Aug. 28, 2012–MapLight has run an analysis of independent expenditures made from Jan. 1, 2011 to July 31, 2012 by so-called super PACs to influence congressional and presidential races in the 2012 election cycle.
In July 2012, super PACs that file monthly reports spent $29.6 million on independent expenditures across the country. Of that total, $25.9 million (88 percent) was spent by just five super PACs. Figures from super PACs that file quarterly reports will not be available until October.
From Jan 1, 2011 to July 31, 2012, super PACs spent $167 million on political expenditures. Click here to download a spreadsheet of independent expenditures by super PAC with filters by state, contest, party, month, and year.
Top Five Super PACs by Spending in July 2012
- AMERICAN CROSSROADS – $8,569,152
- RESTORE OUR FUTURE, INC. – $8,107,287
- CLUB FOR GROWTH ACTION – $3,941,503
- MAJORITY PAC – $2,777,573
- PRIORITIES USA ACTION – $2,552,327
Super PACs continue to raise and spend millions of dollars to sway voters in the 2012 election cycle. A recent Supreme Court ruling allowed for the creation of so-called super PACs, which can collect unlimited donations from individuals, corporations, and unions to fund political expenditures.
METHODOLOGY: MapLight analysis of independent expenditures made, both for and against congressional and presidential candidates, from Jan. 1, 2011 to July 31, 2012 as disclosed by the committees as of Aug. 26, 2012. Data source: the Federal Election Commission.
