It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s … SUPER PAC!

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


A new Super PAC, Alaskans Standing Together, has launched to support Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s write-in bid to hold her seat. The Sunlight Foundation reports that records from the Federal Election Commission show this to be the first Super PAC receiving money exclusively from corporations. Super PACs are a new development in electoral politics, facilitated by the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizen’s United, which allowed groups that make independent campaign expenditures to raise unlimited amounts of money from corporations or individuals.

Sunlight found that the PAC has received $805,000 in contributions from nine federal contractors. So far, they have spent $595,000 in support of Murkowski. Sunlight’s Ryan Sibly writes, “Alaskans Standing Together filed with the FEC on Sept. 23, 2010, and raised its money in a five day period starting on Sept. 25.”

The nine contractors, all Alaska Native corporations, have received hundreds of millions in federal contracts in just the past year. The PAC’s ads have all criticized Joe Miller, the tea party candidate that beat Murkowski in the Republican primary. Here’s their latest ad:

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate