America Votes Action Fund

America Votes Action Fund is the 527 Super PAC affiliate of the left-of-center voter mobilization organization America Votes. It was established to conduct “exclusively electoral activity” as part of America Votes’ effort to build “a permanent advocacy and campaign infrastructure” to promote left-progressive causes. 1

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At-A-Glance

Type: 527 (Political Action Committee), Super PAC
Issue Areas: Multi-Issue Advocacy
Website: americavotes.org

Contents

    America Votes Action Fund appears to have been founded in 2011, with the earliest donations to the fund made in June of 2011. 2 It spent $5.6 million in the 2012 election cycle but its spending has declined ever since, with totals of $2.5 million in 2016 and $2.2 million in 2018. 3

    Unlike America Votes, the America Votes Action Fund is required by law to disclose its donors and expenditures. FEC reports reveal that it is funded by America Votes, labor unions, and a variety of left-wing organizations and individuals. 4

    Donors

    Between 2017 and 2018, America Votes Action Fund raised approximately $2.4 million, with over 19% of that ($463,000) coming from America Votes. The second largest contributor was the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which contributed a total of $435,000.

    According to FEC disclosures, the top 20 donors to America Votes Action Fund between 2017 and 2018 are as follows. 5

    Contributor NameTypeAmount
    America VotesOrganization$463,000
    SEIUOrganization$435,000
    Better Future For New MexicoOrganization$194,006
    Women Vote!PAC$161,000
    State Victory FundOrganization$130,000
    United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Active Ballot ClubPAC$127,500
    American Association for Justice PACPAC$100,000
    Laufer, Marsha Z.Individual$100,000
    Uihlein, Lynde B.Individual$100,000
    American Federation of State, County and Municipal EmployeesOrganization$56,515
    ActBluePAC$50,000
    Beck, AndrewIndividual$50,000
    Florida Strong Action PACPAC$50,000
    Giffords PACPAC$50,000
    For Our FuturePAC$42,453
    Huntington Reeves, WilliamIndividual$40,000
    Black Fork Strategies, LLCOrganization$30,214
    Clark, GeoffreyIndividual$27,000
    Sea PAC, State Employees UnionOrganization$26,050
    Planned Parenthood Votes OhioPAC$21,000

    Expenditures

    A review of America Votes Action Fund’s independent expenditures from 2017 to 2018 reveals that it paid America Votes $369,621 for “staff time services” and “compliance services.”

    It also spent $449,547 on mail, printing, and canvassing materials; $253,050 on research; and $232,842 for phone banking and texting services. The total paid for “phone banking services” included a payment of $13,745 to one of its donor unions, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. 6 It is unclear what phone banking services were provided by the union or why its participants were compensated.

    Recipient NameDisbursement DescriptionDisbursement Amount
    America VotesCompliance Consulting Services$5000
    America VotesCompliance Services$5000
    America VotesCompliance Services$5000
    America VotesCompliance Services$5000
    New Hampshire Youth MovementContribution$2000
    Environment AmericaContribution$4000
    New Florida Vision PacContribution$20,000
    Family Friendly PacContribution$3,0000
    New Hampshire Leadership CommitteeContribution$40,000
    Win Together, LlcContribution$70,000
    Working Families PartyContribution$127,000
    Voter CircleData Consulting$1000
    Matt Lackey Strategies LlcData Services$7000
    Mission Control, Inc.Mail And Postage$790.32
    Mission Control, Inc.Mail And Postage$790.32
    Mission Control, Inc.Mail And Postage$936.39
    Mission Control, Inc.Mail And Postage$936.39
    Mission Control, Inc.Mail And Postage$1054.53
    Mission Control, Inc.Mail And Postage$1054.53
    Mission Control, Inc.Mail And Postage$1786.62
    Mission Control, Inc.Mail And Postage$1786.63
    Mission Control, Inc.Mail And Postage$2010.57
    Mission Control, Inc.Mail And Postage$2010.57
    Mission Control, Inc.Mail And Postage$23,44.70
    Mission Control, Inc.Mail And Postage$23,44.71
    Mission Control, Inc.Mail And Postage$6315.75
    Mission Control, Inc.Mail And Postage$6315.75
    Mission Control, Inc.Mail And Postage$6315.76
    Mission Control, Inc.Mail And Postage$6315.76
    Mach3Media, Inc.Mailing & Postage Services$715.21
    Mailforce, Inc.Mailing & Postage Services$1185.32
    Mach3Media, Inc.Mailing & Postage Services$1881.03
    Brushfire PhonesNon Federal Indepent Expenditure Phones Program$42,872.48
    Stones PhonesNon-Federal Independent Expenditure – Phone Program$18,278.80
    Campaign Communications SolutionsNon-Federal Independent Expenditure – Texting Program$12,584
    Silversmith StrategiesNon-Federal Indpedent Expenditures – Digital Ads$11,666.66
    Silversmith StrategiesNon-Federal Indpedent Expenditures – Website Services$5,000
    Targetsmart CommunicationsPhone And Text Program$11,0983.62
    American Federation Of State, County And Municipal EmployeesPhone Banking Services$450
    American Federation Of State, County And Municipal EmployeesPhone Banking Services$520
    American Federation Of State, County And Municipal EmployeesPhone Banking Services$700
    American Federation Of State, County And Municipal EmployeesPhone Banking Services$1,025
    American Federation Of State, County And Municipal EmployeesPhone Banking Services$11,050
    Stones PhonesPhone Program$44,406.54
    Brushfire PhonesPhone Program$50,500
    Campaign Communications SolutionsPhones And Texting Program$13,207.25
    Schauer, MarkPolitical Consulting Services$4,000
    Schauer, MarkPolitical Consulting Services$4,000
    The Collective Super PacPolitical Contribution$500
    Legislative Majority PacPolitical Contribution$1,000
    Jm2Print Canvass Materials$13,300
    Jm2Print Canvass Materials$35,840
    Jm2Print Canvass Materials$35,840
    The Pivot GroupPrinting$1,300
    Bouchard GoldPrinting$57,418.10
    Bouchard GoldPrinting & Mailing$125416.72
    Keystone PressPrinting & Mailing Services$105.20
    Keystone PressPrinting & Mailing Services$113.83
    Keystone PressPrinting & Mailing Services$114.83
    Keystone PressPrinting & Mailing Services$115.06
    Keystone PressPrinting & Mailing Services$2,567.54
    Keystone PressPrinting & Mailing Services$2,714.78
    Keystone PressPrinting & Mailing Services$4850
    Bouchard GoldPrinting And Mail$64608.62
    Keystone PressPrinting Canvass Materials$147.29
    Keystone PressPrinting Canvass Materials$152.16
    Keystone PressPrinting Canvass Materials$165.06
    Keystone PressPrinting Canvass Materials$278.66
    Keystone PressPrinting Canvass Materials$373.96
    Keystone PressPrinting Canvass Materials$377.93
    Keystone PressPrinting Canvass Materials$867.77
    Keystone PressPrinting Canvass Materials$943.19
    Keystone PressPrinting Canvass Materials$1,157.38
    Keystone PressPrinting Canvass Materials$1,283.46
    Keystone PressPrinting Canvass Materials$1,358.53
    Keystone PressPrinting Canvass Materials$1,635.05
    The Pivot GroupPrinting Canvass Materials$2,000
    The Pivot GroupPrinting Canvass Materials$2,200
    The Pivot GroupPrinting Canvass Materials$2,200
    Keystone PressPrinting Canvass Materials$5,411.98
    Jm2Printing Canvass Materials$15,120
    Jm2Printing Canvass Materials$22,680
    Doyle, BobbyReimbursement$798.28
    American Bridge 21St CenturyResearch$2,500
    The Atlas Project, Inc.Research$4,000
    Granite State ProgressResearch$5,236.88
    Granite State ProgressResearch$6,458.96
    Granite State ProgressResearch$6,544.71
    American Bridge 21St CenturyResearch$7,500
    Battleground Research, Inc.Research$7,722
    Bendixen & Amandi Int’L IncResearch$10,000
    Battleground Research, Inc.Research$10,688
    Change ResearchResearch$14,800
    The Majority Institute LlcResearch$18,757.50
    The Majority Institute LlcResearch$133,660
    Battleground Research, Inc.Research Consulting Services$18,175
    Battleground Research, Inc.Research Services$7,007.14
    America VotesStaff Time Service$968.49
    America VotesStaff Time Service$1,248.16
    America VotesStaff Time Service$1,427.55
    America VotesStaff Time Service$1,750
    America VotesStaff Time Service$9,652.78
    America VotesStaff Time Service$10,799.39
    America VotesStaff Time Service$17,294.83
    America VotesStaff Time Service$20,423.05
    America VotesStaff Time Service$26,957.20
    America VotesStaff Time Service$27,213.31
    America VotesStaff Time Service$32,640.45
    America VotesStaff Time Services$3,396.30
    America VotesStaff Time Services$4,090.50
    America VotesStaff Time Services$8,728.79
    America VotesStaff Time Services$10,188.90
    America VotesStaff Time Services$19,794.48
    America VotesStaff Time Services$29,096.58
    America VotesStaff Time Services$32,403.64
    America VotesStaff Time Services$41,824.06
    America VotesStaff Time Services$49,723.15
    BlueprintWeb Development Services$2,250
    Ballot Ready IncWeb Services$333.34
    Ballot Ready IncWeb Services$583.34
    Ballot Ready IncWeb Services$1,000.04
    Ballot Ready IncWeb Services$1,416.64
    Ballot Ready IncWebsite Services$333.34
    Ballot Ready IncWebsite Services$583.34
    SilversmithWebsite Services$5,000
    Keystone Press$2,752.29
    For Our Future$10,4000

    As required by law, America Votes Action Fund’s expenditures supporting or opposing particular candidates are disclosed in FEC filings. The chart below shows the ten candidates who received the most support or opposition throughout 2017 and 2018. 7

    AmountSupport/OpposeCandidate
    $157,981.08SupportBill Nelson
    $64,608.62OpposeRick Scott
    $13,341.69SupportChris Pappas
    $12,631.50SupportJacky Rosen
    $10,275.20SupportScott Wallace
    $10,275.20OpposeScott Perry
    $10,275.20OpposeBrian Fitzpatrick
    $10,275.20SupportGeorge Scott
    $10,275.19SupportRonald Dinicola
    $10,275.19OpposeGeorge Kelly, Jr.

    Throughout 2017 and 2018, America Votes Action Fund also made contributions to the following left-leaning PACs and organizations. 6

    RecipientAmount
    Working Families Party$127,000
    Win Together, LLC$70,000
    New Hampshire Leadership Committee$40,000
    Family Friendly PAC$30,000
    New Florida Vision PAC$20,000
    Environment America$4,000
    New Hampshire Youth Movement$2,000
    Legislative Majority PAC$1,000
    The Collective Super PAC$500

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    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. Beckel, Michael. “Who’s Bankrolling Secretive Liberal Group America Votes?” Public Integrity. May 21, 2014. Accessed October 30, 2019. https://publicintegrity.org/federal-politics/whos-bankrolling-secretive-liberal-group-america-votes/
    2. “America Votes Action Fund – Raising – 2011-2012 – Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed October 30, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00492520/?tab=raising&cycle=2012
    3. “Summary for America Votes Action Fund.” Open Secrets. Accessed October 30, 2019. https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?cycle=2012&strID=C00492520
    4. “America Votes Action Fund – Raising – 2017-2018 – Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed October 30, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00492520/?tab=raising&cycle=2012
    5. “America Votes Action Fund – Raising – 2017-2018 – Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed October 30, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00492520/?tab=raising&cycle=2018
    6. “America Votes Action Fund – Spending – 2017-2018 – Disbursements.” FEC.gov. Accessed October 30, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00492520/?tab=spending&cycle=2018
    7. “America Votes Action Fund – Spending – 2017-2018 – Individual Expenditures.” FEC.gov. Accessed October 30, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00492520/?tab=spending&cycle=2018