Members of Congress and other political leaders often establish nonconnected committees, generally known as “leadership PACs,” to support candidates for various federal and nonfederal offices.

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A leadership PAC is defined as a political committee that is directly or indirectly established, financed, maintained or controlled by a candidate or an individual holding federal office, but is not an authorized committee of the candidate or officeholder and is not affiliated with an authorized committee of a candidate or officeholder. Leadership PACs do not include political party committees.See 2 U.S.C. § 434(i)(8)(B).

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While these PACs may be associated with a candidate for federal office, they remain legally unaffiliated with the candidate’s principal campaign committee (also known as the candidate’s authorized committee) and operate under the same rules as other nonconnected committees.

Political Commitees