Frequently Asked Questions About ABC PAC
What is ABC PAC?
Where Does My Donation for a Candidate Go?
How Much of My Contribution to a Candidate
Goes to the PAC?
Where Does My Donation to the PAC Go?
Who are the People Responsible for the PAC?
Who Chooses Which Candidates Appear On the
PAC Site?
Where Can I View the PAC's Financial Disclosure
Reports?
How can I Contact ABC PAC?
What is ABC PAC?
ABC PAC is a one-stop resource to contribute to Republican candidates
for federal office. ABC PAC is the answer for those in the conservative community
online who have been clamoring for a Republican counter to the Democrats
who have, so far, out raised Republicans on the Internet.
ABC PAC is an independent, federally registered political action committee
(PAC) whose primary mission is to act as a "conduit" to raise money over
the internet to help Republican candidates for federal office.
Independent political committees have the ability to act as conduits for
candidate fundraising. They raise funds specifically for individual candidates,
and pass those contributions through to the individual candidate. Under the
Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), these contributions are reported by
both the political committee and the recipient candidate's committee.
Where Does My Donation for a Candidate Go?
Every contribution a donor designates through our website for a particular
candidate is passed directly to the recipient candidate (with the candidate
paying a small percent to cover the credit card processing fee). Operating
expenses (bank processing and accounting fees) are withdrawn from the contributions
you make to candidates. While the amount varies depending on the credit card
used, those fees usually total about five percent of the total you chose
to give.
In most cases, credit card contribution systems employed by candidates
charge between eight and fifteen percent, so your contribution through ABC
PAC usually results in more money actually getting to the candidate.
How Much of My Contribution to a Candidate Goes to the PAC?
None. If you designate a contribution for a candidate, the only money
deducted from that amount is the credit card processing fee. The PAC is supported
only by contributions made to the PAC directly. As you complete the process
of contributing, you will see an option to support the PAC (and we really
hope you will). Only if you choose to designate an additional amount for
the PAC does the PAC keep any of your contribution.
Where Does My Donation to the PAC Go?
Any funds donated to the PAC are used to pay for maintenance and expansion
of the site and to cover our legal and accounting fees. Our ability to cover
these costs, and keep the site running as a resource for the GOP, is dependent
upon any additional contributions you choose to make at the time you complete
the checkout process. At this time, the staff operating the PAC do so on
a volunteer basis and do not take any compensation.
Who are the People Responsible for the PAC?
ABC PAC was created by Frank Donatelli, Craig Shirley, Michael Turk, Chuck
DeFeo, and Jason Torchinsky. They currently serve as the governing board
for the PAC.
Who Chooses Which Candidates Appear On the PAC Site?
The initial slate of candidates, those visible at www.abcpac.com, was
chosen by the PAC Directors based on the National Journal and Cook Political
Report list of the most competitive races. The candidates included in the
Rightroots slate were chosen by the bloggers that formed the coalition.
Due to time constraints, and our desire to help in the 2006 cycle, we
were forced to limit the functionality we could provide and the number of
candidates we could feature. We recognize there were a lot of good candidates
running that could benefit from our site, but had to make a decision between
helping where we could in 2006 or holding off until 2008.
For the 2008 cycle, the site will list every Republican candidate for
federal office and allow anyone who is interested to create and promote their
own slate of candidates.
Where Can I View the PAC's Financial Disclosure Reports?
ABC PAC's Federal Election Commission reports can be found here:
How can I Contact ABC PAC?
For questions about the PAC, including media inquiries, please contact