Great America PAC
Type: Hybrid PAC |
Great America PAC (GAP) is a pro-Donald Trump (R) hybrid PAC led by Ed Rollins. The group has described itself as being "committed to bringing people together and uniting them behind President Donald Trump and the movement he represents."[1]
As of January 2020, Great America PAC reported spending $3.8 million to support Trump in the 2020 presidential election. The organization also spent $31,000 against two Democratic presidential candidates: former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
In the 2016 presidential election, Great America PAC spent more than $26 million to back Trump's candidacy. The committee said on its website that it had broadcast more than 20,000 television spots and 300,000 radio ads, distributed 2.5 million mailers, placed 30 million phone calls, and established field offices in battleground states.[1]
This page contains the following information about the organization:
- Great America PAC's mission statement;
- Great America PAC's background;
- Great America PAC's activity in the 2020 presidential election;
- Activity in the 2016 presidential election;
- Activity in other elections;
- Leadership
- Financial information; and
- Legal status.
Mission
According to Great America PAC's website, the organization's mission is as follows:[2]
| “ |
We have been and continue to be President Donald Trump’s strongest and most active independent ally, and we’re determined to see the America First Agenda succeed. We strive to advance President Trump’s agenda day in and day out: repealing and replacing Obamacare, filling Supreme Court vacancies with rock-solid conservatives, protecting the 2nd Amendment, securing our borders, repealing the Iran Deal, and restoring the American economy are just some of the issues we must advocate Congress to act on.[3] |
” |
Background
Great America PAC was founded in February 2016 by diamond retailer Bill Doddridge and former Tea Party Express chairwoman Amy Kremer as a hybrid PAC under the name TrumPAC.[4] The organization changed its name to comply with FEC regulations prohibiting the unauthorized use of a candidate's name.[5][6]
Attorney Dan Backer, Republican operative Jesse Benton, and Republican strategist Eric Beach signed on to support the group in 2016.[4][7]
2020 presidential election
- See also: Presidential election, 2020
Ads opposing Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren
| "Lie" - Great America PAC ad, January 31, 2020 |
In January 2020, Great America PAC launched a $250,000 ad campaign against Democratic candidates and Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. The anti-Sanders ad criticizes his economic policies, while the Warren ad focuses on her previous claims of Native American heritage.[8]
The ads were released nationally on cable and digitally in Iowa and Presidential election in New Hampshire, 2020.[8]
Great America Voter Drive
The Great America PAC and Committee to Defend the President joined forces to launch the "Great America Voter Drive" in June 2019. They spent $1 million on the campaign, with an initial focus on national and local ads in four battleground states: Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Five more states were expected to be the focus of the second wave: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, and New Hampshire.[9]
Ads opposing Joe Biden
| "Creepy Joe" - Great America PAC ad, April 2, 2019 |
Great Ameria PAC released a negative ad against Joe Biden (D) that featured clips of Biden touching women and children during public events in April 2019. The ad buy was for six figures, The Hill reported.[10]
Rollins said GAP decided to model the ad after a 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign ad opposing Trump. "Sadly, Democrats are now being incredibly hypocritical by ignoring or dismissing these episodes, which they never do against our side. So, using the format of Clinton’s 2016 ad is the perfect way to detail this disturbing behavior by Biden as well as the Democrats’ blatant hypocrisy," he said.[10]
GAP also created a corresponding website—Stop Joe Biden—to collect contact information from potential voters and supporters.
Other political activity
2018
U.S. Senate endorsements
In October 2017, Great America PAC announced that it would support West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R), Montana Auditor Matt Rosendale (R), and U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) in their campaigns for U.S. Senate in 2018. According to The Hill, Great America PAC and former White House strategist Steve Bannon were asking candidates they endorsed to oppose Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as majority leader and to back the trade and immigration policies of President Trump.[11]
Great America PAC also endorsed Kevin Nicholson (R) in the Wisconsin and Kelli Ward (R) in Arizona, according to McClatchy DC.[12]
2017
Georgia special election, June 2017
In the final days leading up to the special election in Georgia's 6th Congressional District, Great America PAC's affiliated nonprofit, Great America Alliance, ran ads encouraging black voter turnout for Republican Karen Handel.[13] The ad used audio from Barack Obama reading his 1995 memoir, Dreams From My Father, where Obama quoted a black barber speaking about politics. The super PAC’s ad did not explain where the clip came from. A spokesperson for the group said, “The clip of President Obama was absolutely in context on this issue and helps make our point in the ad, which is why we used it.”[14]
Anti-James Comey ads
In June 2017, Great America PAC's affiliated nonprofit, Great America Alliance, ran ads on CNN and Fox News opposing former FBI Director James Comey during Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee. The ad, called “Showboat,” accused Comey of “putting politics over protecting America.”[15]
2016
Republican Party unity ads, April 2016
In February 2016, Great America PAC announced that it planned to launch television and radio ads promoting Trump.[16]The ads, which aired in April 2016, were part of a $1 million ad buy focused on securing more delegates for Trump in New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Maryland and Delaware, according to Politico.[17] The ad featured a voiceover by Trump discussing the unification of the Republican Party.[18]
Ads focused on national security, June 2016
On June 20, 2016, Great America PAC spent $700,000 on an ad entitled "The Enemy." The ad focused on the June 2016 mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, stating, "The Orlando tragedy is a stark reminder that the enemy and the battlefield is moving here to our shores. Join millions of active duty military members and veterans like me who stand with Donald Trump.”[19]
Battleground states bus tour, September 2016
On September 15, 2016, the Associated Press reported that GAP was launching a bus tour in battleground states focused on opening support offices and registering voters. Actor Jon Voight, along with conservative radio talk show hosts, joined the tour in support of Trump.[20]
Campaign to block Wisconsin recount
On December 2, 2016, The Hill reported that Great America PAC and Stop Hillary PAC had filed to block the proposed 2016 presidential election recount in Wisconsin, which had been initiated by the Green Party candidate Jill Stein. Both groups argued that the recount "violate[d] the due process rights of Donald Trump voters in the state."[21] Trump's lawyers also filed to block the recount, as well as Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette.[21]
Leadership
As of July 2019, the following individuals were associated with Great America PAC:
| Great America PAC leadership | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | Prior experience | Twitter handle |
| Ed Rollins | Chairman | National campaign director, Reagan 1984 presidential campaign | N/A |
| Dan Backer | Treasurer | Founder, political.law | @danbackeresq |
Financial information
The following chart and list of federal candidates supported and opposed was collected by the Center for Public Integrity.[22]
Federal candidates supported
- Marsha Blackburn (R)
- Mike Braun (R)
- Eddie Edwards (R)
- Karen Handel (R)
- Karin Housley (R)
- Jim Jordan (R)
- Mike Kennedy (R)
- Debbie Lesko (R)
- Martha McSally (R)
- Roy Moore (R)
- Patrick Morrisey (R)
- Kevin Nicholson (R)
- Jim Renacci (R)
- Dana Rohrabacher (R)
- Matt Rosendale (R)
- Donald Trump (R)
- Kelli Ward (R)
- Lee Zeldin (R)
Federal candidates opposed
- Joe Biden (D)
- Perry Gershon (D)
- Heidi Heitkamp (D)
- Jon Tester (D)
- Elizabeth Warren (D)
- Maxine Waters (D)
Legal status
Great America PAC is a hybrid PAC, or Carey committee, a type of political committee that maintains two separate bank accounts, one for candidate contributions and one—called a "non-contribution account"—for independent expenditures. As of June 2017, the FEC's website noted, "The first account is subject to all of the limits and prohibitions of the Act, but the non-contribution account may accept unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, labor organizations and other political committees."[23]
Noteworthy events
Alleged Trump campaign cease-and-desist order
According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump's former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, stated in March 2016 that Trump's campaign had "disavowed this [Great America PAC] and all PACs," further adding that the campaign had sent a cease-and-desist order to Great America PAC.[18] According to Great America PAC strategist Jesse Benton, the PAC never received any such communication from Trump's campaign or lawyers.[18]
Jesse Benton foreign donation solicitation claim, October 2016
In October 2016, British newspaper The Telegraph accused Benton—who had previously worked with Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Ron Paul (R-Texas), and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)—of soliciting foreign donations for Great America PAC. The paper's journalists claimed that they posed as associates of a Chinese benefactor. According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, "The journalists captured Benton in emails and on video in a New York hotel suggesting that he could funnel $2 million toward a pro-Trump PAC through his own public affairs company to hide its origin, according to the report."[24] As of June 2017, Benton was no longer employed by Great America PAC.[25]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Great America PAC'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Donald Trump
- Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2020
- Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016
- Hybrid PAC
- Republican presidential election super PACs, 2016
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Great America PAC, "About," accessed July 1, 2019
- ↑ Great America PAC, "The Agenda," accessed July 1, 2019
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Center for Public Integrity, "Pro-Trump Super PAC Wants Your Money," April 13, 2016
- ↑ FEC, "Statement of Organization, Great America PAC," accessed March 11, 2016
- ↑ FEC, "Statement of Organization, TrumPAC," accessed March 11, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Pro-Trump super PAC ramps up, hires top political operative," March 1, 2016
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Hill, "Great America PAC to run ads hitting Sanders, Warren," January 30, 2020
- ↑ The Hill, "Exclusive: Top Trump super PACs join forces on voter mobilization effort," June 4, 2019
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Hill, "Pro-Trump group to release 'Creepy Joe' Biden ad," April 2, 2019
- ↑ The Hill, "Bannon-tied group kicks off brutal GOP primary season," October 11, 2017
- ↑ McClatchy DC, "Pro-Trump group endorses in key Senate primaries," October 16, 2017
- ↑ The Washington Post, "A Trump PAC fakes appeal from Obama to lure blacks to vote Republican in crucial Ga. race," June 20, 2017
- ↑ PolitiFact, "Anti-Ossoff ad in Georgia House race distorts lines from Obama's book," June 19, 2017
- ↑ Mother Jones, "This Pro-Trump Group Is Airing Ads Attacking James Comey While He Testifies," June 8, 2017
- ↑ GAP, "Media," accessed March 11, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Pro-Trump super PAC launches nearly $1 million TV buy," March 18, 2016
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 The Wall Street Journal, "Super PAC Airs ‘Unifier’ Ad to Support Donald Trump," March 22, 2016
- ↑ Gant News, "First on CNN: Pro-Trump super PAC cites Orlando attack," June 20, 2016
- ↑ AP, "Super PAC tries to plug holes in Trump's ground campaign," September 15, 2016
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 The Hill, "Trump super PACs file federal lawsuit to block WI recount," December 2, 2016
- ↑ Center for Public Integrity, "Great America PAC," accessed March 6, 2020
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate Terminology," accessed January 8, 2016
- ↑ Louisville Courier-Journal, "Convicted Paul family operative in trouble again," December 23, 2016
- ↑ Center for Responsive Politics, "Seven years later: Blurred boundaries, more money," January 19, 2017
| |||||||
