Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty: Where Their PAC Money Goes
Sandra Fish
Correspondent
Posted:
07/14/10
Political candidates often talk a good game of supporting fellow party members seeking office, but how wide do they open their wallets?
In the case of three potential 2012 GOP presidential candidates -- former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney -- the answer is . . . not very wide.
Sarah Palin's political action committee so far has contributed only small sums to Republicans running for office this fall, and the PACS of Romney and Pawlenty have given even less.
Candidate contributions represented just 5.8 percent of Palin's PAC spending through June, records show. Roughly 4.4 percent of Romney's PAC money went to candidates, while Pawlenty spent 4.7 percent of his money on GOP office seekers.
The three Republicans' candidate contributions will undoubtedly grow as November nears, but the vast majority of their PAC money is likely to go to their own campaigns for travel, consulting and fundraising expenses.
"They're not interested in necessarily winning the House and Senate back for Republicans. That's not their No.1 objective," said Daniel Smith, a University of Florida professor who directs the political campaigning program there. "They're selectively placing their bets, using their PAC dollars on Republican candidates who can elevate their national profile and also procure free media in key battleground states in the run-up before the 2012 Republican primary."
We've looked at Palin's record on PAC money plenty. Below, a closer look at how it compares to Romney's and Pawlenty's.
Keep in mind that at this point, Palin's PAC reporting goes through the end of June, Romney's through the end of May and Pawlenty's through the end of March.
Money raised, the big picture: Since 2008, Romney's Free and Strong America PAC raised more than $6.2 million, with about $3.7 million for the 17 months so far this election cycle. Sarah PAC has raised almost $3.4 million over 18 months. Pawlenty's Freedom First PAC raised almost $1.9 million in just six months. If you look at that fundraising per month, Pawlenty comes out the winner.
Money raised, the micro picture: The average size of Palin's individual donations is $337, compared with $989 for Romney and $1,975 for Pawlenty. But Palin's unique donors total 1,740, compared with 771 for Pawlenty and 354 for Romney. All three allow donors to set up monthly payments, but an analysis of the numbers indicates Palin has been more successful in that regard.
Money raised, the big donors: Financial services employees ponied up significant sums to Romney and Pawlenty. Goldman Sachs employees gave more than $74,000 to Romney's PAC, while Morgan Stanley employees donated to $37,500 to Pawlenty's Freedom First PAC. But many of Sarah PAC's donors don't list their employers (one cites "NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS" in that field, another "my husband"), despite FEC rules requiring such disclosure. All three candidates have plenty of "information requested" when it comes to employment and occupation details.
The influence factor: Palin chipped in $10,000 to two Iowa races in June, but Romney found a way to ante up $42,000 for South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley by donating through both his federal and several state-based PACs. Pawlenty's PAC gave $10,000 to the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee and to 14 individual candidate campaigns through the end of March. Give the edge to Romney here.
Proportion to candidates vs. other spending: Romney's cash to candidates totals the most thus far at $215,084, followed by Palin with $137,500 and Pawlenty (he's just getting started, remember) with $43,600. But candidate contributions are actually a fraction of the spending thus far -- 4.4 percent of total spending for Romney, 4.7 percent for Pawlenty and 5.8 percent for Palin.
Romney is also creating state-level PACs in key states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. Both Romney and Pawlenty are paying staff, and all three potential candidates have some high-priced Beltway consultants on board.
Last month, an analysis by The Washington Post and the Center for Responsive Politics found that leadership PACs spent less than 40 percent to help candidates.
Presidential aspirants and even presidents have for years had PACs that they use as much for their own promotional purposes as for promoting other candidates, said Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics.
President Ronald Reagan "had one. He kept it going for a long time, in fact, after he left office," she said. "This is kind of a standard, time-honored tradition."
Barack Obama created the HopeFund PAC shortly after becoming a senator in 2005, spending heavily in the 2006 midterm elections. This year, that PAC is doing little fundraising or spending.
Smith said it's no surprise that not much money from Palin's, Pawlenty's or Romney's PACs is going to actual candidates.
"This is for getting these prospective presidential contenders around the country to get face time with the Republican electorate in those key battleground states," Smith said.
In the case of three potential 2012 GOP presidential candidates -- former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney -- the answer is . . . not very wide.
Sarah Palin's political action committee so far has contributed only small sums to Republicans running for office this fall, and the PACS of Romney and Pawlenty have given even less.
Candidate contributions represented just 5.8 percent of Palin's PAC spending through June, records show. Roughly 4.4 percent of Romney's PAC money went to candidates, while Pawlenty spent 4.7 percent of his money on GOP office seekers.
The three Republicans' candidate contributions will undoubtedly grow as November nears, but the vast majority of their PAC money is likely to go to their own campaigns for travel, consulting and fundraising expenses."They're not interested in necessarily winning the House and Senate back for Republicans. That's not their No.1 objective," said Daniel Smith, a University of Florida professor who directs the political campaigning program there. "They're selectively placing their bets, using their PAC dollars on Republican candidates who can elevate their national profile and also procure free media in key battleground states in the run-up before the 2012 Republican primary."
We've looked at Palin's record on PAC money plenty. Below, a closer look at how it compares to Romney's and Pawlenty's.
Keep in mind that at this point, Palin's PAC reporting goes through the end of June, Romney's through the end of May and Pawlenty's through the end of March.
Money raised, the big picture: Since 2008, Romney's Free and Strong America PAC raised more than $6.2 million, with about $3.7 million for the 17 months so far this election cycle. Sarah PAC has raised almost $3.4 million over 18 months. Pawlenty's Freedom First PAC raised almost $1.9 million in just six months. If you look at that fundraising per month, Pawlenty comes out the winner.
Money raised, the micro picture: The average size of Palin's individual donations is $337, compared with $989 for Romney and $1,975 for Pawlenty. But Palin's unique donors total 1,740, compared with 771 for Pawlenty and 354 for Romney. All three allow donors to set up monthly payments, but an analysis of the numbers indicates Palin has been more successful in that regard.
Money raised, the big donors: Financial services employees ponied up significant sums to Romney and Pawlenty. Goldman Sachs employees gave more than $74,000 to Romney's PAC, while Morgan Stanley employees donated to $37,500 to Pawlenty's Freedom First PAC. But many of Sarah PAC's donors don't list their employers (one cites "NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS" in that field, another "my husband"), despite FEC rules requiring such disclosure. All three candidates have plenty of "information requested" when it comes to employment and occupation details.
The influence factor: Palin chipped in $10,000 to two Iowa races in June, but Romney found a way to ante up $42,000 for South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley by donating through both his federal and several state-based PACs. Pawlenty's PAC gave $10,000 to the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee and to 14 individual candidate campaigns through the end of March. Give the edge to Romney here.
Proportion to candidates vs. other spending: Romney's cash to candidates totals the most thus far at $215,084, followed by Palin with $137,500 and Pawlenty (he's just getting started, remember) with $43,600. But candidate contributions are actually a fraction of the spending thus far -- 4.4 percent of total spending for Romney, 4.7 percent for Pawlenty and 5.8 percent for Palin.
Romney is also creating state-level PACs in key states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. Both Romney and Pawlenty are paying staff, and all three potential candidates have some high-priced Beltway consultants on board.
Last month, an analysis by The Washington Post and the Center for Responsive Politics found that leadership PACs spent less than 40 percent to help candidates.
Presidential aspirants and even presidents have for years had PACs that they use as much for their own promotional purposes as for promoting other candidates, said Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics.
President Ronald Reagan "had one. He kept it going for a long time, in fact, after he left office," she said. "This is kind of a standard, time-honored tradition."
Barack Obama created the HopeFund PAC shortly after becoming a senator in 2005, spending heavily in the 2006 midterm elections. This year, that PAC is doing little fundraising or spending.
Smith said it's no surprise that not much money from Palin's, Pawlenty's or Romney's PACs is going to actual candidates.
"This is for getting these prospective presidential contenders around the country to get face time with the Republican electorate in those key battleground states," Smith said.