Do single candidate Super Pacs need that candidate's permission to form?

[HeartlandProgressive]

Foe example, Elizabeth Warren has two inactive Super Pacs, did those need her permission to be formed?

[LonePirate]

1. As long as we have a First Amendment, those PACs can be organized.

[redqueen]

2. They're legally barred from coordinating with a campaign

so it seems doubtful.

[bluewater]

7. "but the FEC has been exceedingly lenient in defining what constitutes coordination"

Can candidates have super PACs?

Officially no. But it's easy to understand why it sometimes can seem as though they do. Although a candidate cannot coordinate expenditures with a super PAC (tell the PAC where an ad might be placed, whether the ad should be positive or negative, or what voters canvassers should contact), there's no law that says a candidate can't have connections with a the entities backing his or her election. Many super PACs — such as the one supporting Romney, the pro-Newt Gingrich Winning Our Future, and Priorities USA, which backs President Obama — are run by former top aides of the candidates. And candidates can headline fundraisers for the super PACs that are supporting them (as Romney has) so long as they don't ask for donations beyond the legal limits permitted for their own campaign committees. Donors are free to write larger checks and super PAC staffers are free to ask for them, but as long as the candidate abides by federal campaign limits or doesn’t actually ask for funds. it’s all kosher. Bottom line: There's a legal prohibition against candidates' coordinating with super PACs but the FEC has been exceedingly lenient in defining what constitutes coordination, as University of California law professor Rick Hasen pithily outlines in his Election Law Blog.

What can super PACs do with their money?

Anything except contribute directly to, or coordinate expenditures with, candidates and candidate committees. They can pay for any typical political expenditure, and then some. Super PACs can and do pay for television ads, phone banks, canvassers and bumper stickers. In other words, they can act as a shadow campaign.

https://sunlightfoundation.com/2012/01/31/nine-things-you-need-know-about-super-pacs/

[redqueen]

18. Yep, and I'm sure we all expected that to happen

and that the designers of these monstrosities had every intention of it happening.

[HerbChestnut]

3. I don't think so?

By law, SuperPACs and candidates can't coordinate together so maybe that plays into it? There's ways around that law though so who knows.

[George II]

4. Super PACs are totally independent from a candidate or candidate committee. They cannot....

....contribute to any candidates whatsoever. They can't coordinate with any candidates or candidate committees:

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/super-pac?s=t

super PAC - noun

a type of PAC that has no limitations on the amount or source of donations, though it cannot contribute directly to a political campaign or party.

A proclamation by a candidate that he/she "will not accept any money from a Super PAC" is a moot point - they can't even if they wanted to.

But it makes for good sound bites.

[RudyColludie]

5. Biden actually commented on this...

Earlier this year, the former vice president and his campaign disavowed a potential super-PAC, a fundraising tool into which wealthy donors could contribute unlimited amounts of money.

But with cash relatively low and with President Donald Trump consistently attacking Biden and son Hunter’s overseas business ties, Biden’s campaign said last week that it would no longer stand in the way of the creation of a super-PAC. A handful of political strategists have been preparing such a group and reaching out to potential donors ahead of a formal launch.

“I cannot stop them if I wanted to stop them. It’s their right to do it,” Biden said Sunday. He’s previously called for a constitutional amendment to reverse the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision and stressed Sunday that if he’s elected, he’ll continue his decades-old push for public financing of elections.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-27/biden-suggests-he-d-be-a-one-term-president-campaign-update

the answer is No, the candidate can't stop it.

It's Biden Time!


Vote Joe or Trump won't Go!

[George II]

6. This is why, when you see an ad run by a Super PAC, at the end they say something like...

..."Paid for by XXXX, not associated with any candidate or committee"

[relayerbob]

8. No

[beastie boy]

9. So you aree posting with all three of your monikers today!

HeartlandProgressive, Bluewater and RudyColludie.

Wasn't it enough tat you discredited yourself already?
https://upload.democraticunderground.com/1287325703#post38

Now you are stirring shit in Warren's pot. Nice.


On edit to the jury, in case I get alerted: I am not being disrespectful to a DU member, I am bringing attention to the poster who is being disrespectful to the DU community.

[HeartlandProgressive]

10. And you are following people around making accusations?

Ok...

[beastie boy]

12. I am a DU member in good standing who just happened to catch you red-handed.

https://upload.democraticunderground.com/1287325703#post38

I post where and when I please, subject to DU rules. And I will post instances of abuse of forums by unscrupulous players whenever I see it.

Sorry for the inconvenience. Deal with it.

[HeartlandProgressive]

14. Interesting Journal you have

Journal Archives

2019 (11)
October (8)
July (1)
June (1)
May (1)
2018 (1)
October (1)
2017 (3)
December (1)
August (1)
May (1)
2016 (14)
July (1)
June (4)
May (3)
April (4)
March (2)

Seems you are only active in election years? And then mostly posting anti-Sanders posts?

That's totally normal.

[beastie boy]

15. This is hysterical, "HeartlandProgressive"! It gets even more interesting when you don't distort ...

... my record! My activity includes 2017, 2018 and 2019. Can you please tell me which one(s) of those years are election years? And me posting mostly anti-Sanders posts is just an outright lie.

But look who is talking, "HeartlandProgressive"! Have you checked your journal lately? You've been active since ... 2019! October of 2019, to be precise. That's hilarious!

The least you could have done was to post as Bluewatar (keep RudyColludie out of this, his journal is even more suspect), so your record wouldn't look so laughable compared to the one you insinuate to be somehow flawed.

[HeartlandProgressive]

16. Yep, your journal is totally normal.

How many anti-Sanders posts are in there? I lost count.

But a lot of people mostly post anti-Sanders posts, so that's normal.

And many, um, people are only interested in posting on DU during election time, so that is totally normal too.

Just like me. Right?

[beastie boy]

17. Did it take you this long to acknowledge the obvious? Yes, my journal is totally normal.

You lost count, so your innuendo lacks any substance or context. Which makes your suggestion that I mostly post anti-Sanders post totally made up.

As far as what you may or may not consider normal, that's your business. I have no obligation to indulge your capricious musings. They have no relation to my record. It's a factual thing, you know. Snark is a poor substitute for facts.

And I am not sure which "you" you are talking about, but I am not interested in what you think of "yourself". Your record speaks for itself, as is mine.

[HeartlandProgressive]

20. I forgot to add an important emoji.

[bluewater]

11. lol oh boy.

[beastie boy]

13. And it doesn't matter which persona you will assume at any given moment

[Gothmog]

19. Super pacs have to be separate from and cannot coordinate with a campaign

It would be illegal for a candidate to coordinate or attempt to control a super pac.