What are political action committees?

With Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the midst of campaigning for the November 5 presidential election, fundraising efforts have become a focus of attention in American politics in recent months.

After Trump He was found guilty in May by a New York jury on charges related to the 2016 election, fundraising for the former president skyrocketed. The former Republican president’s campaign reported that it raised $53 million in the 24 hours after the verdict.

Money raised from individual contributions and political party fundraising committees is not the only way candidates can receive monetary support. Political action committees – also known as PACs – are also among the options that exist for fundraising.

PACs are a type of political committee that is neither the direct committee of the party nor a committee directly authorized by the candidate; They are located outside those limits. They may be supported or managed by a corporation or labor organization, or they may exist freely without a corporate sponsor.

Some PACs face stricter limitations on soliciting funds and can contribute directly to the candidate and to committees chartered directly by the candidates. Other committees that have greater freedom to raise funds cannot contribute directly to a candidate.

However, PACs can raise funds to try to influence an election without contributing directly to the candidate or his or her chartered committee.

PACs can raise money to support or oppose a candidate.

Below is a breakdown of PAC activity for the 2024 elections, based on recent data from the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

For both candidates, the largest PACs are fundraising in opposition to the campaigns they support. Make America Great Again Inc, a PAC designed to secure Trump a second term, has been Biden’s biggest adversary, donating $16 million to oppose the current president’s re-election campaign.

As of January 1, 2023, of the top 10 PACs listed by donation to support or oppose Biden, six are raising money against him.

The PAC with the longest financial history against the Trump campaign is Americans for Prosperity Action Inc, a grassroots organization that raised $10 million in opposition to the Trump campaign.

Of the top 10 PACs raising money in association with Trump’s campaign as of Jan. 1, 2023, eight are working to oppose him.

As shown with the top PAC donations, both candidates have seen significant funds raised against them. According to the data, approximately $30 million has been raised against each of the major candidates since January 2023.

At the same time, PACs supporting Biden have raised nearly $6 million. PACs supporting Trump have raised $11 million. Make American Great Again has donated nearly $10 million, making its support the PAC’s second-largest contribution to Trump’s campaign.

Over the past week, the PAC’s support has continued, primarily for advertising purposes, including media and text message production and placement. On May 30, Biden received a notable donation in support of BlackPAC of $500,000 for the media.

Trump recently received a series of smaller donations in support, including a donation of about $3,200 from the National Rifle Association on May 31.

Both sides have also seen recent contributions against their campaigns. On May 28, Make America Great Again Inc. donated more than $12,000 against Biden. On May 31, the Republican Accountability PAC spent $1,500 against Trump. The opposition’s biggest recent funds have gone to advertising and text messages.

However, these figures do not fully reflect recent PAC activity. The raw data, which can take weeks for the FEC to process, indicate that PACs have continued to provide funds in support of and opposition to candidates. Party committee fundraising totals have also not been confirmed, as the FEC has not processed all filings.

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