Few things differentiate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) from his presidential rivals more than his aversion to super PACs — or so he’d like you to think.
The Vermont independent can barely get through a speech or a campaign email without denouncing his opponents for relying upon unlimited contributions to the quasi-independent fundraising entities.
“I don’t have a super PAC,” he wrote supporters last week. “I don’t go to fundraisers where millionaires sit around the room and say, here’s $5 million for your super PAC. That’s not my life.”
No kidding! Hard to imagine too many rich capitalists jonesing to donate to this wealth-redistributing democratic socialist.
But Sanders hasn’t always ruled out super PAC support. And, like many of his foes, he’s likely to get a little help from a super PAC run by a friend and former campaign aide.
When Sanders last ran for reelection, in 2012, then-Seven Days political columnist Andy Bromage asked if he’d “ever accept help from a super PAC.”
“I certainly would prefer not to,” Sanders responded, calling it “a hypothetical question.”
“But we can chat about it if, six months from now, many, many millions of dollars are coming in attacking me,” he said in the February 2012 interview.
“If it was a last resort?” Bromage pressed.
“That’s something we would look at,” Sanders said, adding that he hoped he wouldn’t have to.
Ah. So the senator opposes super PACs unless they’re necessary to win?
Indeed. Just a week before the interview, President Barack Obama‘s aides announced that he would accept support from a major Democratic super PAC, Priorities USA Action, in his 2012 reelection race. Sanders defended the president’s choice at the time.
“Should you be principled and allow your opponent to spend huge sums of money and you say, ‘Well, I’m a principled guy and we’re going to get outspent 5-to-1, and I’m going to lose the election?'” the senator asked.
Sure sounds like the approach Sanders 2016 is taking!
Though the Vermonter has raised more for his traditional campaign apparatus ($13.7 million) than any candidate other than Hillary Clinton ($47.5 million) or Ted Cruz ($14 million), he’s far behind the pack when you factor in super PAC support: Jeb Bush ($114.4 million), Clinton ($63.1 million) and Cruz ($52.3 million).
But Sanders isn’t being entirely straight when he says he doesn’t have a super PAC. By law, such entities can’t directly coordinate with the candidates they back, so many are run by close confidantes and former aides well acquainted with the candidates’ strategy and message.
Such is the case with Collective Actions PAC, which is operated by Rep. Chris Pearson (P-Burlington), who previously served as Sanders’ campaign coordinator and press assistant. Founded in January 2014 as Draft Bernie, the PAC maintains the Run Bernie Run Facebook and Twitter accounts and, according to its website, plans to invest in online advertising.
Pearson says his Super PAC will fund grassroots projects to spread Sanders’ message, but he admits it will also serve a more traditional role: skirting fundraising limits by taking contributions from those who’ve already donated the maximum $2,700 to Sanders’ official campaign.
“We’re trying to raise big checks, yes,” Pearson says. “We’ll see how successful I will be.”
Collective Actions doesn’t have to file a report with the Federal Election Commission until the end of July, and Pearson won’t reveal how much he’s raised. But in a letter he sent the FEC last month, he wrote that the PAC “has a number of large donors who are interested” in contributing.
“They hope to reach millions of voters and believe being active online is the way to achieve our goal,” he wrote.
Isn’t it hypocritical for a Progressive pol who talks a big game about campaign finance reform to exploit the very rules he opposes in support of an anti-super PAC candidate? Pearson admits it’s “strange,” but he defends Collective Actions as different from, say, Bush’s Right to Rise super PAC, because Sanders doesn’t appear at Collective Actions fundraisers.
“But yeah, if your concern is that it’s a way for people to spend big money on campaigns, sure, that’s what a PAC is,” he says. “And do I find it a bad law? I do. But it is the law of the land.”
Just how independent Collective Actions is from the Sanders campaign isn’t entirely clear. Spokesman Michael Briggs ignored repeated questions about the matter. Pearson says he’s briefed campaign field director Phil Fiermonte, a close friend.
“I said, ‘Well, I think I’m going to keep the PAC going because I think there’s some real opportunities here,'” Pearson recalls. “We both sort of chuckled [at] how absurd it all is, and that was it. I know that they’re aware of all of it.”
Surely, though, Sanders would prefer Pearson to ditch his super PAC now that the candidate has decided he doesn’t want one, right?
Not necessarily. When Seven Days asked about it in March 2014, the campaign defended Pearson’s move.
“Until we overturn Citizens United, the suggestion that opponents of right-wing Republicans should unilaterally disarm and not use the tools available to them is absurd,” Fiermonte said in a written statement. “To suggest that there is any comparison between a small, grassroots organization in Vermont and the multi-billion-dollar political machine bankrolled by the Koch brothers is preposterous.”
It’s “absurd” to renounce super PACs? Tell that to Sanders 2016.
This story originally appeared in the Fair Game column, Conflicting Stories, July 22, 2015
This article appears in Jul 22-28, 2015.
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Nothing to see here folks, move along. Duh- Bernie can be an idealist AND pragmatic at the same time. His stance on Super PACs is dead-on: they pervert the system. At least the article described him as a DEMOCRATIC socialist. Most stories leave the DEMOCRATIC part out. Go Bernie!!!- John Youngblood, Cadet MO
Those who have no campaign go around digging for mud to sling at those who do. You must have dug pretty deep fo find (create) this mud. Let’s twist and bend the truth all out of proportion, shall we?
My goodness….. You’re right John Youngblood, nothing to see here…….did faux news pay this guy?
Admittedly I do not fully understand campaign finance but, I see a huge difference between a grassroots PAC and a huge corporate SUPER PAC. The biggest difference being expectations. of the donators and willingness to compromise on an issue by the recipients. I don’t see Bernie changing his mind on any of his positions regardless of whether someone contributed to his campaign or not. Bernie is going to do what he says no matter what. . Perhaps it’s the difference between PACs and Super PACs but Bernie will not be there ASKING for anyone to donate.or promising anyone anything except what he is already saying.
It’s pretty hard to find something wrong with Bernie isn’t it? The writer is really scraping the bottom of the barrel here.
Give me a break….sounds like a hater in sheep’s clothing.
What Republican Super Pac is paying you for this “news” advert?
The difference of corse is that he saturated his champagne without a PAC. and has a chance to win provided he can keep up with the whores of babylon at fund raising. Being pure is not the objective here.
Paul Heintz..you have really gone to far..you have drank the gotcha koolaide and you have become quite unappealing and embarrassing..go back to school or take another canoe ride and sort out your nasty ways,,
The Bernie revenge army is out in force to beat down anyone who dares to expose anything even remotely unflattering about Chairman Mao, anyone who even asks a question they don’t like.
Bernie’s ambiguous position on Super PACs, like his ambiguous positions on guns, IS news, people, whether you like it or not. Keep up the good work, Mr. Heintz.
Bernie sucks buckets and is a liar about EVERYTHING. Illegitimate child, at Cuvil Rights march to enlist members for communist party, just everything, taking BIG MONEY, supports NRA, Israel.
Bernie has absolutely nothing to do with this super PAC and continues to denounce them, and one is started up completely independently so you call foul on Bernie? Seriously, how about the entire Republican field basically flaunting their association with their super PACs and working with them, but they shoot down investigations before they begin. Give me a fucking break
Sanders is a white man’s liberal with a one-issue message that doesn’t reverberate well with anyone outside his white man fold. Yes, he takes money from Super Pacs and big spenders. He’s a liar when he says he doesn’t. His rape fantasies are disgusting and disturbing to say the least. Makes me ill… His stance on gun control issues puts him right in the pocket of the NRA who endorsed his campaign run in Vermont. These things turn me off him as presidential material completely. He doesn’t have what it takes!.
Bernie is what America needs!
*BERNIE FOR PRESIDENT!*
so a guy is raising money for Bernie’s campaign. Tell me when he gets 100 mil like Jeb or gets a billion dollar pledge from the Koch Bros. – as the GOP has gotten. Until then, comparing Bernie to Jeb or Hillary should be based on their positions on the issues — unless of course you’re being paid to create negative posts about Bernie. Say hi to Karl Rove next time he’s in the office.
Money spent does not necessarily equals votes. Sanders appeal is his message and his character as shown by his record. He seems to have persistently served the working people of the US who are members of the 99% club. If his message reaches them, any other candidate would be toast…
I TRUST Sanders.
“Sanders appeal is his message and his character as shown by his record.”
Please enlighten us as to his “record.” He’s been in Congress for 24 years. What’s his record? What are his legislative accomplishments? How many bills has he passed?
By record, are you referring to his votes AGAINST gun control?
This is disingenuous at best. Bernie had had money from ONE PAC before and they were a LABOR UNION. You know… the PEOPLE HE REPRESENTS. What he’s against is SUPER PACS of the TOP TIER. Rich individuals and huge, wealthy corporations buying their way into gov’t by funding candidates that will be loyal to THEM and NOT their constituents. As far as I’m concerned if the money is coming from the everyday schmucks… middle class individuals, small businesses, unions, etc…. I’d be more than happy for him to take it. At least the guy’s got INTEGRITY. #FAILANDTRYAGAIN
I never knew seven days was a republican slanted paper , so sorry Pamala , I hope you all enjoy Trump
Bernie is trustworthy. He has an incredible 35 years on record that speaks for itself. YouTube him and actually see for yourself. You will find a careing man. A man that stands up against the bullies, for us!
Small local PACs raising money to fund their own campaign efforts are far different from Citizens United. There are a least 100,000 volunteers who need printed campaign materials to spread Bernie’s message of a political revolution to masses. The article is incomplete in it’s analysis because it completely ignores the fact that cease and desist letters were sent to the PAC in June. A copy of the letters can be found at: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2393712-bernie-sanders-campaign-letters-to-cary-lee.html
#bernstormers