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Conservative, Authentic, Responsive Leadership for you and for America
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| Carly for America | |
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| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Alexandria, Va. |
| Type: | Super PAC |
| Affiliation: | Republican |
| Year founded: | 2015 |
| Website: | Official website |
C.A.R.L.Y. for America was a super PAC founded in February 2015 to support Carly Fiorina's 2016 presidential campaign. Stephen DeMaura—president of Americans for Job Security—was the executive director of the super PAC.[1][2][3] On February 10, 2016, Fiorina announced that she was suspending her campaign. The organization continued to operate with the mission of helping to elect political outsiders in the general election.
The organization filed for termination with the Federal Election Commission on March 6, 2017.[4]
Background
Founded in February 2015, Carly for America was established as a pro-Carly Fiorina super PAC.[5] Stephen DeMaura was the organization's the executive director and Katie Hughes was the communications director.[6][7]
Work
Fiorina campaign launch ads
Conservative, Authentic, Responsive Leadership for you and for America (C.A.R.L.Y. for America) began as a super PAC supporting Carly Fiorina's presidential campaign. The group launched in February 2015 with an ad featuring Fiorina speaking to crowds about her political values. In the ad, Fiorina says, "I am a conservative because I still know that our principles work better to unlock potential in others."[1]
New Hampshire ads, December 2015
In December 2015, the group launched a $1 million television and radio ad campaign in New Hampshire. According to The Hill, the ads noted "how many years eight of the GOP presidential hopefuls have served in government as background audio by conservative pundits bemoan the ineffectiveness of Republican politicians." The ads then touted Fiorina as an outsider candidate.[8]
Campaign suspension and super PAC relaunch
On February 10, 2016, Fiorina announced that she was suspending her campaign.[9]
In late March 2016, Fiorina announced that she had "relaunched Carly for America with a new mission: using our resources and our experience to help conservative outsiders win in November, restoring citizen government at every level."[10] Fiorina went on to say that "a lack of funding and name recognition, a hostile mainstream media, and a Republican establishment actively working to shut them out and shut them up," has made it difficult for some candidates to have an opportunity to run for office.[10]
Finances
| Super PACs |
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| Read more about super PACs and the super PACs covered on Ballotpedia. |
2016
According to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission, C.A.R.L.Y. for America reported $1,270,695 in total receipts and $5,991,262 in total disbursements during calendar year 2016.[11]
2015
According to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission, C.A.R.L.Y. for America reported $13,068,795 in total receipts and $8,297,291 in total disbursements during calendar year 2015.[12]
Noteworthy events
Name change
In June 2015, per FEC guidelines, Carly for America was renamed Conservative, Authentic, Responsive Leadership for you and for America, using the letters from Carly as an acronym. The guidelines stipulate that a declared candidate's name cannot be in the title of a super PAC.[13][7]
Criticism
The group received some criticism for its perceived close relationship with Carly Fiorina and her presidential campaign. The Chicago Tribune noted that the super PAC, in September 2015, had provided campaign material for a Rotary Club engagement in Davenport, Iowa. The event was a campaign appearance for Fiorina, but the super PAC helped to set up the event and handed out promotional material at other campaign stops in Iowa.[14] The Tribune stated that these activities, while within FEC guidelines, blurred the line of coordination between an independent expenditure-only group and the candidate's campaign. Such activities have been scrutinized by watchdog groups, who consider it an "in-kind contribution in labor and materials."[14]
National Journal noted that C.A.R.L.Y. for America directed several aspects of Fiorina's campaign that would have previously fallen to the campaign itself, such as event coordination and setup. Sarah Isgur Flores, the deputy campaign manager for Fiorina's campaign, stated that the super PAC does more "merchandising at events" than the campaign does but that the she did not consider the super PAC’s preparatory work to be coordination with the campaign itself.[15]
Legal status
C.A.R.L.Y. for America was a super PAC. A super PAC is a political committee that can solicit and spend unlimited sums of money. A super PAC cannot contribute directly to a politician or political party, but it can spend independently to campaign for or against political figures. These committees are also called independent expenditure-only committees. A super PAC is not legally considered a political action committee (PAC) and as such is regulated under separate rules.[16][17]
Media
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Carly for America. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Carly Fiorina
- Stephen DeMaura
- Carly Fiorina presidential campaign, 2016
- Republican presidential election super PACs, 2016
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Politico, "Carly For America' super PAC launches with ad," February 25, 2015
- ↑ Carly for America, "Fiorina Supporters Launch Carly for America Superpac," February 24, 2015
- ↑ New York Times, "Hidden Under Tax-Exempt Cloak, Political Dollars Flow," September 23, 2010
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "C.A.R.L.Y. for America Termination Report," March 6, 2017
- ↑ FEC, "Initial Statement of Organization, Conservative, Authentic, Responsive Leadership for you and for America," accessed January 26, 2016
- ↑ The Hill, "Carly Fiorina-aligned PAC changes name," June 17, 2015
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 The Washington Post, "Carly for America has to change its name to CARLY for America, because the FEC is LOL," June 17, 2015
- ↑ The Hill, "Fiorina super-PAC launches $1 million ad buy targeting NH voters," December 4, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Fiorina ends her Republican presidential campaign," February 10, 2016
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Politico, "Fiorina super PAC has a new mission," March 24, 2016
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "C.A.R.L.Y. for America Year-End Report (2016)," January 27, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "C.A.R.L.Y. for America Year-End Report (2015)," May 5, 2016
- ↑ FEC, "Statement of Organization, Conservative, Authentic, Responsive Leadership for you and for America," accessed January 26, 2016
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Chicago Tribune, "Fiorina enjoys fruits of super-PAC labors," September 28, 2015
- ↑ National Journal, "When a Super PAC Acts Like a Campaign," September 10, 2015
- ↑ The Atlantic, "The New York Times' Disingenuous Campaign Against Citizens United," February 24, 2012
- ↑ The New York Times, "Who's Financing the 'Super PACs?" May 7, 2012
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