The fundraising emails from AmeriPAC stream in with subject lines designed to give a conservative a heart attack: "Obama Plays 'Russian Roulette' With Supreme Court" ... "Illegals March Terrorizing American Cities" ... "Stop Reid's Extreme Left-Wing Agenda."
In lurid prose sprinkled with bold and underlined capital letters, the emails highlight the outrage du jour and ask like-minded people to help fund the fight against President Obama's agenda: "We need you to donate regularly every week or month with the same commitment to candidates that are listening and help AmeriPAC give the maximum support we can to every candidate that will pledge to take back America," a typical pitch goes.
But despite promises to spend donor money on conservative candidates, a review of AmeriPAC's campaign finance reports by TPMmuckraker shows the outfit has used just $1,300 on campaign-related spending out of nearly $1.3 million raised in the 2010 election cycle. Meanwhile, about 85 percent of the money -- which was raised in $20, $50, and $100 dollar increments from individuals around the U.S. -- has gone back into fundraising expenses, with nearly $1 million going to a single Pennsylvania-based email marketing firm with a history of controversy.
AmeriPAC is the latest in a pattern TPMmuckraker has documented of right-leaning political organizations that plow almost all of the money they raise from small donors into their own self-perpetuation rather than supporting GOP candidates or causes, as they promise contributors.
*Personal note*
I don't like this sort of thing. This is example of a Republican fund raising organization, but there are Democratic ones too.
