Who Got Money from the Corporate PACs?
Monday, November 29, 2010
Corporate PACs and other similar groups in Rhode Island spent at least $627,150 in the 2010 elections, according to a GoLocalProv review of their filings with the Federal Election Commission this year to date.
There are only ten such groups registered in the Ocean State, but federal election records show that they invested substantial sums of money in the election—spreading their wealth around the country to candidates in California, Colorado, Michigan, Kansas, and Florida, among other states. (The FEC records review included all political committees, except for candidate campaign committees. See below table for more information.)
The corporate PAC that spent the most was Textron, which contributed $349,500 to nearly 90 Congressional candidates—three in Rhode Island and 86 around the country.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe PACs and other political committees tended to play both sides of the field—with most of them each donating to candidates from both parties.
In some cases, a group even contributed to two candidates who were running against each other. For example, the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union 51 gave $250 to David Cicilline on April 23, then turned around on May 4 and contributed $250 to his opponent in the Democratic primary, Bill Lynch. Likewise, Textron donated $2,000 to David Cicilline and $2,000 to John Loughlin on the same day—Sept. 22, according to FEC records. (Click here and here to see the individual records for Loughlin and Cicilline.)
Other findings from the FEC records
• Patrick Kennedy sat out the election. The fundraising group affiliated with Patrick Kennedy, Rhode Island PAC, mostly sat out the election—chipping in just $2,000 on Jan. 11 to Martha Coakley, who ran unsuccessfully to fill the Massachusetts Senate seat held by his father, Ted Kennedy.
• David Cicilline draws broad support. Of the two Congressional candidates from Rhode Island, David Cicilline received contributions from five PACs and other committees. Langevin had the support of four, leaving U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed with two each.
• Jack Reed’s PAC was second-biggest spender. In addition to committees that raise money for their campaigns, Rhode Island’s incumbent House and Senate members have separate committees that raise money for other candidates. Reed’s PAC, Narragansett Bay, expended $115,500 in 2010. Much of that went to 19 Congressional candidates. In Rhode Island, Reed didn’t pick favorites, instead giving $5,000 to the Rhode Island Democratic State Committee.
• Langevin’s PAC spends 33k. Ocean State PAC, which is affiliated with Langevin, spent far less than Reed’s PAC—just $33,250. Like Reed, his Rhode Island money went to the state Democratic committee.
• GTECH gives to Cicilline. The PAC for the GTECH Corporation gave most of its money--$5,000 out of $8,500 it spent in 2010—to David Cicilline. FEC records lists GETCH employee Michael Mello as the treasurer for the PAC. Mello is also a former chief of staff for Cicilline in his mayoral administration. The rest of the money was split between Langevin, who got $2,500, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which got $1,000.
