The year of the super PAC

George Washington Law Review

Volumn 81, Issue 6, 2013, Pages 1902-1927

  Kang, Michael S ^a  

^a EMORY UNIVERSITY   (United States)

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[No Author keywords available]

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EID: 84897586249     PISSN: 00168076     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Review

References (109)

1. Citizens United v. FEC, 558 U.S. 310 (2010).
2. See generally Richard Briffault, Super PACs, 96 MINN. L. REV. 1644 (2012).
3. See Eliza Newlin Carney, Rules of the Game: Lessons Learned from First Post-Citizens United Presidential Race, ROLL CALL (Oct. 31, 2012, 12:09 PM), www.rollcall.com/news/rules-of-the-game-lessons-learned-from-first-post- citizens-united-218589-1.html.
4. See Citizens United v. FEC, 555 U.S. 1028, 1028 (2008) (noting "probable jurisdiction").
5. See Citizens United v. FEC, 530 F. Supp. 2d 274, 275 (D.D.C. 2008).
6. See Bradley A. Smith, The Myth of Campaign Finance Reform, NAT'L AFF., Winter 2010, at 75, 75-76 (describing this exchange during oral argument).
7. See id. at 76; Citizens United v. FEC, 129 S. Ct. 2893, 2893 (2009).
8. See Citizens United v. FEC, 558 U.S. 310, 365-66 (2010).
9. See Michael S. Kang, The End of Campaign Finance Law, 98 VA. L. REV. 1, 14 (2012) (summarizing public reaction to Citizens United).
10. Nathaniel Persily, The Floodgates Were Already Open, SLATE (Jan. 25, 2010, 2:30 PM), http://www.slate.com/id/2242558.
11. See CRAIG B. HOLMAN & LUKE P. MCLOUGHLIN, BRENNAN CTR. FOR JUSTICE, BUYING TIME 2000: TELEVISION ADVERTISING IN THE 2000 FEDERAL ELECTIONS 16 (2001), available at http://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/legacy/d/ download-file-10664.pdf.
12. SpeechNow.org v. FEC, 599 F.3d 686 (D.C. Cir. 2010).
13. See T.W. Farnam, 72 Super PACs Spent $83.7 Million on Election, WASH. POST, Dec. 4, 2010, at A3.
14. See Dan Eggen & T.W. Farnam, 'Super PACs' Alter Campaign, WASH. POST, Sept. 28, 2010, at A1.
15. See Richard Briffault, Nonprofits and Disclosure in the Wake of Citizens United, 10 ELECTION LJ. 337, 348 (2011) (observing that this reasoning "seems generally applicable to all politically active organizations").
16. See Cory G. Kalanick, Note, Blowing Up the Pipes: The Use of (c)(4) to Dismantle Campaign Finance Reform, 95 MINN. L. REV. 2254, 2263-66 (2011).
17. See Richard Briffault, Two Challenges for Campaign Finance Disclosure After Citizens United and Doe v. Reed, 19 WM. & MARY BILL RTS. J. 983, 1007-08 (2011).
18. Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 (1976).
19. See, e.g., Floyd Abrams, Citizens United and Its Critics, 120 YALE L.J. ONLINE 77 (2010), http://yalelawjournal.org/images/pdfs/902.pdf.
20. See id. at 80-82; George F. Will, 'Kingmakers' Without a King, WASH. POST, Mar. 1, 2012, at A19
21. Wendy Kaminer, The Truth About Citizens United and Outside Campaign Cash, ATLANTIC (May 21, 2012, 4:13 PM), http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/ 2012/05/the-truth-about-citizens-united-and-outside-campaign-cash/257439/
22. Richard Pildes, How Consequential Is Citizens United?, ELECTION L. BLOG (Nov. 9, 2011, 6:24 AM), http://electionlawblog.org/?p=25207.
23. See, e.g., FEC v. Mass. Citizens for Life, Inc., 479 U.S. 238, 262 (1986) (explaining that even an independent expenditure-only entity, such as the Massachusetts Citizens for Life corporation, is subject to regulation as a political committee if its major purpose is influencing elections); Conciliation Agreement, Swift Boat Veterans and POWs for Truth, MURs 5511 & 5525, at 1 (FEC Dec. 11, 2006); Conciliation Agreement, Freedom, Inc., MUR 5492, at 14 (FEC Oct. 31, 2006).
24. See, e.g., Richard L. Hasen, Buckley Is Dead, Long Live Buckley: The New Campaign Finance Incoherence of McConnell v. Federal Election Commission, 153 U. PA. L. REV. 31, 68 (2004) (discussing Rehnquist Court deference to the government in campaign finance cases).
25. See Michael S. Kang, After Citizens United, 44 IND. L. REV. 243, 248-54 (2010) (describing this shift and its consequences across the range of campaign finance law).
26. McConnell v. FEC, 540 U.S. 93 (2003).
27. Citizens United v. FEC, 558 U.S. 310, 357 (2010).
28. See N.C. Right to Life, Inc. V. Leake, 525 F.3d 274, 292 (4th Cir. 2008) (noting that "the [Supreme] Court ha[d] never held that it is constitutional to apply contribution limits to political committees that make solely independent expenditures").
29. Cal. Med. Ass'n v. FEC, 453 U.S. 182 (1981).
30. Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co., 556 U.S. 868 (2009).
31. See James Sample, Democracy at the Corner of First and Fourteenth: Judicial Campaign Spending and Equality, 66 N.Y.U. ANN. SURV. AM. L. 727, 761 (2011).
32. SpeechNow.org v. FEC, 599 F.3d 686, 694 (D.C. Cir. 2010).
33. N.C. Right to Life, Inc. V. Leake, 525 F.3d 274 (4th Cir. 2008).
34. Id. at 292 (quoting Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1, 47 (1976)).
35. Mark Schmitt, Note to the Last Citizens United Denier: It Really Did Change Money in Politics, NEXT NEW DEAL (July 19, 2012), http://www.nextnewdeal. net/note-last-citizens-united-denier-it-really-did-change-money-politics.
36. See Mike McIntire & Michael Luo, Fine Line Between 'Super PACs' and Campaigns, N.Y. TIMES, Feb. 26, 2012, at A1.
37. Outside Spending, OPENSECRETS.ORG, http://www.opensecrets.org/ outsidespending/fes-summ.php (last visited Aug. 20, 2013).
38. Richard Briffault, The 527 Problem... and the Buckley Problem, 73 GEO. WASH. L. REV. 949, 949 (2005).
39. See, e.g., Peter Fenn, Op-Ed., Corporations Gone Wild in the Year of the Super PAC, U.S. NEWS (July 26, 2012), http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/Peter- Fenn/2012/07/26/corporations-gone-wild-in-the-year-of-the-super-pac.
40. See Husna Haq, Election 101: Five Basics About 'Super PACs' and 2012 Campaign Money, CHRISTIAN SCI. MONITOR (Oct. 7, 2011), http://www.csmonitor.com/ USA/Elections/2011/1007/Election-101-Five-basics-about-super-PACs-and-2012- campaign-money/What-is-a-super-PAC-and-how-is-it-different-from-an-ordinary-PAC (describing Super PACs as "PACs on steroids").
41. See Michael E. Toner, Karen E. Trainer & Julie Missimore, What Is a Super PAC?, WILEY REIN LLP ELECTION L. NEWS (Sept. 2011), http://www.wileyrein. com/publications.cfm?sp=articles&newsletter=8&id=7458 (explaining that Super PACs "effectively replac[e] so-called 527 organizations, because Super PACs allow for the acceptance of unlimited individual and corporate contributions while permitting express advocacy in communications").
42. See Matt Bai, How did Political Money Get This Loud?, N.Y. TIMES MAG., July 22, 2012, at 14 (describing the lifting of a "cloud of uncertainty" around campaign spending and the resulting psychological shift).
43. See Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, Excluding Party Committees, OPEN-SECRETS.ORG, http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/cycle-tots.php (last visited Aug. 20, 2013).
44. See 2012 Outside Spending, by Group, OPENSECRETS.ORG, http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/summ.php?cycle=2012&chrt= V&disp=O&type=A (last visited Aug. 20, 2013).
45. See Nicholas Confessore, 'Super PACs' Are Finally Drawing Democrats in, N.Y. TIMES, Sept. 27, 2012, at A1
46. Dan Eggen & T.W. Farnam, Money Down the Drain: Spending a Lot, with Little Effect, WASH. POST, Nov. 8, 2012, at A1
47. Super PAC Money Fails to Buy Victories, S.F. CHRON. (Nov. 8, 2012, 11:04 PM), http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Super-PAC-money-fails-to-buy- victories-4022196.php.
48. See Confessore, supra note 85; Danny Yadron, Patrick O'Connor & Alexandra Berzon, Super PACs' Impact Appears Limited, WALL STREET J., Nov. 8, 2012, at A4
49. Continuing this Democratic ramp up into 2013, Democratic Super PACs actually outraised Republican ones by two to one halfway through the year. See Fredreka Schouten & Christopher Schnaars, Democratic Super PACs Out-raise GOP: In Stark Reversal of 2012, Tally is $32 Million vs. $14 Million, USA TODAY, Aug. 2, 2013, at A4.
50. See David A. Strauss, Corruption, Equality, and Campaign Finance Reform, 94 COLUM. L. REV. 1369, 1370 (1994) ("The true targets of campaign reform, therefore, are inequality and certain potential problems of interest group politics that are endemic to representative government.").
51. Dan Eggen & T.W. Farnam, The Men Behind the GOP's Millions, WASH. POST, Feb. 21, 2012, at A1.
52. Id.; see also Joe Garofoli, Failed Gingrich Bid Shows Clout of Super PACs, S.F. CHRON., May 3, 2012, at A1.
53. Thomas Fitzgerald, Winning While Losing, PHILA. INQUIRER, Dec. 9, 2012, at 8.
54. Fredreka Schouten, Casino CEO Put Millions into Effort to Oust Dems, USA TODAY, Dec. 7, 2012, at 7A.
55. See id.; Matea Gold, Miriam Adelson Gets $5 Million Back from Pro-Gingrich 'Super PAC,' L.A. TIMES (June 21, 2012), http://articles.latimes. com/2012/jun/21/news/la-pn-miriam-adelson-gets-5-million-back-from-progingrich- super-pac-20120621.
56. Ryan Murphy, One More Look at Super PACs in Texas, TEX. TRIB. (Nov. 21, 2012), https://www.texastribune.org/library/data/one-more-look-super-pacs/.
57. See Super Donors, CENTER FOR PUB. INTEGRITY, http://www.publicintegrity. org/politics/consider-source/super-donors (last visited Aug. 20, 2013).
58. See Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1, 59 n.67 (1976).
59. See Justin Levitt, Confronting the Impact of Citizens United, 29 YALE L. & POL'Y REV. 217, 223-24 (2010) (identifying a concern about the political leverage of extreme wealth as the cause of outrage against Citizens United, rather than a specific concern about corporations).
60. See Confessore, supra note 85; Neil King, Jr., Super PAC Influence Falls Short of Aims, WALL ST. J., Sept. 24, 2012, at A1; Yadron, et al., supra note 87.
61. See Dave Nyczepir, Where Super PACs Will Really Thrive, CAMPAIGNS & ELECTIONS (Nov. 14, 2012), http://www.campaignsandelections.com/campaign- insider/342757/where-super-pacs-will-really-thrive.thtml (referring to Robert Lenhard's prediction that Super PACs will divide into these two categories).
62. See Haq, supra note 73 (quoting Michael Beckel); see also Richard Briffault, Coordination Reconsidered, 113 COLUM. L. REV. SIDEBAR 88, 94-97 (2013), http://www.columbialawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Briffault- 113-Colum.-L.-Rev.-88-2013.pdf.
63. See Andy Kroll, In the Future, Everyone Will Have a Super-PAC, MOTHER JONES (Jan. 28, 2013, 4:01 AM), http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/01/ super-pac-explosion-congress-president-elections (summarizing expert opinion that Super PACs will be a necessity in future elections)
64. Melanie Mason, Jon Huntsman Latest Hopeful to Be Backed by 'Super PAC,' L.A. TIMES (Aug. 30, 2011), http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/30/news/la-pn- huntsman-super-pac-20110830 (quoting a Republican operative as predicting "everybody will have [a super PAC] - there will be a sidecar for every motorcycle").
65. See Briffault, supra note 2, at 1677 (describing the beginning of this practice); Sean Lengell, Impact of Super PACs Felt in GOP Senate Primary Races, WASH. TIMES, May 17, 2012, at A3.
66. See, e.g., Steven T. Taylor, Political and Election Law Grows as Rules and Court Decisions Complicate the Landscape, OF COUNSEL, Dec. 2012, at 1 (describing the new practice area of Super PACs at the state level)
67. Nyczepir, supra note 101; Maeve Reston, 'Super PAC' in Mayor's Race Draws Money From Powerful GOP Donor, L.A. TIMES, Jan. 11, 2013, at AA4.
68. See Fredreka Schouten, Groups Deploy Super PACs as Lobbying Force; 'This Is a Disastrous Development,' Says Critic of Big Spenders, USA TODAY, Dec. 4, 2012, at A5
69. Editorial, When 'Super PACs' Become Lobbyists, N.Y. TIMES, Nov. 27, 2012, at A30
70. Dave Levinthal, Super PACs Get New Use - As Lobbying Arms on Hill, POLITICO (Sept. 25, 2012, 5:59 PM), http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/ 81674.html.
71. See, e.g., Matea Gold, Outside Groups Changing the Political Game for Good, L.A. TIMES, Oct. 21, 2012, at A1 (describing the Super PAC as shadow political party)
72. Sheelah Kolhatkar, How Karl Rove's Super PAC Plays the Senate, BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK. (Sept. 4, 2012), http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-09-04/ exclusive-how-karl-roves-super-pac-plays-the-senate (describing American Crossroads' efforts to support Republican Senate candidates as a shadow party organization).
73. See David Greising, Republican-Leaning 527 Groups Quickly Gained Ground on Rivals, CHI. TRIB., Nov. 4, 2004, at 6 (discussing 527 election-related activity).
74. See Stephen R. Weissman & Ruth Hassan, BCRA and the 527 Groups, in THE ELECTION AFTER REFORM: MONEY, POLITICS, AND THE BIPARTISAN CAMPAIGN REFORM ACT 79, 84-90 (Michael J. Malbin ed., 2006).
75. See, e.g., REPUBLICAN NATL COMM., GROWTH & OPPORTUNITY PROJECT 44 (2013), available at http://growthopp.gop.com/RNC-Growth-Opportunity-Book-2013. pdf (acknowledging such third-party groups as "critical components of the Republican Party").
76. See, e.g., Bill Allison, Inside Spending: Super PACs, Dark Money Groups Dominated by Political Insiders, SUNLIGHT FOUND. REPORTING GROUP (Jan. 23, 2013, 9:38 AM), http://reporting.sunlightfoundation.com/2013/inside-spending-super- pacs-dark-money-groups-dominated-po litical (reporting on staffing and funding of Super PACs by party insiders)
77. Laura Edwins, Election 2012: Top Seven Super PACs, CHRISTIAN SCI. MONITOR (Oct. 4, 2012, 8:06 PM), http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/2012/1004/ Election-2012-top-seven-super-PACs/Restore-our-Future (reporting the leadership and sponsors for several of the leading Super PACs).
78. One of the most important restrictions on Super PACs was the uncertainty surrounding their ability to feature federal candidates in their advertising without engaging in formal coordination. See T.W. Farnam, A GOP 'Super PAC' Breaks New Ground in Campaign Ads, WASH. POST, Oct. 13, 2011, at A19; Kroll, supra note 106.
79. See, e.g., Eliza Newlin Carney, Close Super PAC Ties Draw Ire, ROLL CALL (Dec. 15, 2011, 12:00 AM), http://www.rollcall.com/issues/57-75/Close-Super-PAC- Ties-Draw-Ire-211067-1.html
80. Eliza Newlin Carney, The Super PAC Paradox, ROLL CALL (Mar. 12, 2012, 12:00 AM), http://www.rollcall.com/issues/57-107/Super-PAC-Paradox-213021-1. html.
81. See Brian C. Mooney, Super PACs Fueling GOP Attack Ads, BOS. GLOBE, Feb. 2, 2012, at A1
82. Elizabeth Wilner, How Super-Group Advertising Kept Romney in the Race, AD AGE (Oct. 25, 2012), http://adage.com/article/campaign-trail/super-pac- advertising-romney-race/237980/ (reporting that Super PACs in the presidential race were more negative than the campaigns and three of the four most active Super PACs in the race aired only negative ads as of late October 2012).
83. See generally JOHN H. ALDRICH, WHY PARTIES? THE ORIGIN AND TRANSFORMATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN AMERICA 241-76 (1995).
84. See MARTY COHEN ET AL., THE PARTY DECIDES: PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATIONS BEFORE AND AFTER REFORM 3-7 (2008)
85. SETH E. MASKET, NO MIDDLE GROUND: HOW INFORMAL PARTY ORGANIZATIONS CONTROL NOMINATIONS AND POLARIZE LEGISLATURES 43-53 (2012)
86. See generally Gregory Koger, Seth Masket & Hans Noel, Cooperative Party Factions in American Politics, 38 AM. POL. RES. 33 (2010)
87. Gregory Koger, Seth Masket & Hans Noel, Partisan Webs: Information Exchange and Party Networks, 39 BRIT. J. POL. SCI. 633 (2009).
88. See Nicholas Confessore & Jim Rutenberg, PACs' Aid Allows Romney's Rivals to Extend Race, N.Y. TIMES, Jan. 13, 2012, at A14
89. Mooney, supra note 122; Molly Redden, Pac Man, NEW REPUBLIC, Mar. 1, 2012, at 5
90. Naureen Khan & Alex Roarty, Super PAC Lifelines Keep Weakened Candidates in the Game, NAT'L J. (Feb. 28, 2012, 9:40 PM), http://www. nationaljournal.com/2012-presidential-campaign/super-pac-lifelines-keep- weakened-candidates-in-the-game-20120228.
91. See Sara Murray & Patrick O'Connor, How Race Slipped Away from Romney, WALL ST. J., Nov. 8, 2012, at A1
92. Jim Arkedis, The GOP Primary Is Badly Wounding Mitt Romney, ATLANTIC (Feb. 13, 2012, 11:30 AM), http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/02/ the-gop-primary-is-badly-wounding-mitt-romney/252929/
93. Liz Fedor, Super PAC Spending Weakens the Entire GOP Presidential Field, MINN. POST (Mar. 8, 2012), http://www.minnpost.com/business/2012/03/super-pac- spending-weakens-entire-gop-presidential-field
94. Kenneth P. Vogel & Abby Phillip, Mitt Romney's Burn Rate a Boon for Obama, POLITICO (Feb. 21, 2012, 4:46 AM), http://www.politico.com/news/stories/ 0212/73100.html.
95. See Ryan Lizza, Life of the Party: Can the GOP Save Itself?, NEW YORKER, Mar. 12, 2012, at 24; Mooney, supra note 122.
96. See TAYLOR LINCOLN, PUB. CITIZEN, SUPER CONNECTED 10, 18 (2013), available at http://www.citizen.org/documents/super-connected-march-2013-update- candidate-super-pacs-not-independent-report.pdf (finding that three-quarters of all Super PAC spending was by a Super PAC dedicated to a single candidate or in service of a national party).
97. See Kenneth P. Vogel & Tarini Parti, Democratic Super PACs Get Jump on 2014, 2016, POLITICO (Nov. 26, 2012, 4:24 AM), http://www.politico.com/news/ stories/1112/84205.html.
98. See Andy Kroll, How Super-PACs Could Fuel the War over the GOP's Future, MOTHER JONES (Nov. 21, 2012, 4:13 AM), http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/ 11/super-pac-republican-party-immigration-gay-marriage
99. Kroll, supra note 106; see also James Bennet, The New Price of American Politics, ATLANTIC, Oct. 2012, at 66, 68 (quoting Jim Bopp predicting that Super PAC spending will grow to three times that of candidate spending in four years).
100. See Karen Tumulty, Rove Still Resolute in the Face of Defeat, WASH. POST, Nov. 11, 2012, at A1.
101. See Thomas B. Edsall, Billionaires Going Rogue, N.Y. TIMES CAMPAIGN STOPS (Oct. 28, 2012, 10:53 PM), http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/ billionaires-going-rogue/ (arguing that Super PACs are displacing the parties).
102. See, e.g., Timothy Noah, Crankocracy in America, NEW REPUBLIC, Apr. 19, 2012, at 2
103. Redden, supra note 132; Mike Allen, Sheldon Adelson: Inside the Mind of the Mega-Donor, POLITICO (Sept. 23, 2012, 9:12 PM), http://www.politico.com/ news/stories/0912/81588.html
104. Soros: The Super PAC Man, WALL ST. J., Sept. 28, 2012, at A16
105. see also Richard Cohen, Cash's Powerful Megaphone, WASH. POSt, Jan. 17, 2012, at A13.
106. See Briffault, supra note 2, at 1678 (describing maxed out Super PAC donors); see also Paul Harris, Super PAC Donors Often Max Out on Individual Donations, Study Finds, GUARDIAN (Feb. 21, 2012 4:15 PM), http://www. theguardian.com/world/2012/feb/21/super-pac-donors-individual-donations
107. Rachel Leven, Super-PAC Donors Also Maxing Out with Campaigns, Study Finds, HILL (Feb. 21, 2012, 2:01 PM), http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/ fundraising/211777-super-pac-donors-also-maxing-out-with-campaigns-study-finds.
108. See Tumulty, supra note 139; Andy Kroll, Will Republican Megadonors Say Sayonara to Super-PACs?, MOTHER JONES (Nov. 9, 2012, 4:03 AM), http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/11/sheldon-adelson-republican-donor- exodus-2012.
109. See generally Samuel Issacharoff & Jeremy Peterman, Special Interests After Citizens United: Access, Replacement, and Interest Group Response to Legal Change, 9 ANN. REV. L. & SOC. SCI. (forthcoming 2013) (distinguishing legal strategies for outside groups with different political motivations based on whether they are access or replacement oriented).