Outside Groups

Super PACs may raise unlimited sums from individuals, corporations and unions and spend unlimited amounts to advocate for or against candidates. Super PACs may not coordinate with candidates and are required disclose their donors to the Federal Elections Commission on a monthly or quarterly basis.

Unshackling PACs from federal contribution limits is a relatively new phenomenon, made possible by two key federal court decisions. In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), the U.S. Supreme Court held that government can control campaign spending only if there is a reasonable expectation that contributions or spending would be corrupting. The court's 5-4 majority found that "independent expenditures" cannot be corrupting because there is no possibility of a "quid pro quo" transaction. A few weeks later, the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (SpeechNew.org v. Federal Election Commission) applied the Citizens United decision to a case that challenged the FEC's rulings that limited donations to PACs that made only independent expenditures. The Court struck down the limits, a decision the FEC did not appeal. This cleared the way for so-called Super PACs made their debut in the 2010 mid-term elections. Read more: Center for Responsive Politics Wikipedia