Super PACs, a new breed of political group unrestrained by spending or contribution limits, are becoming big players in the 2012 campaigns. Each of the major Republican presidential candidates has at least one of these groups on his or her side, and the super PACs are expected to attract hundreds of millions of dollars by the time the White House race is over.
The next disclosure deadline for super PACs is Jan. 31, when FEC reports covering the last six months of 2011 are due.
Under the old primary schedule, that didn’t matter much because the Iowa caucuses — the first Republican nominating contest — were going to be held in early February. That meant that any super PAC would be required to disclose its 2011 donors by the time the first 2012 ballots were cast.
But the schedule has changed dramatically. The Florida Republican Party is moving its primary to the end of January, prompting a scramble by other early-voting states — New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada and Iowa — to move up their dates even more. The Iowa caucuses are now expected to be held on Jan. 2 or 3.
The Influence Industry: Revised primary schedule could shield super PAC donors
