To congressional campaign workers, the groups that can raise and spend unlimited donations can seem like unpredictable wedding guests: You don’t know when they’ll show up, what they’ll bring or whether their presence will prove a welcome distraction or a disaster.
A new report by Daniel P. Tokaji and Renata E. B. Strause of the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University was released this morning.
The report, “The New Soft Money,” is based on interviews with former lawmakers, campaign staff and operatives who have worked on independent spending efforts. It was funded by the Open Society Foundations, founded by the financier George Soros, a major supporter of liberal causes, super PACs and candidates.
It surveys the state of campaign finance and finds that the relationship between candidates and like-minded independent groups is characterized by subtle cooperation, not outright coordination. For campaigns targeted by super PACs and other outside groups, those outside spending groups that have reshaped the past two elections, the feeling is often one of helplessness. “It was like a giant poker game and I wasn’t even sitting at the table,” said a Senate campaign manager quoted in the report.
CLICK HERE to read the report.
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Michael H. Drucker
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