the case, which was argued before the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit on February 5, 2015.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Stop REID PAC v FEC</div><div style="text-align: left;">(restraints on grassroots speech)</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Stop REID PAC and others sued the FEC to challenge arbitrary changes in contribution limits for PACs based on how long they have been registered with the FEC as infringing on speech and associational rights and violating the Fifth Amendment’s equal protection guarantee. Plaintiffs argue that these differing limits, both lower and higher, on a PACs' contributions to candidates and parties based on how long a PAC has registered are unconstitutional because they are overbroad, not closely tailored to furthering any important government interest, nor do they prevent actual, or apparent, quid quo pro corruption.  The case is pending.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Stop Hillary PAC v FEC</div><div style="text-align: left;">(FEC action on enforcement)</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Stop Hillary PAC sued the FEC over its failure to act on the PACs complaint against Ready For Hillary PAC and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Based on the widely publicized use by Ready for Hillary of a Clinton-owned email file, Stop Hillary PAC filed a complaint January 2014 that Ready for Hillary acted with Clinton’s authorization to draft Clinton for President, an act that makes Ready for Hillary an campaign committee subject to different contribution limits and disclosure requirements, and Clinton to various other laws, all of which were being regularly violated and which the FEC failed to timely investigate and act upon. The case is pending.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">McCutcheon, et. al.  v FEC</div><div style="text-align: left;">(striking aggregate limits)</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">A landmark Supreme Court case, arising from AOR 2012-14, that struck down aggregate limits on the total amount an individual may contribute, within the per-recipient base limits, over a two year election cycle to all federal candidates, parties and PACs combined.  The Court largely adopted Plaintiffs arguments in ruling for McCutcheon, recognizing that aggregate limits were an unconstitutional Prophylaxis upon prophylaxis that did nothing to prevent actual, or apparent, quid pro quo corruption.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;"></div><div style="">Like Trump’s campaign itself, the outside groups supporting him have been more disjointed, with several organizations appearing to compete for the attention of donors and the favor of the candidate.<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00575373" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">Make America Number 1</a> is primarily financed by conservative billionaire and Renaissance Technologies CEO Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah, who have provided $13.5 million of the $16 million raised by the super PAC thus far. The group supported Ted Cruz in the primary, when it was run by Kellyanne Conway, now Trump’s campaign manager.<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00608489&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">Great America PAC</a> is an unusual outside spending group in that it relies substantially on small donations of $200 or less. It has suffered some hits in leadership, with Tea Party activist Amy Kremer leaving the group in May; its senior adviser, Jesse Benton, was convicted (and sentenced this week) on federal charges of public corruption. It has raised $11.2 million and says it has spent $7.2 million on independent expenditures, including online, mail and television advertising. The PAC’s treasurer is attorney Dan Backer; questions have been raised about the legitimacy of <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/scammers-feast-of-trump-fundraising-disarray-223141" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">other super PACs</a> with which Backer has been involved.Several other outside groups have identified themselves as supporting the Trump effort, but they are generally small and appear less organized. But the Trump family doesn’t seem to have a cohesive strategy on this front, with the candidate’s two sons headlining <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2016/09/15/trump-sons-headline-fundraisers-for-different-super-pacs-stoking-donor-confusion/" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">fundraisers for two different groups</a>. That has stoked the donor confusion: If they can’t pick a PAC, how will contributors know which one to fund?</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;"></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">http://leestranahan.com/category/staffergate/</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">launder TP $? to mccutcheon v fec</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">...As I’ve been researching the group <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgave2.php?cycle=2014&cmte=C00524355" style="line-height: 1.3; text-indent: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Patriots for Economic Freedom</a>, I’ve now spoken to four of the groups’s top donors and according to information from their Federal Election Commission reports none of them claim to have actually donated to the group.</div>Three of the four people I spoke to had charges on their credit card ranging from $1,500 to $2,500 for the Patriots for Economic Freedom group and contacted their credit card company to have the charges reversed. One of the four–a man in his 90s–didn’t remember the transaction that was shown as reversed on the FEC report at all.All four people were conservatives who have donated to other groups in small amounts. None of them were familiar with Patriots for Economic Freedom other than the charges made to their credit cards. All four were also elderly, ranging in age from their late sixties to nineties. The four came from different states.Patriots for Economic Freedom took in over $200,000 in this election and at least $84,000 of that money went to either treasurer / founder Tyler Whitney or his company Amagi and nearly $13,000 went to attorney Dan Backer’s company DB Capitol Strategies....<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;"></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">https://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/09/22/15653/american-dream-initiative</div><div style=""><div class="sectionHeader" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 28px;"><a href="http://www.publicintegrity.org/who-calls-shots" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">Who's calling the shots?</a>: <a href="http://www.publicintegrity.org/who-calls-shots/state-ad-wars-tracker" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">Ad wars</a>: TV ads in 2014 state races</div><div class="totals" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 18px 0px 0px; border: 0px; position: relative; line-height: 28px;"><div style="text-align: left;">$391,300</div><div class="total est_cost" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 80px 0px 0px; border: 0px; width: auto; line-height: 40px; display: inline-block; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><div class="label" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 16px;"><div style="text-align: left;">estimated TV ad spending on </div><div style="text-align: left;">state-level races in the 2014 cycle </div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <div class="total num" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 80px 0px 0px; border: 0px; width: auto; line-height: 40px; display: inline-block; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">1,101</div></div><div class="total num" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 80px 0px 0px; border: 0px; width: auto; line-height: 40px; display: inline-block; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><div class="label" style="text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 16px;">times ads ran</div></div><div class="graph" style="text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; display: inline-block;"><svg width="330" height="70" /><text x="65" y="29" class="label amount">$142,600</text><g transform="translate(69 0)"><line x1="0" x2="100%" y1="25" y2="25" class="line"><line x1="222" x2="222" y1="0" y2="50px" class="electionLine"><text x="222" y="63" class="electionLabel">general</text><rect x="100" y="0" width="4" height="50" class="bar"><rect x="105" y="31.382176551046893" width="4" height="18.617823448953107" class="bar"><text x="1" y="17" class="label shadow">Jan. 2014</text><text x="89%" y="17" class="label shadow">Nov.</text><text x="0" y="16" class="label">Jan. 2014</text><text x="235" y="16" class="label">Nov.</text></rect></rect></line></line></g></div></div><a name="whatsmissing" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 28px;"></a><div class="levels" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 28px;"><div class="level" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><div class="levelHeader" style="background-color: rgb(253, 253, 253); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 30px 0px 10px; padding: 5px 0px 10px; border-width: 1px 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(200, 200, 200); border-bottom-color: rgb(200, 200, 200); position: relative;"><div class="levelHead" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px; border: 0px; width: 282px; line-height: 26px; display: inline-block;">Attorney general</div> <div class="levelTotal" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; width: 159.797px; line-height: 23px; display: inline-block; text-align: right;">$391,300</div></div><div class="level" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><div class="stateLevel " style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 13px 0px 0px; padding: 8px 0px 13px; border: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="lines" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; display: table; border-collapse: collapse; width: 752px;"><div class="stateHeader line" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; display: table-row;"><div class="stateHead" style="text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px; border: 0px; display: table-cell; width: 302px;"><a href="http://www.publicintegrity.org/who-calls-shots/texas" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">Texas</a></div><div class="lineCost" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; border: 0px; display: table-cell; width: 103px; text-align: right; white-space: nowrap;"><div class="lineTarget" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 5px 5px 25px; border: 0px; display: table-cell; width: 347px; text-align: right;"><div class="lines" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; display: table; border-collapse: collapse; width: 752px;"><div class="line" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; display: table-row;"><div class="lineNum" style="text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 30px 5px 5px; border: 0px; display: table-cell; width: 150px;">ran 1,101</div><div class="lineTone negative" style="text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px 40px; border: 0px; display: table-cell; width: 181px; background-image: url("http://iw-files.s3.amazonaws.com/apps/2014/07/politicsapp/img/minus.png"); background-position: 22px 7px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">negative ads</div><div class="lineCost" style="text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; border: 0px; display: table-cell; width: 118px; white-space: nowrap;">$391,300</div><div class="lineTarget" style="text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 5px 5px 25px; border: 0px; display: table-cell; width: 303px;">targeting Ken Paxton <div class="party republican" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 0px 4px; padding: 1px; border: 0px; display: inline-block; width: 11px; height: 15px; border-radius: 2px; text-align: center; line-height: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 37, 62);">R</div> <span class="fa fa-check-circle won tooltipstered" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1; text-rendering: auto; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; margin-left: 4px;"> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;"></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">wellspring</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">...JCN also sent funds to other groups that worked to sway state judgeship elections, such as the Republican State Leadership Committee, which spent more money putting conservatives on the bench in more states than any other outside group in 2014, according to the nonpartisan organization <a href="http://newpoliticsreport.org/app/uploads/JAS-NPJE-2013-14.pdf" style="line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Justice at Stake</a>.</div>But attorneys general have been a growing focus of conservative donor groups. Carrie Severino, JCN’s chief counsel, said in 2012 that conservative AGs, many of whom have challenged Obamacare, the Dodd-Frank financial services overhaul and EPA regulations, are “emerging as key leaders in the battle for limited constitutional government.”In 2014 JCN gave $1 million to the Republican Attorneys General Association, making it the <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/527s/527cmtedetail_contribs.php?ein=464501717&cycle=2014" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration: none;">third largest donor</a> to the GOP organization that year. Between mid-2013 and mid-2014 JCN also donated $1.35 million — the largest grant it handed out in that period — to another dark money group, the American Future Fund, which has its own project to elect GOP attorneys general and is also a donor to <a href="https://forms.irs.gov/app/pod/basicSearch/search?execution=e2s3&pacid=50401" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration: none;">RAGA</a>. According to RAGA’s disclosure filings, JCN gave it another $200,000 in the first half of 2015.Similarly, Wellspring gave $350,000 to something called the <a href="http://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/09/22/15653/american-dream-initiative" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">American Dream Initiative</a> last year — a group run by <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2014/04/consequences-of-mccutcheon-dan-backer-version/" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Dan Backer</a> that spent hundreds of thousands of dollars attacking the Democratic candidate in Texas’ 2014 attorney general race.This fall, JCN has spent at least $200,000 on TV and digital ads criticizing Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy and John Roberts, <a href="http://www.rollcall.com/news/conservative_ad_targets_supreme_court_justices-243615-1.html?pg=1&dczone=news" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">comparing them to former Justice David Souter</a> — a Republican appointee who often sided with the more liberal wing of the court. While Roberts and Kennedy can hardly be called liberals (particularly Roberts), two of the court’s decisions last term, one upholding the Affordable Care Act and one legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, triggered widespread disgust on the right. JCN’s statement announcing the ads called Kennedy and Roberts “examples of bad GOP appointments.” The group has a <a href="http://www.rollcall.com/news/conservative_ad_targets_supreme_court_justices-243615-1.html?pg=1&dczone=news" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">website</a> describing the judicial appointment philosophies of the Republican presidential candidates.Our efforts to reach Wellspring and JCN for comment by phone and on foot were unsuccessful. We visited the address JCN lists on its 990 — 722 12th St. NW, fourth floor — and found only Americans for Tax Reform, the group headed by Grover Norquist that asks candidates to sign a pledge saying they won’t raise taxes. An ATR receptionist was noncommittal about whether JCN had offices in the suite but said she would get a message to someone connected with the group....https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2015/11/wellspring-gives-big-boost-to-judicial-crisis-network-with-6-6-million-grant/american dream initiative | OpenSecrets BlogNov 24, 2015 ... Tag Archives: american dream initiative. jcn. Wellspring gives big boost to Judicial Crisis Network with $6.6 million grant by Viveca Novak ...https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/american-dream-initiative/
 Ten nonprofits called out for breaking political spending cap ...Jun 16, 2016 ... Similarly, the American Dream Initiative is based in Virginia, but the bulk of its outlays — more than $500,000, or 83 percent of its total spent ...https://www.opensecrets.org/.../ten-nonprofits-called-out-for-breaking- political-spending-cap/ Wellspring gives big boost to Judicial Crisis Network with $6.6 ...Nov 24, 2015 ... Similarly, Wellspring gave $350,000 to something called the American Dream Initiative last year — a group run by Dan Backer that spent ...https://www.opensecrets.org/.../wellspring-gives-big-boost-to-judicial-crisis- network-with-6-6-million-grant/<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">=</div><div style=""><div class="entry-content" style="margin: 5px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; line-height: 24px;"><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 5px 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"> Backer says he doesn’t believe the Supreme Court’s McCutcheon v. FEC ruling will lead to a proliferation of new PACs and joint fundraising committees, <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2014/04/mccutcheon-decision-add-some-more-z.html" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">as so many election law observers have predicted</a>.</div>Does Backer know what he’s talking about? Besides being the lead attorney for Shaun McCutcheon, over the last three election cycles he has overseen a proliferation of new PACs and helped organize what may be the largest-ever joint fundraising committee, in terms of the number of participants. </div><div style="margin: 5px 0px;">In the wake of the McCutcheon decision last week, donors still may give only a limited amount to a particular candidate or committee. But with the cap off on overall donations by individuals, critics of the ruling say we can expect a gaggle of new groups to pop up to harness the now limitless donation power of individual wealthy donors. And those PACs, along with candidates and party committees, can band together and create joint fundraising vehicles — cooperative efforts to collect big checks from donors and then distribute the funds among the participants.<div style="text-align: left;">What’s envisioned — or feared, depending on one’s perspective — are “super JFCs” that can ask each donor for a check in the millions. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 5px 0px;">In an interview with OpenSecrets Blog this week, Backer, 36, said the whole idea is nonsense.</div><div style="margin: 5px 0px;"><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 5px 0px;">“I assure you that anyone who thinks these super JFCs are going to proliferate is out of their freaking minds,” Backer said. </div><div style="margin: 5px 0px;"><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 5px 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">Backer has done his fair share of creating new PACs and joint fundraising committees, especially lately. According to OpenSecrets.org data, in 2010, Backer was the treasurer for four committees registered with the FEC. In 2012, the number was 18, and so far in 2014, he is listed as the treasurer for 38. And in many cases he’s more than just a name on the paperwork; a number of the groups have paid his law firm, DB Capitol Strategies, for political and legal advice.</div>Correspondingly, his firm’s receipts have sharply increased: According to an OpenSecrets.org analysis of expenditure data, in 2010 DB Capitol Strategies was paid about $9,300 by federal committees; that increased to $167,648 in 2012, and so far in the 2014 cycle it has been paid $288,127.One of Backer’s most prominent projects has been the <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00496505&cycle=2014" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Conservative Action Fund</a>, which operates as both a traditional PAC and a super PAC, with two separate accounts and fundraising operations. On the PAC side, the group raised just $25,646 in 2012, but on the super PAC side, it raised $205,000 — most of which ($185,000) was donated by Backer’s star client, Shaun McCutcheon. McCutcheon also loaned an additional $121,620 to the group — a loan Backer said he forgave. Conservative Action Fund reported making about <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/recips.php?cmte=Conservative+Action+Fund&cycle=2012" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">$134,000 in independent expenditures</a>, including some against a handful of Republicans.The <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00520825" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">TeaParty.Net Leadership Fund</a> has been, by far, Backer’s biggest client, paying his firm more than $167,000 over the last two cycles. The organization, a hybrid that is part PAC and part super PAC, has raised more than $3.8 million so far in the 2014 cycle, and is an excellent example of how Backer’s many groups serve multiple purposes. The group has spent $238,000 against Speaker of the House <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00003675&cycle=2014" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">John Boehner</a> (R-Ohio) and has also transferred more than $138,000 to other organizations — including $40,000 to the In Defense of Free Speech Joint Fundraising Committee, which lists another lawyer at Backer’s firm as treasurer.In Defense of Free Speech passed the money on to the Senate campaigns of <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00033085&cycle=2014" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Ted Cruz</a> (R-Texas), <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00003389&cycle=2014" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Mitch McConnell</a> (R-Ky.) and, interestingly, <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00024852&cycle=2014" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">John Cornyn</a> (R-Texas) — the opponent of another client of Backer’s, Rep. <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00005918&cycle=2014" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Steve Stockman</a>. The only other contributor to In Defense of Free Speech JFC was a PAC, also run by Backer, called Unum E Pluribus, which lists the same address as the TeaParty.Net Leadership Fund.</div>Still another of Backer’s committees, Freshman Hold ‘Em PAC, was possibly the largest congressional JFC of the last election cycle. It raised $202,000 and distributed about $192,000 to at least 31 different candidates. And, Backer says, it was a huge hassle.<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 5px 0px;">“You have a layer of complexity that is astronomical,” he said.</div><div style="margin: 5px 0px;"><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 5px 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">Each candidate or committee has to be wrangled into signing forms, lawyers have to be herded and there’s endless administrative work. Was his super JFC worth it?</div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 5px 0px;">“No, I don’t think so, not from my perspective,” Backer said. “No, it was absolutely not worth it.”</div><div style="margin: 5px 0px;"><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 5px 0px;">According to expenditure reports, Backer’s firm has been paid just $17,000 by Freshmen Hold ‘Em. </div><div style="margin: 5px 0px;"><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 5px 0px;">Backer said he, for one, wouldn’t be getting involved with this kind of work.</div><div style="margin: 5px 0px;"><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 5px 0px;">“I wouldn’t do this. I would refuse this kind of work,” he said. “The burdens involved and the technical problems involved are not worth it.”</div>Losing the personal touch?<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 5px 0px;">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 5px 0px;">Backer added that the biggest reason he thinks super JFCs won’t take off is that, while they may be an efficient way to extract money from a single donor, from the donor’s perspective, they are impersonal and don’t offer any advantages — an assertion that has many skeptics.</div><div style="margin: 5px 0px;"><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 5px 0px;">“For the donors, they really prefer to cut the vast number of checks,” he said. “For them, it’s not about giving money, it’s about building a relationship. You’re not going to get any face time, they’re not going to hear your story.” Individual donors want to feel gratitude from the candidate — legal, “completely non-corrupting gratitude,” Backer hastened to note.</div><div style="margin: 5px 0px;"><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 5px 0px;">Backer dismissed the idea of a single donor who wants to give a multi-million dollar check to a joint fundraising committee.</div><div style="margin: 5px 0px;"><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 5px 0px;">“If there’s a donor who wants to cut a multi-million dollar check they won’t get anything out of it,” he said. “If I had that kind of money to screw around with, I’d much rather give to the candidates and then spend the rest of it on independent expenditures.”</div><div style="margin: 5px 0px;"><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 5px 0px;">But that perspective makes a big assumption that critics say just isn’t likely: that the checks will be solicited only by representatives of the JFC, not any of the participants. A member of Congress participating in a JFC could solicit a major donor he or she has a connection with, accepting the maximum contribution for his or her own campaign and steering the rest to party committees or the campaign committees of other members, suggested Paul S. Ryan, senior counsel for the Campaign Legal Center.</div><div style="margin: 5px 0px;"><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 5px 0px;">The strongest current of money transfers won’t be from the top down — a large donor giving to a faceless JFC run by party honchos and attorneys who then distribute it outwards — it will be from the bottom up, Ryan predicted. </div><div style="margin: 5px 0px;"><div style="margin: 5px 0px;"><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">“It’s about the individual who happens to be a candidate and their career trajectory in their own party,” he said. “You build your position in the party by making rain for the party, and the striking down of aggregate limits will allow aspiring party leaders to make rain in a much bigger way.”</div>And party leaders will have exponentially more power to solicit six- and seven-digit checks. Donors may be flattered or annoyed if the Speaker of the House or the Senate Majority Leader makes the ask, but many certainly will consider the opportunity to make such an impression on someone who wields considerable power.“The check won’t be given to some lawyer who represents the JFC, you can hand it to the member who asked you for it,” Ryan said.Backer may be among the first to know who’s right.<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 5px 0px;">Follow Russ on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/russchoma" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">@russchoma</a>)</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 5px 0px;"><footer class="entry-meta" style="line-height: 15px;"><div style="text-align: left;">
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<h1 class="title-news" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 20px 0px 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: none; overflow: visible; text-indent: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; line-height: 36px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><a href="http://www.publicintegrity.org/news/Dan-Backer" style="">http://www.publicintegrity.org/news/Dan-Backer</a></h1>

<h4 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.266em 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 1.33em; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">Excerpts from this story referencing "Dan Backer":</h4>

"… Ayn Rand argument squares with federal law, Stand With Rand PAC treasurer Dan Backer, who also keeps the Stop Pelosi PAC's books, replied, "You’re sayin …"

</div>

<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 1.33em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.28px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">In 2008, Trent Sebits, the former manager of public and government affairs for the Kochs’ Wichita-based refining giant, Koch Industries, registered with the state of Kansas to lobby on behalf of the American Future Fund and Americans for Prosperity. Sebits did not respond to a request for comment.

The American Justice Partnership, another “social welfare” nonprofit, gave $50,000 to the American Future Fund in 2011 and $2.4 million in 2010, according to IRS filings. The group supports free enterprise and is often at odds with trial lawyers.

Dan Pero, its president, said in an emailed statement that the organization supported the American Future Fund to help “promote free enterprise and improve the fairness and predictability of the legal environment.”

Like super PACs, “social welfare” nonprofits are allowed to accept unlimited donations from individuals, corporations, unions and other organizations. The only funders whose names they are required to publicly disclose are those that make contributions earmarked for political purposes.

That’s as it should be, according to attorney Dan Backer, who is not affiliated the American Future Fund but does work with other conservative groups.

“A nonprofit makes its decisions by a board or other management structure, which is distinct from its donors,” Backer said.

Increasingly political

In 2010, the American Future Fund became far more politically active, reporting $8.6 million in political expenditures as well as millions more for “media services,” “telecommunications” and “mail service/production.” It told the Federal Election Commission that it spent $9.1 million on political advertisements.

Marcus Owens, former chief of the IRS’s nonprofits division, said it is “difficult to conjure up a situation where a particular expenditure would be reportable to the FEC but would not constitute political campaign intervention under tax law.”...

<h1 class="title-news" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 20px 0px 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: none; overflow: visible; text-indent: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; line-height: 36px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-weight: bold !important;">=</h1><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><h1 id="pageHeading" style="text-align: left; margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px; line-height: 36px;">Vendor/Recipient: DB Capitol Strategies</h1>Total reported payments, 2016 cycle: $635,800<div id="DataTables_Table_0_wrapper" class="dataTables_wrapper no-footer"><table class="DataTable datadisplay dataTable no-footer" id="DataTables_Table_0" role="grid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 622px;"><thead><tr role="row" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><th class="sorting_asc" tabindex="0" aria-controls="DataTables_Table_0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-sort="ascending" aria-label="Rank: activate to sort column descending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: center; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-up-f9c198dc75552efdd6432ae8298a3d62600cc5850b45481fa0c460260eb2f369.svg="arrow-up-f9c198dc75552efdd6432ae8298a3d62600cc5850b45481fa0c460260eb2f369.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Rank</th><th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="DataTables_Table_0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Customer/Payor: activate to sort column ascending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: center; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg="arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Customer/Payor</th><th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="DataTables_Table_0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Total: activate to sort column ascending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: center; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg="arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Total</th><th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="DataTables_Table_0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Number of Payments: activate to sort column ascending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: center; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg="arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Number of Payments</th><th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="DataTables_Table_0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="First Payment: activate to sort column ascending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: center; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg="arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">First Payment</th><th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="DataTables_Table_0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Last Payment: activate to sort column ascending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: center; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg="arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Last Payment</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr role="row" class="odd"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">1</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=C00520825&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">The Tea Party Leadership Fund</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$170,274</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">28</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">01-05-2015</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">03-30-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">2</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=C00544767&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">Stop Hillary PAC</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$158,010</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">48</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">01-14-2015</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">06-30-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">3</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=C00496505&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Conservative Action Fund</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$57,155</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">21</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">01-12-2015</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">02-25-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">4</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=C00524280&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Special Operations Speaks PAC</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$46,807</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">19</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">01-05-2015</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">06-30-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">5</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=C00608489&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">Great America PAC</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$39,000</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">8</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">01-28-2016</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">07-11-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">6</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=C00525899&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Concerned American Voters</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$28,125</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">15</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">04-27-2015</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">05-24-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">7</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=C00481200&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">National Assn for Gun Rights</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$22,375</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">13</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">03-01-2015</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">06-02-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">8</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=C00553313&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Conservative America Now</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$20,130</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">15</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">01-13-2015</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">07-18-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">9</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=N00033226&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Gary Johnson 2016</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$11,406</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">6</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">01-27-2016</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">07-20-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">10</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=C00540229&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Constitutional Rights PAC</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$10,130</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">9</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">01-05-2015</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">01-25-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">11</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=C00536664&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Defenders of Freedom & Security</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$9,645</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">20</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">01-20-2015</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">06-30-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">12</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=C00524355&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Patriots for Economic Freedom</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$8,645</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">9</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">04-03-2015</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">07-19-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">13</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=N00039601&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Volunteers for Nehlen</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$8,285</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">5</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">04-28-2016</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">07-11-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">14</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=C00608166&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Tea Party Forward</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$8,000</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">2</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">05-24-2016</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">06-30-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">15</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=C00559120&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Stop REID PAC</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$6,417</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">3</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">01-19-2015</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">05-18-2015</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">16</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=N00039533&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;" /></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$6,000</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">2</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">05-02-2016</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">06-01-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">16</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=C00469239&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Combat Veterans for Congress PAC</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$6,000</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">4</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">01-06-2015</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">03-01-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">18</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=N00035487&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Friends of Colonel Rob Maness</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$4,683</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">4</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">01-09-2015</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">03-31-2015</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">19</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=C00566505&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Stark360</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$4,000</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">2</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">01-05-2015</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">12-07-2015</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">20</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=N00028986&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Paul Broun Committee</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,000</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">3</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">04-04-2016</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">06-13-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">21</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=N00035479&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Eugene For Congress</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$2,063</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">1</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">03-11-2016</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">03-11-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">22</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=N00039520&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">The Candidate Billy Davis</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$2,000</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">1</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">04-06-2016</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">04-06-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">22</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=N00039044&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Rosier For Us Senate</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$2,000</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">1</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">02-26-2016</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">02-26-2016</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">24</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=C00486837&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Innovation PAC</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">2</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">01-12-2015</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">01-30-2015</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">25</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=C00550400&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Bit PAC</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$460</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">2</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">01-28-2015</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">01-30-2015</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">26</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=N00036250&cycle=2016#topvendors" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Renfroe for Congress</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$190</td><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">1</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">02-13-2015</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">02-13-2015</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div id="disclaimer" style="margin-top: 25px; clear: both;">NOTE: All the numbers on this page are for the 2015-2016 election cycle and based on Federal Election Commission data available electronically on Monday, September 12, 2016.</div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;"></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><table class="datadisplay" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><tbody><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Total Receipts</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,023,769</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Total Spent</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,095,000</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Begin Cash on Hand</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$71,231</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">End Cash on Hand</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Debts</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Independent Expenditures</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Date of last report</td><td class="number" nowrap="" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">November 09, 2016</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: left; margin: 2em 0px 0.2em; clear: left;">2016 PAC Contribution Data</h2><table class="datadisplay" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Contributions from this PAC to federal candidates (<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00520825&cycle=2016" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">list recipients</a>) 
(0% to Democrats, 100% to Republicans)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$11,788</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Contributions to this PAC from individual donors of $200 or more (<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgave2.php?cmte=C00520825&cycle=2016" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">list donors</a>)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$63,634</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Official PAC Name:</div><div style="text-align: left;">THE TEA PARTY LEADERSHIP FUND </div><div style="text-align: left;">Location: ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314</div><div style="text-align: left;">Industry: <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/industry.php?txt=Q01&cycle=2016" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Republican/Conservative</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Treasurer: DAN BACKER </div><div style="text-align: left;">FEC Committee ID: C00520825</div><div style="text-align: left;">(Look up <a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00520825" target="blank" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">actual documents filed</a> at the FEC)</div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">---</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">2012 ansd 2016 not much but 2014 big</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">2016:</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div id="tab0_wrapper" class="dataTables_wrapper no-footer" style="font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><table class="DataTable datadisplay dataTable no-footer" id="tab0" role="grid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;"><caption style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">House
Total to Democrats: $0
Total to Republicans: $5,788</caption><thead><tr role="row"><th class="sorting_asc" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tab0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-sort="ascending" aria-label="Recipient: activate to sort column descending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: center; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-up-f9c198dc75552efdd6432ae8298a3d62600cc5850b45481fa0c460260eb2f369.svg="arrow-up-f9c198dc75552efdd6432ae8298a3d62600cc5850b45481fa0c460260eb2f369.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Recipient</th><th class="number sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tab0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Total: activate to sort column ascending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: right; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg="arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Total</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Brat, Dave (R-VA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,017</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Broun, Paul (R-GA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$2,000</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Duncan, Jeff (R-SC)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Gohmert, Louis B Jr (R-TX)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">($4,030)</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Gowdy, Trey (R-SC)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$2,000</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Labrador, Raul (R-ID)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$17</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Mooney, Alex (R-WV)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Mulvaney, Mick (R-SC)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,017</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Price, Tom (R-GA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Rice, Tom (R-SC)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$17</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Rothfus, Keith J (R-PA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$750</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div id="tab1_wrapper" class="dataTables_wrapper no-footer" style="font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><table class="DataTable datadisplay dataTable no-footer" id="tab1" role="grid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;"><caption style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Senate
Total to Democrats: $0
Total to Republicans: $6,000</caption><thead><tr role="row"><th class="sorting_asc" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tab1" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-sort="ascending" aria-label="Recipient: activate to sort column descending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: center; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-up-f9c198dc75552efdd6432ae8298a3d62600cc5850b45481fa0c460260eb2f369.svg="arrow-up-f9c198dc75552efdd6432ae8298a3d62600cc5850b45481fa0c460260eb2f369.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Recipient</th><th class="number sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tab1" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Total: activate to sort column ascending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: right; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg="arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Total</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Lee, Mike (R-UT)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Scott, Tim (R-SC)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$5,000</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div id="disclaimer" style="margin-top: 25px; clear: both;" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif">Based on data released by the FEC on November 28, 2016.</div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;"></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">2014</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div id="tab0_wrapper" class="dataTables_wrapper no-footer" style="font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><table class="DataTable datadisplay dataTable no-footer" id="tab0" role="grid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;"><caption style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">House
Total direct contributions to Democrats: $0
Total direct contributions to Republicans: $73,500</caption><thead><tr role="row"><th class="sorting_asc" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tab0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-sort="ascending" aria-label="Recipient: activate to sort column descending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: center; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-up-f9c198dc75552efdd6432ae8298a3d62600cc5850b45481fa0c460260eb2f369.svg="arrow-up-f9c198dc75552efdd6432ae8298a3d62600cc5850b45481fa0c460260eb2f369.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Recipient</th><th class="number sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tab0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Direct Total: activate to sort column ascending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: right; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg="arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Direct Total</th><th nowrap="" class="number sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tab0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Total Bundled : activate to sort column ascending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: right; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg="arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Total Bundled <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/include/bundlers_pop.php" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets2.opensecrets.org/img/icon_help_white.gif" border="0" alt="About bundles" style="border: none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Blum, Rod (R-IA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$22,081</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Coakley, Vince (R-NC)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$5,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">DeSantis, Ron (R-FL)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,500</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Dietzel, Paul (R-LA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,030</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Edmond, Micah (R-VA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$5,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Gohmert, Louis B Jr (R-TX)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Gowdy, Trey (R-SC)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Grooms, Larry (R-SC)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$5,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Harold, Erika (R-IL)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$4,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Hice, Jody B (R-GA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$2,500</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,407</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Hudson, Richard (R-NC)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$500</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Huelskamp, Tim (R-KS)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$5,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Innis, Niger (R-NV)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,830</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Jordan, Jim (R-OH)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,500</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Jorgensen, Kirk (R-CA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">King, Steven A (R-IA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$22,081</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Kwasman, Adam Charles (R-AZ)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$5,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Lonegan, Steve (R-NJ)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Loudermilk, Barry (R-GA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$2,500</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,407</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Love, Mia (R-UT)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$5,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$5,141</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">McKinley, Paul (R-IL)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$5,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Miller-Meeks, Mariannette (R-IA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$44,162</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Mulvaney, Mick (R-SC)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,500</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Padilla, Jose (R-NV)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$5,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,833</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Pittenger, Robert (R-NC)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Price, Tom (R-GA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$2,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Rouzer, David (R-NC)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$500</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Salmon, Matt (R-AZ)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Steinberg, Mike (R-NC)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$4,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Tracy, Jim (R-TN)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Winteregg, J D (R-OH)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$5,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$66,964</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Young, David (R-IA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$22,081</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div id="tab1_wrapper" class="dataTables_wrapper no-footer" style="font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><table class="DataTable datadisplay dataTable no-footer" id="tab1" role="grid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;"><caption style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Senate
Total direct contributions to Democrats: $0
Total direct contributions to Republicans: $51,000</caption><thead><tr role="row" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><th class="sorting_asc" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tab1" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-sort="ascending" aria-label="Recipient: activate to sort column descending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: center; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-up-f9c198dc75552efdd6432ae8298a3d62600cc5850b45481fa0c460260eb2f369.svg="arrow-up-f9c198dc75552efdd6432ae8298a3d62600cc5850b45481fa0c460260eb2f369.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Recipient</th><th class="number sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tab1" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Direct Total: activate to sort column ascending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: right; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg="arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Direct Total</th><th nowrap="" class="number sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tab1" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Total Bundled : activate to sort column ascending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: right; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg="arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Total Bundled <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/include/bundlers_pop.php" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets2.opensecrets.org/img/icon_help_white.gif" border="0" alt="About bundles" style="border: none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr role="row" class="odd"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Bielat, Sean (R-MA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$5,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Broun, Paul (R-GA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$5,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Brown, Scott (R-NH)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Carr, Joe (R-TN)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,691</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Daines, Steven (R-MT)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$5,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Ernst, Joni (R-IA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$22,081</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Mace, Nancy (R-SC)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$5,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,170</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Maness, Rob (R-LA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$5,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$35</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">McDaniel, Chris (R-MS)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$15,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$26,777</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Rounds, Mike (R-SD)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Sasse, Ben (R-NE)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$2,500</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$35</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Scott, Tim (R-SC)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Sessions, Jeff (R-AL)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Smith, Bob (R-NH)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Stockman, Steve (R-TX)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$2,500</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div id="disclaimer" style="margin-top: 25px; clear: both;" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif">Based on data released by the FEC on June 01, 2016.</div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;"></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/usearch/?q=backer&cx=010677907462955562473%3Anlldkv0jvam&cof=FORID%3A11">https://www.opensecrets.org/usearch/?q=backer&cx=010677907462955562473%3Anlldkv0jvam&cof=FORID%3A11</a></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">--</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="typex" id="type0" total="5" name="Lobbying Firm" style="padding: 10px;"><div class="dat_type" style="text-align: left; font-weight: 700;"><a class="orgsshowhide" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; cursor: pointer; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">  Lobbying Firm(1 result)</a></div><div class="togdat" id="orgsdata0" style="padding: 10px;"><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/firmsum.php?id=F25417&year=2009" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">Backer & Miller</a> 2009</li></ul></div></div><a name="Lobbying Client" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" /><div class="typex" id="type1" total="5" name="Lobbying Client" style="padding: 10px;"><div class="dat_type" style="text-align: left; font-weight: 700;"><a name="Lobbying Client" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">
</a></div></div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;"><a name="Lobbying Client" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">--</a></div><table class="datadisplay" style="background: rgb(224, 230, 236); border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; width: 574px;"><tbody><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Total Receipts</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$8,439</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Total Spent</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$8,860</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Begin Cash on Hand</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$421</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">End Cash on Hand</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Debts</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Date of last report</td><td class="number" nowrap="" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">November 09, 2016</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 2em 0px 0.2em; clear: left;"><a name="Lobbying Client" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">2016 PAC Contribution Data</a></h2><table class="datadisplay" style="background: rgb(224, 230, 236); border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; width: 574px;"><tbody><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Contributions from this PAC to federal candidates (<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00559120&cycle=2016" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">list recipients</a>) 
(0% to Democrats, 100% to Republicans)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$29</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Contributions to this PAC from individual donors of $200 or more ( <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgave2.php?cmte=C00559120&cycle=2016" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">list donors</a>)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><a name="Lobbying Client" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" /><div style="text-align: left;"><a name="Lobbying Client" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" /><a name="Lobbying Client" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Official PAC Name:</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a name="Lobbying Client" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-family: sans-serif;">STOP RECKLESS ECONOMIC INSTABILITY CAUSED BY DEMOCRATS PAC (GO BY 'STOP R.E.I.D.') </a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a name="Lobbying Client" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-family: sans-serif;">Location: ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a name="Lobbying Client" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-family: sans-serif;">Industry: </a><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/industry.php?txt=Q01&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Republican/Conservative</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Treasurer: BACKER, DAN </div><div style="text-align: left;">FEC Committee ID: C00559120</div><div style="text-align: left;">(Look up <a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00559120" target="blank" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">actual documents filed</a> at the FEC)</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;"></div><div style=""><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00559120&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN </a>2016</li><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00608166&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN </a>2016</li><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00550400&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN </a>2016</li><li style="margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">Official PAC Name:</div><div style="text-align: left;">TEA PARTY FORWARD </div><div style="text-align: left;">Location: ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">Industry: <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/industry.php?txt=Q01&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Republican/Conservative</a></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">Treasurer: BACKER, DAN </div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">FEC Committee ID: C00608166</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">(Look up <a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00608166" target="blank" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">actual documents filed</a> at the FEC)</div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00566505&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN </a>2016</li><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><div style="text-align: left;">Official PAC Name:</div><div style="text-align: left;">STARK360 </div><div style="text-align: left;">Location: ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314</div><div style="text-align: left;">Industry: <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/industry.php?txt=Q01&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Republican/Conservative</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Treasurer: BACKER, DAN </div><div style="text-align: left;">FEC Committee ID: C00566505</div><div style="text-align: left;">(Look up <a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00566505" target="blank" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">actual documents filed</a> at the FEC)</div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00544767&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN </a>2016</li><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><table class="datadisplay" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;"><tbody><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Total Receipts</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,814,417</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Total Spent</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,384,103</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Begin Cash on Hand</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$25,872</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">End Cash on Hand</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$456,187</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Debts</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Independent Expenditures</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$714,307</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Date of last report</td><td class="number" nowrap="" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">October 19, 2016</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: left; margin: 2em 0px 0.2em; clear: left;">2016 PAC Contribution Data</h2><table class="datadisplay" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Contributions from this PAC to federal candidates (<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00544767&cycle=2016" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">list recipients</a>)
(0% to Democrats, 100% to Republicans)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$7,025</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Contributions to this PAC from individual donors of $200 or more( <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgave2.php?cmte=C00544767&cycle=2016" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">list donors</a>)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$781,553</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Official PAC Name:</div><div style="text-align: left;">STOP HILLARY PAC </div><div style="text-align: left;">Location: ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314</div><div style="text-align: left;">Industry: <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/industry.php?txt=Q01&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Republican/Conservative</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Treasurer: BACKER, DAN </div><div style="text-align: left;">FEC Committee ID: C00544767</div><div style="text-align: left;">(Look up <a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00544767" target="blank" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">actual documents filed</a> at the FEC)</div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;" /><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00583617&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN </a>2016</li><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><div style="text-align: left;">Official PAC Name:</div><div style="text-align: left;">GRASSROOTS VICTORY </div><div style="text-align: left;">Location: ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314</div><div style="text-align: left;">Industry: <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/industry.php?txt=Y00&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Unknown</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Treasurer: BACKER, DAN </div><div style="text-align: left;">FEC Committee ID: C00583617</div><div style="text-align: left;">(Look up <a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00583617" target="blank" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">actual documents filed</a> at the FEC)</div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00540229&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN </a>2016</li><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><table class="datadisplay" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;"><tbody><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Total Receipts</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$226,235</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Total Spent</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$220,069</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Begin Cash on Hand</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,243</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">End Cash on Hand</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$7,409</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Debts</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Independent Expenditures</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$102,189</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Date of last report</td><td class="number" nowrap="" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">November 20, 2016</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: left; margin: 2em 0px 0.2em; clear: left;">2016 PAC Contribution Data</h2><table class="datadisplay" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Contributions from this PAC to federal candidates (<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00540229&cycle=2016" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">list recipients</a>)  </td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Contributions to this PAC from individual donors of $200 or more( <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgave2.php?cmte=C00540229&cycle=2016" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">list donors</a>)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$107,561</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Official PAC Name:</div><div style="text-align: left;">CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS PAC </div><div style="text-align: left;">Location: ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314</div><div style="text-align: left;">Industry: <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/industry.php?txt=Q01&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Republican/Conservative</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Treasurer: BACKER, DAN </div><div style="text-align: left;">FEC Committee ID: C00540229</div><div style="text-align: left;">(Look up <a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00540229" target="blank" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">actual documents filed</a> at the FEC)</div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;" /><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00524280&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN </a>2016</li><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><table class="datadisplay" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;"><tbody><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Total Receipts</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,071,435</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Total Spent</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,079,978</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Begin Cash on Hand</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$63,193</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">End Cash on Hand</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$54,649</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Debts</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Independent Expenditures</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$975</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Date of last report</td><td class="number" nowrap="" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">October 19, 2016</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: left; margin: 2em 0px 0.2em; clear: left;">2016 PAC Contribution Data</h2><table class="datadisplay" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Contributions from this PAC to federal candidates (<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00524280&cycle=2016" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">list recipients</a>) 
(0% to Democrats, 100% to Republicans)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$7,000</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Contributions to this PAC from individual donors of $200 or more (<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgave2.php?cmte=C00524280&cycle=2016" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">list donors</a>)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$91,213</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Official PAC Name:</div><div style="text-align: left;">SPECIAL OPERATIONS SPEAKS PAC - SOS PAC </div><div style="text-align: left;">Location: ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314</div><div style="text-align: left;">Industry: <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/industry.php?txt=Q01&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Republican/Conservative</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Treasurer: BACKER, DAN </div><div style="text-align: left;">FEC Committee ID: C00524280</div><div style="text-align: left;">(Look up <a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00524280" target="blank" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">actual documents filed</a> at the FEC)</div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;">DeSantis, Ron (R-FL)</li><li style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;">$5,000Gowdy, Trey (R-SC)$2,000</li></ul><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">
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</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><h2 style="text-align: left; margin: 2em 0px 0.2em; clear: left;">Top Vendors/Recipients</h2><table class="datadisplay" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><thead><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><th style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; background: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Rank</th><th style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; background: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Vendor/Recipient</th><th style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; background: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Total Expenditures</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">1</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=Postage+For+Direct+Mail+Fundraising+LLC" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Postage For Direct Mail Fundraising LLC</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$236,529</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">2</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=HSP+Direct" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">HSP Direct</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$98,987</td></tr><tr><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">3</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=Political+Media+Inc" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Political Media Inc</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$70,935</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">4</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=Nova+List" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Nova List</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$61,332</td></tr><tr><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">5</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=Image+Direct" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Image Direct</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$57,214</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">6</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=Fulfillment+House" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Fulfillment House</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$50,771</td></tr><tr><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">7</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=Postage+for+Direct+Mail+Fundraising" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Postage for Direct Mail Fundraising</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$46,892</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">8</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=DB+Capitol+Strategies" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">DB Capitol Strategies</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$46,807</td></tr><tr><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">9</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=Sunrise+Data+Services" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Sunrise Data Services</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$27,581</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">10</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=Embassy+Suites" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Embassy Suites</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$20,318</td></tr></tbody></table><div id="disclaimer" style="margin-top: 25px; clear: both;" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/include/expdefs_pop.php" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">How does OpenSecrets.org classify campaign expenditures?</a></div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><table class="datadisplay" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><tbody><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><th style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; background: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Contrib</th><th style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; background: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Occupation</th><th style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; background: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Date</th><th style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; background: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Amount</th></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">NOVA LIST COMPANY
ASHBURN, VA 20147</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;" /><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">06/20/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$8,045</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT LLC
LANSDOWNE, VA 20176</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;" /><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">07/19/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$4,800</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT LLC
LANSDOWNE, VA 20176</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;" /><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">10/18/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$4,400</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT LLC
LANSDOWNE, VA 20176</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;" /><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">09/13/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$4,053</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">NOVA LIST COMPANY
ASHBURN, VA 20147</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;" /><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">08/09/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,534</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">NOVA LIST COMPANY
ASHBURN, VA 20147</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;" /><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">10/12/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,962</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">NOVA LIST COMPANY
ASHBURN, VA 20147</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;" /><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">07/06/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,952</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">NOVA LIST COMPANY
ASHBURN, VA 20147</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;" /><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">05/09/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,676</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">KACSINTA, FERENC MR
SUN VALLEY, CA 91352</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;" /><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">09/19/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,500</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">PALMER, EDITH P MS
CHESTER, NY 10918</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">RETIRED</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">10/19/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,500</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">VINTON, DRURY L MR
WEST LEBANON, NH 03784</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;" /><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">05/16/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,000</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">KECSINTA, FERENC MR
SUN VALLEY, CA 91352</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;" /><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">07/13/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$750</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">COSBY, PATRICIA ELIZABETH MRS
ROCKVILLE, VA 23146</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;" /><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">05/27/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$600</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">EDGINGTON, CAROL L COL
KETTERING, OH 45429</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">RETIRED</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">07/15/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$500</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">VOELL, RICHARD A MR
CORAL GABLES, FL 33158</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">RETIRED</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">05/31/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$500</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">KECSINTA, FERENC
SUN VALLEY, CA 91352</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;" /><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">02/22/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$500</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">KOHLS, CARL W
SYRACUSE, NY 13219</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;" /><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">03/02/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$500</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">PRATT, JOHN T
PALM CITY, FL 34990</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">RETIRED</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">02/29/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$500</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">HAYDEN, BARBARA J MRS
SEDALIA, MO 65301</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">STARLINE INC</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">04/26/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$500</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">MCCALL, JAMES B MR
LAS VEGAS, NV 89146</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">NULL</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">08/29/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$500</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">MCMILLAN, JAMES M MRS
SPRING, TX 77389</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;" /><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">09/30/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$500</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">PALMER, EDITH MS
CHESTER, NY 10918</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;" /><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">09/08/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$500</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">GARDINER, ROBERT M
FAR HILLS, NJ 07931</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;" /><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">10/17/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$500</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">MCMILLAN, JAMES M MR
SPRING, TX 77389</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">CHENIERE ENERGY</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">10/11/16</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$500</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">MARTIN, JOYCE V MRS
ENGLEWOOD, CO 80113</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;" /><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">07/13/16
=</td></tr></tbody></table></div><ul style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00486837&cycle=2014" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN </a>2014</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00546036&cycle=2014" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN </a>2014</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00539924&cycle=2014" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN </a>2014</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00548966&cycle=2014" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN </a>2014</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00549071&cycle=2014" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN </a>2014</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00499335&cycle=2014" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN </a>2014</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00526228&cycle=2014" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN </a>2014</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00542928&cycle=2014" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN </a>2014</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00623769&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN ESQ </a>2016</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00577254&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN ESQ. </a>2016</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00469239&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN ESQ. </a>2016</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00496505&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN ESQ. </a>2016</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00468868&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN ESQ. </a>2016</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00495887&cycle=2012" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN ESQ. </a>2012</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00487025&cycle=2012" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN ESQ. </a>2012</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00523746&cycle=2014" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN MR. ESQ. </a>2014</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00540229&cycle=2014" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN MR. ESQ. </a>2014</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00524504&cycle=2014" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN MR. ESQ. </a>2014</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00541573&cycle=2014" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN MR. ESQ. </a>2014</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00468447&cycle=2012" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN MR. ESQ. </a>2012</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00523985&cycle=2012" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN MR. ESQ. </a>2012</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00499335&cycle=2012" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">BACKER, DAN MR. ESQ. </a>2012</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00608489&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">DAN BACKER </a>2016</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00520825&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">DAN BACKER </a>2016</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00548206&cycle=2014" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">DAN BACKER </a>2014</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00570416&cycle=2014" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">DAN BACKER </a>2014</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00550772&cycle=2014" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">DAN BACKER </a>2014</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00534115&cycle=2014" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">DAN BACKER </a>2014</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00520858&cycle=2012" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">DAN BACKER </a>2012</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00524280&cycle=2012" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">DAN BACKER </a>2012</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00539924&cycle=2012" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">DAN BACKER </a>2012</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00526228&cycle=2012" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">DAN BACKER </a>2012</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00468868&cycle=2010" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">DAN BACKER </a>2010</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00488726&cycle=2010" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">DAN BACKER </a>2010</li><li style="text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.1em; padding: 3px 0px 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00486837&cycle=2010" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">DAN BACKER </a>2010</li></ul></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;"></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;"></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">combat vets several cycles</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">start 2010:</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">not backer:</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><table class="datadisplay" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><tbody><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Total Receipts</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$128,741</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Total Spent  (<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=C00469239&cycle=2010" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">view expenditures</a>)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$124,766</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Begin Cash on Hand</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">End Cash on Hand</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,975</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Debts</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$0</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Date of last report</td><td class="number" nowrap="" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">December 31, 2010</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: left; margin: 2em 0px 0.2em; clear: left;">2010 PAC Contribution Data</h2><table class="datadisplay" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><tbody><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Contributions from this PAC to federal candidates (<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00469239&cycle=2010" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">list recipients</a>)
(0% to Democrats, 94% to Republicans)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$25,400</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Contributions to this PAC from individual donors of $200 or more( <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgave2.php?cmte=C00469239&cycle=2010" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">list donors</a>)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$108,705</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Official PAC Name:</div><div style="text-align: left;">COMBAT VETERANS FOR CONGRESS PAC </div><div style="text-align: left;">Location: LOS ANGELES, CA 90067</div><div style="text-align: left;">Industry: <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/industry.php?txt=Q01&cycle=2010" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Republican/Conservative</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Treasurer: MR. MICHAEL CURRY </div><div style="text-align: left;">FEC Committee ID: C00469239</div><div style="text-align: left;">(Look up <a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00469239" target="blank" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">actual documents filed</a> at the FEC)</div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">2012:</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div style="text-align: left;">Official PAC Name:</div><div style="text-align: left;">COMBAT VETERANS FOR CONGRESS PAC </div><div style="text-align: left;">Location: SAN DIEGO, CA 92108</div><div style="text-align: left;">Industry: <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/industry.php?txt=Q01&cycle=2012" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Republican/Conservative</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Treasurer: WIGGS, DAVID </div><div style="text-align: left;">FEC Committee ID: C00469239</div><div style="text-align: left;">(Look up <a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00469239" target="blank" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">actual documents filed</a> at the FEC)</div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">--</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">2012 80K$</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div style="text-align: left;">Official PAC Name:</div><div style="text-align: left;">COMBAT VETERANS FOR CONGRESS PAC </div><div style="text-align: left;">Location: SAN DIEGO, CA 92108</div><div style="text-align: left;">Industry: <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/industry.php?txt=Q01&cycle=2014" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Republican/Conservative</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Treasurer: BACKER, DAN ESQ. </div><div style="text-align: left;">FEC Committee ID: C00469239</div><div style="text-align: left;">(Look up <a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00469239" target="_blank" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">actual documents filed</a> at the FEC)</div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div id="tab0_wrapper" class="dataTables_wrapper no-footer" style="font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><table class="DataTable datadisplay dataTable no-footer" id="tab0" role="grid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;"><caption style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">House
Total to Democrats: $0
Total to Republicans: $19,000</caption><thead><tr role="row"><th class="sorting_asc" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tab0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-sort="ascending" aria-label="Recipient: activate to sort column descending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: center; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-up-f9c198dc75552efdd6432ae8298a3d62600cc5850b45481fa0c460260eb2f369.svg="arrow-up-f9c198dc75552efdd6432ae8298a3d62600cc5850b45481fa0c460260eb2f369.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Recipient</th><th class="number sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tab0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Total: activate to sort column ascending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: right; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg="arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Total</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Crimmins, Michael (R-CA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$2,400</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Grimm, Michael (R-NY)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$2,400</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Hunter, Duncan D (R-CA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,600</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Kelly, Jesse (R-AZ)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$2,400</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Kleinhandler, York Jay (3-NY)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,400</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Lollar, Charles J (R-MD)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$2,400</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Muri, Dick (R-WA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Pearce, Steve (R-NM)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$2,400</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Popaditch, Nick (R-CA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$2,400</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Tubbs, Rick (R-CA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,500</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div id="tab1_wrapper" class="dataTables_wrapper no-footer" style="font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><table class="DataTable datadisplay dataTable no-footer" id="tab1" role="grid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;"><caption style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Senate
Total to Democrats: $0
Total to Republicans: $5,000</caption><thead><tr role="row" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><th class="sorting_asc" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tab1" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-sort="ascending" aria-label="Recipient: activate to sort column descending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: center; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-up-f9c198dc75552efdd6432ae8298a3d62600cc5850b45481fa0c460260eb2f369.svg="arrow-up-f9c198dc75552efdd6432ae8298a3d62600cc5850b45481fa0c460260eb2f369.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Recipient</th><th class="number sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tab1" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Total: activate to sort column ascending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: right; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg="arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Total</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr role="row" class="odd"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Miller, Joe (R-AK)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$5,000</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">---</div><table class="datadisplay" cellpadding="3" style="background: rgb(224, 230, 236); border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; width: 574px;" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" clear="clear" both="both"><thead><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><th style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; background: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Sector</th><th style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; background: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Description</th><th style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; background: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Total Expenditures</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td rowspan="1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);">Administrative</td><td align="left" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);">Accountants, compliance & legal services</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);">$10,089</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td rowspan="1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Contributions</td><td align="left" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Contributions to federal candidates</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">$1,049</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);">Fundraising</td><td align="left" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);">Fundraising data & technology</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);">$725</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td rowspan="2" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Unclassifiable</td><td align="left" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Unclassifiable printing & shipping</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">$597</td></tr><tr><td align="left" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Unclassifiable data & technology</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">$0</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="topvendors" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" /><h2 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; margin: 2em 0px 0.2em; clear: left;"><a name="topvendors" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"></a><a name="topvendors" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"></a><a name="topvendors" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" /><a name="topvendors" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" /><a name="topvendors" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" /><a name="topvendors" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px">Top Vendors/Recipients</a></h2><table class="datadisplay" style="background: rgb(224, 230, 236); border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; width: 574px;" open="Open" sans="Sans" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><thead><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><th style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; background: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Rank</th><th style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; background: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Vendor/Recipient</th><th style="padding: 3px; text-align: center; background: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Total Expenditures</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">1</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=South%2C+Amy" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">South, Amy</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$6,327</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">2</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=DB+Capitol+Strategies" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">DB Capitol Strategies</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$6,000</td></tr><tr><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">3</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=Cris+Dosev+for+Congress" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Cris Dosev for Congress</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">3</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=Jackson+for+Congress" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Jackson for Congress</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">3</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=Greg+Raths+for+Congress+2016" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Greg Raths for Congress 2016</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">6</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=Western+Press" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Western Press</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,762</td></tr><tr><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">7</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=US+Postal+Service" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">US Postal Service</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$1,114</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">8</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=Paul+Chabot+Congress" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Paul Chabot Congress</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$500</td></tr><tr><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">9</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=Sitelock+LLC" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Sitelock LLC</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$300</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td class="center" style="padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">9</td><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=Sitelock%2C+Llc" style="background: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Sitelock, Llc</a></td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$300

</td></tr></tbody></table>

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</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">combat vets2016 100K$</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><table class="datadisplay" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;"><tbody><tr style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Total Contributions from this PAC to federal candidates 
(0% to Democrats, 100% to Republicans)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$101,804</td></tr></tbody></table><div id="tab0_wrapper" class="dataTables_wrapper no-footer"><table class="DataTable datadisplay dataTable no-footer" id="tab0" role="grid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;"><caption style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">House
Total to Democrats: $0
Total to Republicans: $87,804</caption><thead><tr role="row"><th class="sorting_asc" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tab0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-sort="ascending" aria-label="Recipient: activate to sort column descending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: center; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-up-f9c198dc75552efdd6432ae8298a3d62600cc5850b45481fa0c460260eb2f369.svg="arrow-up-f9c198dc75552efdd6432ae8298a3d62600cc5850b45481fa0c460260eb2f369.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Recipient</th><th class="number sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tab0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Total: activate to sort column ascending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: right; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg="arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Total</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Bacon, Donald John (R-NE)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Banks, Jim (R-IN)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Bridenstine, James (R-OK)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Broun, Paul (R-GA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Chabot, Paul (R-CA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$4,000</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Coffman, Mike (R-CO)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Cook, Paul (R-CA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Denham, Jeff (R-CA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">DeSantis, Ron (R-FL)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Ellison, Greg (R-LA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$4,804</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Gallagher, Mike (R-WI)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Hidalgo, Juan (R-CA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$4,000</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Hunter, Duncan D (R-CA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Kelly, Trent (R-MS)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Kinzinger, Adam (R-IL)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Mast, Brian (R-FL)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Pearce, Steve (R-NM)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Perry, Scott (R-PA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Russell, Steven (R-OK)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$4,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Stivers, Steve (R-OH)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Vogt, Dave (R-MD)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Wenstrup, Brad (R-OH)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Zeldin, Lee (R-NY)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Zinke, Ryan K (R-MT)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$4,000</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div id="tab1_wrapper" class="dataTables_wrapper no-footer"><table class="DataTable datadisplay dataTable no-footer" id="tab1" role="grid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background: rgb(224, 230, 236); width: 574px;"><caption style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Senate
Total to Democrats: $0
Total to Republicans: $14,000</caption><thead><tr role="row" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><th class="sorting_asc" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tab1" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-sort="ascending" aria-label="Recipient: activate to sort column descending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: center; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-up-f9c198dc75552efdd6432ae8298a3d62600cc5850b45481fa0c460260eb2f369.svg="arrow-up-f9c198dc75552efdd6432ae8298a3d62600cc5850b45481fa0c460260eb2f369.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Recipient</th><th class="number sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tab1" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Total: activate to sort column ascending" style="padding: 3px 10px 3px 3px; text-align: right; background: url(" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg="arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg" right="right" px="px" center="center" no-repeat="no-repeat" rgb="rgb" vertical-align="vertical-align" middle="middle" width="width">Total</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr role="row" class="odd"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Cotton, Tom (R-AR)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Heck, Joe (R-NV)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Maness, Rob (R-LA)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td nowrap="" class="sorting_1" style="padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;">Miller, Joe (R-AK)</td><td class="number" style="padding: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">$3,500</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div id="disclaimer" style="margin-top: 25px; clear: both;">Based on data released by the FEC on November 28, 2016.</div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">One of Backer's most prominent projects has been the <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00496505&cycle=2014" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Conservative Action Fund</a>, which operates as both a traditional PAC and a super PAC, with two separate accounts and fundraising operations. On the PAC side, the group raised just $25,646 in 2012, but on the super PAC side, it raised $205,000 -- most of which ($185,000) was donated by Backer's star client, Shaun McCutcheon. McCutcheon also loaned an additional $121,620 to the group -- a loan Backer said he forgave. Conservative Action Fund reported making about<a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/recips.php?cmte=Conservative+Action+Fund&cycle=2012" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none;">$134,000 in independent expenditures</a>, including some against a handful of Republicans.

The <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00520825" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none;">TeaParty.Net Leadership Fund</a> has been, by far, Backer's biggest client, paying his firm more than $167,000 over the last two cycles. The organization, a hybrid that is part PAC and part super PAC, has raised more than $3.8 million so far in the 2014 cycle, and is an excellent example of how Backer's many groups serve multiple purposes. The group has spent $238,000 against Speaker of the House <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00003675&cycle=2014" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none;">John Boehner</a> (R-Ohio) and has also transferred more than $138,000 to other organizations -- including $40,000 to the In Defense of Free Speech Joint Fundraising Committee, which lists another lawyer at Backer's firm as treasurer.

In Defense of Free Speech passed the money on to the Senate campaigns of <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00033085&cycle=2014" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Ted Cruz</a> (R-Texas), <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00003389&cycle=2014" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Mitch McConnell</a> (R-Ky.) and, interestingly, <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00024852&cycle=2014" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none;">John Cornyn</a> (R-Texas) -- the opponent of another client of Backer's, Rep. <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00005918&cycle=2014" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Steve Stockman</a>. The only other contributor to In Defense of Free Speech JFC was a PAC, also run by Backer, called Unum E Pluribus, which lists the same address as the TeaParty.Net Leadership Fund.

</div>

<p class="title-news" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 20px 0px 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: none; overflow: visible; text-indent: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; line-height: 36px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-weight: bold !important;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important;">Still another of Backer's committees, Freshman Hold 'Em PAC, was possibly the largest congressional JFC of the last election cycle. It raised $202,000 and distributed about $192,000 to at least 31 different candidates. And, Backer says, it was a huge hassle.<br style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" />

Does Backer know what he's talking about? Besides being the lead attorney for Shaun McCutcheon, over the last three election cycles he has overseen a proliferation of new PACs and helped organize what may be the largest-ever joint fundraising committee, in terms of the number of participants.

In the wake of the McCutcheon decision last week, donors still may give only a limited amount to a particular candidate or committee. But with the cap off on overall donations by individuals, critics of the ruling say we can expect a gaggle of new groups to pop up to harness the now limitless donation power of individual wealthy donors. And those PACs, along with candidates and party committees, can band together and create joint fundraising vehicles -- cooperative efforts to collect big checks from donors and then distribute the funds among the participants.

What's envisioned -- or feared, depending on one's perspective -- are "super JFCs" that can ask each donor for a check in the millions.

In an interview with OpenSecrets Blog this week, Backer, 36, said the whole idea is nonsense.

"I assure you that anyone who thinks these super JFCs are going to proliferate is out of their freaking minds," Backer said.

Backer has done his fair share of creating new PACs and joint fundraising committees, especially lately. According to OpenSecrets.org data, in 2010, Backer was the treasurer for four committees registered with the FEC. In 2012, the number was 18, and so far in 2014, he is listed as the treasurer for 38. And in many cases he's more than just a name on the paperwork; a number of the groups have paid his law firm, DB Capitol Strategies, for political and legal advice.

Correspondingly, his firm's receipts have sharply increased: According to an OpenSecrets.org analysis of expenditure data, in 2010 DB Capitol Strategies was paid about $9,300 by federal committees; that increased to $167,648 in 2012, and so far in the 2014 cycle it has been paid $288,127.

One of Backer's most prominent projects has been the Conservative Action Fund, which operates as both a traditional PAC and a super PAC, with two separate accounts and fundraising operations. On the PAC side, the group raised just $25,646 in 2012, but on the super PAC side, it raised $205,000 -- most of which ($185,000) was donated by Backer's star client, Shaun McCutcheon. McCutcheon also loaned an additional $121,620 to the group -- a loan Backer said he forgave. Conservative Action Fund reported making about $134,000 in independent expenditures, including some against a handful of Republicans.

The TeaParty.Net Leadership Fund has been, by far, Backer's biggest client, paying his firm more than $167,000 over the last two cycles. The organization, a hybrid that is part PAC and part super PAC, has raised more than $3.8 million so far in the 2014 cycle, and is an excellent example of how Backer's many groups serve multiple purposes. The group has spent $238,000 against Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) and has also transferred more than $138,000 to other organizations -- including $40,000 to the In Defense of Free Speech Joint Fundraising Committee, which lists another lawyer at Backer's firm as treasurer.

In Defense of Free Speech passed the money on to the Senate campaigns of Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and, interestingly, John Cornyn (R-Texas) -- the opponent of another client of Backer's, Rep. Steve Stockman. The only other contributor to In Defense of Free Speech JFC was a PAC, also run by Backer, called Unum E Pluribus, which lists the same address as the TeaParty.Net Leadership Fund.

Still another of Backer's committees, Freshman Hold 'Em PAC, was possibly the largest congressional JFC of the last election cycle. It raised $202,000 and distributed about $192,000 to at least 31 different candidates. And, Backer says, it was a huge hassle.

"You have a layer of complexity that is astronomical," he said.

Each candidate or committee has to be wrangled into signing forms, lawyers have to be herded and there's endless administrative work. Was his super JFC worth it?

"No, I don't think so, not from my perspective," Backer said. "No, it was absolutely not worth it."

According to expenditure reports, Backer's firm has been paid just $17,000 by Freshmen Hold 'Em.

Backer said he, for one, wouldn't be getting involved with this kind of work.

"I wouldn't do this. I would refuse this kind of work," he said. "The burdens involved and the technical problems involved are not worth it."

Losing the personal touch?

Backer added that the biggest reason he thinks super JFCs won't take off is that, while they may be an efficient way to extract money from a single donor, from the donor's perspective, they are impersonal and don't offer any advantages -- an assertion that has many skeptics.

"For the donors, they really prefer to cut the vast number of checks," he said. "For them, it's not about giving money, it's about building a relationship. You're not going to get any face time, they'renotaparty group has launched a campaign to supimary challenges against all 87 Republicans who voted for the deal in late October to reopen the government and raise the debt ceilin

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http://www.buzzfeed.com/katenocera/tea-party-group-will-primary-87-republican-traitors 11/13

going to hear your story." Individual donors want to feel gratitude from the candidate -- legal, "completely non-corrupting gratitude," Backer hastened to noteINGTON — A

t  teaparty group has launched a campaign to support primary challenges against all 87 Republicans who voted for the deal in late October to reopen the government and raise the debt ceilin

The Tea Party Leadership Fund, a PAC affiliated with the group TheTeaParty.net, began a fundraising push — dubbed the “Primaries for Traitors Fund”

<a href="http://www.theteapartyleadershipfund.com/primaryfb/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">The Tea Party Leadership Fund</a>, a PAC affiliated with the group TheTeaParty.net, began a fundraising push — dubbed the “Primaries for Traitors Fund” — shortly after the shutdown deal passed in the House, and they are now ramping up efforts to find “credible candidates” in each of the districts, said the fund’s treasurer, Dan Backer.

“From our perspective, we see this as a signature vote. You can’t be a conservative and vote to raise the debt ceiling,” Backer said. “I recognize there are some places where voters may actually think that was the right vote. And there may be places where you have an incumbent who wins with 90% of the vote every time and there’s not a credible challenger. I recognize that, but we’re certainly going to do our best.”

Backer says the group has honed in on a few specific members to start: Illinois Rep. Rodney Davis, New York Rep. Peter King, North Carolina Rep. Robert Pittenger, Louisiana Rep. Charles Boustany, and most importantly, Backer said, House Speaker John Boehner in Ohio.

“Our goal is to keep going one after another after another as our resources allow. To get our feet wet, we’re starting out with a few, but nobody is going to get a pass,” he said.

Questions have been raised about the PAC’s fundraising. The liberal blog ThinkProgress called their fundraising push a <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/11/04/2882451/rino-refund/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none;">“gimmick.”</a> Despite raising more than $1 million in 2012, the group only spent around $27,000 in support of two Republican candidates last cycle, according to <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/indexpend.php?cmte=C00520825&cycle=2012&txt=" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Open Secrets</a>, and no money against Republican incumbents.

Backer says they are deadly serious about finding candidates. He acknowledges their goal may be unattainable but doesn’t think that should stop them from trying to make life difficult for members. And those members whose voting records have been otherwise solidly conservative? Backer wants to take them out too.

“Everyone says, ‘We want to elect leaders.’ No we don’t. We’re electing representatives,” Backer said. “If they were good representatives they shouldn’t have taken that vote. And if we’re wrong, they’ll win their primary and that’s healthy for democracy.”

Posted: 07/31/2013 7:25 am EDT  |  Updated: 07/31/2013

</div>

<p style="text-align: left; font-weight: normal; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: none; overflow: visible; text-indent: 1.5em; line-height: 21px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal;">WASHINGTON -- The next big campaign finance case to go before the Supreme Court began in February 2012 in the grand ballroom at the Marriott Wardman Park hotel during the "Ronald Reagan Banquet" at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

Alabama electrical engineer and budding political donor Shaun McCutcheon broached a problem in conversation with conservative election lawyer Dan Backer, who one day earlier had led a CPAC panel on rolling back campaign finance laws in which <a href="http://www.publicintegrity.org/2012/02/10/8126/cpac-panel-celebrate-citizens-united-ruling" target="_hplink" style="font-weight: normal; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: underline; overflow: visible; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer; text-indent: 0px !important;">he predicted that campaign contribution limits would soon rise</a>.

McCutcheon had recently learned there were overall federal campaign contribution limits on what a single donor could give during a two-year election cycle. He voiced his annoyance to Backer and wondered if he could just ignore the aggregate limits -- something that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/03/campaign-contribution-limits_n_3132474.html" target="_hplink" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: underline; overflow: visible; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer; text-indent: 0px !important;">a few dozen donors wound up doing</a>, whether deliberately or inadvertently, in the 2012 election.

"He could tell I didn't like 'em, so he said we could challenge and it would go all the way to the Supreme Court," McCutcheon recalled in an interview with The Huffington Post. "I didn't really believe him."

A little more than a year later, McCutcheon, now joined by the Republican National Committee, is bringing the biggest campaign finance case before the Supreme Court since the controversial 2010 Citizens United decision. If the justices rule in their next term to toss the overall limits, it would mark the first time the Supreme Court had found a federal contribution limit unconstitutional and would open the door for even more money to flood the political system.

It would also be a major victory for <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/27/campaign-finance-reform_n_982560.html" target="_hplink" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: underline; overflow: visible; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer; text-indent: 0px !important;">counter-reformers</a>, who have racked up a string of wins rolling back campaign finance regulation ever since Justice Samuel Alito replaced the more campaign regs-friendly Sandra Day O'Connor. And it would be a major blow to the campaign finance regime crafted in the 1970s following a string of corruption scandals culminating in the abuses revealed in the Watergate investigation.

For the 2013-2014 election cycle, Federal Election Commission rules state that a donor can give no more than $123,200 to all political committees with two sub-limits of $48,600 to candidates and $74,600 to political parties and political action committees. Without these overall caps, a single donor supporting one political party could theoretically give more than $5 million in individually limited contributions to every House candidate, every Senate candidate, every state party committee, every national party committee and every leadership PAC.

The case of McCutcheon v. FEC is being managed by a team of attorneys who have made careers out of working a long game to roll back campaign finance laws, including lead counsel <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/10/the/309086/" target="_hplink" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: underline; overflow: visible; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer; text-indent: 0px !important;">Jim Bopp</a>, the first lawyer on the Citizens United case, and Backer and Stephen Hoersting. The challengers argue that the aggregate limits are an unconstitutional burden on free speech and do not serve the purpose of reducing quid pro quo corruption or the appearance thereof.

"This is a case about how to spend your money how you choose, and it's a very important First Amendment case about freedom of speech," McCutcheon said. "We should be able to support as many candidates as we want. There's no reason to limit the number of candidates or committees."

Supporters of stronger campaign finance oversight disagree strongly. They say that campaign contribution limits being up for debate is a sign of how successful the counter-reformers have already been and how unfriendly the current Supreme Court is to campaign finance regulation.

"The fact that they are setting their sights on even this most basic feature of campaign regulation just shows how far the conversation has shifted on campaign finance," said Brenda Wright, vice president for legal strategies at Demos and the lead author of <a href="http://www.demos.org/publication/amicus-brief-supreme-court-mccutcheon-v-fec" target="_hplink" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: underline; overflow: visible; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer; text-indent: 0px !important;">an amicus brief opposing McCutcheon</a>. "And it's really important for the court not to take that next step. The court really needs to put a stop to the damage that's been done to our campaign finance regulations."

In <a href="http://www.larson.house.gov/images/stories/Brief.pdf" target="hplink" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: underline; overflow: visible; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer; text-indent: 0px !important;">a</a> <a href="http://theusconstitution.org/sites/default/files/briefs/CAC-McCutcheon-v-FEC-Amicus-Brief.pdf" target="hplink" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: underline; overflow: visible; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer; text-indent: 0px !important;">string</a> <a href="http://www.democracy21.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/McCutcheon-D21-Brief.pdf" target="hplink" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: underline; overflow: visible; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer; text-indent: 0px !important;">of</a> <a href="http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/images/12-536_bsac_Campaign_Legal_Center.pdf" target="hplink" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: underline; overflow: visible; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer; text-indent: 0px !important;">amici</a> <a href="http://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/legal-work/McCutcheon_amicus_072513.pdf" target="_hplink" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: underline; overflow: visible; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer; text-indent: 0px !important;">briefs</a> filed with the Supreme Court on July 25, campaign reform advocates argue that the elimination of the aggregate limits would open the door for candidates to solicit checks of over $1 million through joint fundraising committees and undermine the individual contribution limits by allowing donations to be shifted among an unlimited number of candidates and PACs.

"This is a not very thinly disguised first step to try to get an absolute anything-goes, no-limits regime on campaign contributions," said Charles Fried, a former solicitor general under President Ronald Reagan and <a href="http://www.acrreform.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Amicus-Brief.pdf" target="_hplink" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: underline; overflow: visible; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer; text-indent: 0px !important;">the author of an amicus brief submitted by Americans for Campaign Reform</a>.

McCutcheon, however, denies that he wants to change the direct contribution limits, stating, "This is not about base limits. This is about aggregate limits."

Yet a ruling undoing overall contribution limits could, in fact, undermine the legal standing of individual contribution limits in future court challenges. University of California-Irvine election law professor Rick Hasen <a href="http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47428" target="_hplink" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: underline; overflow: visible; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer; text-indent: 0px !important;">explained on his Election Law Blog</a>, "It is possible in this case, for example, that the conservative five Justices ... set out a general standard for reviewing contribution limits which makes them harder to sustain against constitutional challenge."

Further, in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/whats-at-stake-in-mccutcheon-v-fec-2013-2" target="hplink" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: underline; overflow: visible; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer; text-indent: 0px !important;">the most radical and unlikely possibility</a>, the court could decide that the case requires a ruling on the underlying question of the constitutionality of all contribution limits -- much as <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/29/AR2009062903997_pf.html" target="hplink" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: underline; overflow: visible; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer; text-indent: 0px !important;">it did with independent spending in the Citizens United ruling</a> -- and then find all such limits to be unconstitutional.

In the past, the Supreme Court has supported the overall limits as an extension of the direct contribution limits. The court in <a href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0424_0001_ZS.html" target="_hplink" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: underline; overflow: visible; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer; text-indent: 0px !important;">the landmark 1976 Buckley v. Valeo decision</a> found that the overall limits "prevent evasion of the [direct] contribution limitation by a person who might otherwise contribute massive amounts of money to a particular candidate through the use of unearmarked contributions to political committees likely to contribute to that candidate, or huge contributions to the candidate's political party."

The court has also found the acceptance or solicitation of "huge contributions" by lawmakers to be a legitimate concern, creating the appearance of corruption, if not leading to actual corruption, as in <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/04/politics/watergate-reform" target="_hplink" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: underline; overflow: visible; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer; text-indent: 0px !important;">the Nixon White House</a>.

In <a href="http://sblog.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/RNC-brief-in-12-536.pdf" target="_hplink" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: underline; overflow: visible; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer; text-indent: 0px !important;">their brief before the court</a>, however, McCutcheon and the RNC argue that the system of contribution caps supported in Buckley and subsequent decisions has been made irrelevant by the Citizens United ruling, which opened the door to unlimited independent spending by corporations, unions and, through a lower court ruling, individuals.

The unlimited spending allowed by Citizens United does raise the question of whether overall limits -- or even individual contribution limits -- matter when a donor can simply give unlimited amounts to support or oppose a candidate through a super PAC or a non-disclosing nonprofit. This reasoning has been echoed in a handful of state capitals <a href="http://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/07/01/12901/state-campaign-contribution-limits-rise" target="_hplink" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: underline; overflow: visible; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer; text-indent: 0px !important;">where lawmakers have passed legislation</a> since the 2010 decision to raise contribution limits in order to help candidates remain competitive with the rising tide of independent spending.

After pondering and rejecting this argument, D.C. Circuit Judge Janice Rogers Brown, writing for a three-judge panel in the lower court, <a href="http://www.fec.gov/law/litigation/mccutcheon_dc_memo_opinion.pdf" target="_hplink" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-decoration: underline; overflow: visible; outline: 0px; cursor: pointer; text-indent: 0px !important;">predicted where the arguments made by McCutcheon and the RNC would be decided</a>. "Plaintiffs raise the troubling possibility that Citizens United undermined the entire contribution limits scheme, but whether that case will ultimately spur a new evaluation of Buckley is a question for the Supreme Court, not us," she wrote.

The Supreme Court may ultimately decide to strike down or uphold the overall limits, but there is also a middle path. The court could find the overall limits to be generally constitutional, but their level to be unconstitutionally low. This would require Congress to set new caps that meet with whatever requirements the court decides are appropriate.

Oral arguments in McCutcheon v. FEC are scheduled for Oct. 8, with a ruling likely to arrive just in time for a potential new explosion of money in the 2014 midterms.

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