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Our Principles PAC
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| Our Principles PAC | |
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| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Alexandria, Va. |
| Type: | Super PAC |
| Founder(s): | Katie Packer |
| Year founded: | 2016 |
| Website: | Official website |
Our Principles PAC was an anti-Donald Trump super PAC founded by Katie Packer, a former aide to Mitt Romney's (R) 2012 presidential campaign. During the 2016 presidential election, the super PAC sent mailers and aired television ads in Iowa criticizing Trump's policies.[1] The super PAC also operated OurPinciples.com and TrumpQuestions.com—two sites that criticized Trump's policies.
The group filed for termination on December 30, 2016.[2]
Mission
In September 2016, the last available working version of the group's website, Our Principles described its mission as follows:[3]
| “ |
As Thomas Jefferson said, "In matters of style, swim with the current. In matters of principle, stand like a rock." With our nation's progress stalled by politicians who refuse to lead, Americans are rightly frustrated. Our Principles PAC was formed to educate and engage American voters about the men and women who seek our vote, and about the challenging issues they will confront should they get elected.[4] |
” |
Background
| Super PACs |
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| Read more about super PACs and the super PACs covered on Ballotpedia. |
Established on January 14, 2016, Our Principles was created by Katie Packer as an anti-Donald Trump super PAC. Packer was Mitt Romney's deputy campaign manager in 2012.[5]
In addition to Packer, Tim Miller was the super PAC's communications advisor. Miller was a spokesman for former 2016 presidential candidate Jeb Bush (R) and co-founder of the super PAC America Rising.[6][7]
Work
Initial mailers and online ads opposing Trump
A week after being established, Our Principles sent out mailers opposing Trump's candidacy for president. The super PAC spent nearly $45,000 with DDC Advocacy to send the mailers to Iowa voters.[1][8] At the same time, Our Principles spent $88,000 on media placements and $36,000 on the national distribution of online ads opposing Trump.[9] On January 26, 2016, the super PAC recorded spending over $1 million for ad space through GCW Media Services.[10]
TrumpQuestions.com
The super PAC also operated TrumpQuestions.com, a site that criticized Trump's policies on health care, immigration, taxes, abortion and his stance on the Supreme Court. The site used excerpts from previous communications made by Trump and compared them with his campaign trail statements. The site also hosted a number of video ads opposing Trump.[11]
Immigration ads
In late February 2016, Our Principles released an ad entitled "Big Money," which accused Trump of hiring illegal immigrants for the construction of Trump Tower. The ad alleged that Trump had paid a million-dollar fine for having hired illegal immigrants. The ad, according to Politico, was scheduled to air nationally.[12]
Delegate targeting
In April 2016, the super PAC added attending state Republican conventions to their strategy, in order to sway delegates from voting for Trump. The group attended North Dakota's convention and Michigan's.[13]
In an interview on April 20, 2016, on NPR's Morning Edition, Packer talked about the super PAC's strategy, stating:
| “ |
[W]e made the decision going into the final days in New York that it just didn't make sense for us to spend a lot of money there. It's a very, very expensive place to play on television, certainly. And we looked at the lay the land there, and we set [sic] after Wisconsin, that we weren't fighting to win states. We were fighting to win delegates. And we just didn't see a ton of real opportunities in New York to pick up delegates. It was his home state. He was popular. Our math calculated that he wasn't going to win - or he wasn't going to lose any delegates, and he actually ended up losing five. So in some ways, it was a bonus for us because according to our math, he still can't get to 1,237. And we're actually five points to the positive.[4] |
” |
At the same time, Politico reported that Our Principles leadership, Brian Baker and Katie Packer, and its 168 members, all delegates at the Republican National Convention in July 2016, planned make an argument against Trump's nomination before Republican National Committee officials during their spring meeting.[15]
Finances
According to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission, Our Principles PAC reported $19,024,903 in receipts and $19,024,903 in 2016. The group filed for termination on December 30, 2016.[2]
Legal status
Our Principles PAC 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]
Top influencers by state
Influencers in American politics are power players who help get candidates elected, put through policy proposals, cause ideological changes, and affect popular perceptions. They can take on many forms: politicians, lobbyists, advisors, donors, corporations, industry groups, labor unions, single-issue organizations, nonprofits, to name a few.
In 2016, Ballotpedia identified Our Principles PAC as a top influencer by state. We identified top influencers across the country through several means, including the following:
- Local knowledge of our professional staff
- Surveys of activists, thought leaders and journalists from across the country and political spectrum
- Outreach to political journalists in each state who helped refine our lists
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Our Principles PAC. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Politico, "Top former Romney aide launches anti-Trump super PAC," January 21, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Election Commission, "Our Principles PAC Termination Report," December 30, 2016
- ↑ Our Principles, "Home," archived September 23, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ CNN, "New anti-Trump super PAC launches in Iowa," January 21, 2016
- ↑ CNN, "GOP's diverse stars not featured in Cleveland," July 18, 2016
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Republican Convention to Kick Off With Many Party Stalwarts Absent," July 17, 2016
- ↑ FEC, "24/48 Hour Report, Our Principles PAC," accessed January 29, 2016
- ↑ FEC, "24/48 Hour Report, Our Principles PAC," accessed January 29, 2016
- ↑ FEC, "24/48 Hour Report, Our Principles PAC," accessed January 29, 2016
- ↑ Trump Questions, "Home," accessed January 29, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "New anti-Trump ad hits him for hiring undocumented immigrants," February 26, 2016
- ↑ USA Today, "Super PACs scramble to get delegates to dump Trump," April 6, 2016
- ↑ NPR, "Is The 'Stop Trump' Movement Over? A GOP Political Consultant Weighs In," April 20, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Stop Trump movement goes to work on GOP leaders," April 22, 2016
- ↑ 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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