We have created a new file containing information about Leadership PACs. Members of Congress and other political leaders often establish nonconnected committees, general known as "leadership PACs," to support candidates for various federal and nonfederal offices. A leadership PAC is defined as a political committee that is directly or indirectly established, financed, maintained or controlled by a candidate or an individual holding federal office, but is not an authorized committee of the candidate or officeholder and is not affiliated with an authorized committee of a candidate or officeholder.
These committees can receive contributions from individuals (up to $5,000 per year) or other PACs and use those funds to contribute to candidates for federal office and for other activities. They are not, however, used to directly support the campaign of the member or candidate who sponsors them (except that they could contribute up to $5,000 per election to the campaign).
Leadership PACs must now identify themselves to the FEC because the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 requires these committees disclose certain contributions they have received if they are bundled (collected as a group and then passed to the leadership PAC) by lobbyists.
Remember, as you look at this list, that committees organized by people who are not currently federal officeholders or candidates for federal office don't have these reporting requirements. There will be PACs that were organized by state officials or others therefore, who are missing from this list.
Posted by GC on November 25, 2009 at 07:27 PM EST #