How to Form a Super PAC (Political Action Committee)
A guide to starting a Super PAC
What is a Super PAC?
Super PACs are a relatively new phenomena in American politics. They are a product of two judicial decisions: the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, delivered in January 2010, and the D.C. Circuit’s decision in Speechnow.org v. Federal Election Commission, two months later. Together, these two decisions enabled the creation of a new entity: a political action committee that could accept unlimited donations so long as it did not coordinate its expenditure with any political campaign.
Super PACs, officially known as “independent-expenditure only committees”, may not make contributions to candidate campaigns or parties, but may engage in unlimited political spending independently of the campaigns. Unlike traditional PACs, they can raise funds from individuals, corporations, unions, and other groups without any legal limit on donation size.
The term “Super PAC” was coined by reporter Eliza Newlin Carney. According to Politico, Carney, a staff writer covering lobbying and influence for CQ Roll Call, “made the first identifiable, published reference to ‘super PAC’ as it’s known today while working at National Journal, writing on June 26, 2010, of a group…
