Political Party/527

CREDO Mobile Super PAC

Website:

credoaction.com

Type:

Democratic-aligned Super PAC

Status:

Defunct (since 2015)

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CREDO Mobile Super PAC is no longer in operation; for its successor, see CREDO Victory Fund

The CREDO Mobile Super PAC was founded in 2012 by CREDO Mobile as part of the company’s mission to support left-of-center causes. The PAC raised millions during the 2012 and 2014 election cycles. In late 2015, the CREDO Mobile Super PAC ceased operation and transferred the remaining funds to the CREDO Victory Fund. 1

Campaign Spending

2012 General Election

In 2012, all of CREDO SuperPAC’s independent expenditures went toward opposing Republican candidates running for the U.S. House. In total, CREDO SuperPAC spent $764,343 attacking Republican U.S. Representatives including Allen West (R-FL), Sean Duffy (R-WI), Mike Coffman (R-CO) and Michele Bachmann (R-MN). 2

The PAC also gave $250,000 to the House Majority PAC the House Democratic leadership PAC. 3 Working Assets Funding Service, a company associated with CREDO Mobile, received over $570,000 in in-kind contributions from CREDO SuperPAC in the form of polling, email lists, staff time, conference sponsorship, PR strategy and planning, and research.

2013 Democratic Primaries

In 2013, the CREDO SuperPAC got involved in the Democratic primary for the special election to fill the vacancy in Illinois’s 2nd congressional district after Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) resigned from the seat. CREDO spent $22,159 against former Rep. Deborah Halvorson (D-IL) and State Senator Toi Hutchinson (D-Olympia Fields) due to their “A” ratings from the National Rifle Association. 4 5

2014 Midterm Election

CREDO SuperPAC launched a campaign in April 2014 to help keep the Senate under Democratic control. 6 The campaign was aimed at grassroots organizing and hired 30 organizers in North Carolina, Colorado, Michigan, Georgia, and Kentucky which all featured potentially competitive senate races. 7 During the campaign’s launch, CREDO called the Senate a “firewall against the Tea Party.” 8

The PAC also made it clear it would not support moderate Democrats such as Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) which CREDO labeled one of the “worst Democrats.” 9 During 2014, the PAC would spend over $355,000 opposing Republican candidates Cory Gardner (R-CO), Terri Lynn Land (R-MI), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), David Perdue (D-GA), and Thom Tillis (R-NC). 10 The CREDO SuperPAC also spent over $750,000 on canvassing programs from Progressive Campaign Leadership. 11

Notable Donors

Prominent Democratic donors made contributions to the CREDO SuperPac. Win McCormack, now the owner of the left-wing publication The New Republic, donated $125,000 to the PAC. 12 Michael Kieschnick, the then president and CEO of CREDO Mobile, donated over $170,000 to the PAC over both election cycles.

Patricia Bauman and her husband, John Bryant, gave $26,000 to the PAC in 2012. 13 Bauman is the president of the Bauman Foundation, which funds left-of-center groups such as the Brennan Center for Justice, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Media Matters for America. 14

Scott Shenker, a University of California, U.C. Berkeley professor and computer scientist, gave $200,000 to the PAC over 2012 and 2014. Shenker has given over $2,000,000 to Women Vote!, and at least $100,000 each to Priorities USA Action, AFL-CIO Workers’ Voices PAC, House Majority PAC, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC). 15 Marjorie Roswell gave over $100,000 to the PAC and has donated to left-of-center groups including the League of Conservation Voters, DSCC, and MoveOn.org. 16 Amy Rao, the director of the environmentalist Schmidt Family Foundation, gave $11,000. 17

Left-wing PACs that donated to CREDO SuperPAC include American Bridge 21st Century, National Education Association Advocacy Fund, and Democracy for America. 18 19

References

  1. “Disbursements.” FEC.gov. Accessed May 29, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/disbursements/?two_year_transaction_period=2016&cycle=2016&data_type=processed&committee_id=C00507517&min_date=01/01/2015&max_date=12/31/2016&line_number=F3X-29.
  2. “CREDO Mobile Super PAC Independent Expenditures 2012.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed May 29, 2019. https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/indexpend.php?cycle=2012&cmte=C00507517.
  3. “CREDO Mobile Super PAC to PACs/Parties 2012.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed May 29, 2019. https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pac2pac.php?cycle=2012&cmte=C00507517.
  4. “CREDO Mobile Super PAC Independent Expenditures 2014.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed May 29, 2019. https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/indexpend.php?cycle=2014&cmte=C00507517.
  5. Johnson, Luke. “Debbie Halvorson Attacked Over NRA Rating In New Super PAC-Backed Ad.” HuffPost. February 11, 2013. Accessed May 29, 2019. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/debbie-halvorson-nra_n_2661230.
  6. Alman, Ashley. “Progressive Senate Campaign Targets Republicans In Key Races.” HuffPost. April 23, 2014. Accessed May 29, 2019. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/senate-republicans-credo_n_5195615?guccounter=1.
  7. Alman, Ashley. “Progressive Senate Campaign Targets Republicans In Key Races.” HuffPost. April 23, 2014. Accessed May 29, 2019. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/senate-republicans-credo_n_5195615?guccounter=1.
  8. Alman, Ashley. “Progressive Senate Campaign Targets Republicans In Key Races.” HuffPost. April 23, 2014. Accessed May 29, 2019. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/senate-republicans-credo_n_5195615?guccounter=1.
  9. Alman, Ashley. “Progressive Senate Campaign Targets Republicans In Key Races.” HuffPost. April 23, 2014. Accessed May 29, 2019. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/senate-republicans-credo_n_5195615?guccounter=1.
  10. “CREDO Mobile Super PAC Independent Expenditures 2014.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed May 29, 2019. https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/indexpend.php?cycle=2014&cmte=C00507517.
  11. “Disbursements.” FEC.gov. Accessed May 29, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/disbursements/?two_year_transaction_period=2014&cycle=2012&data_type=processed&committee_id=C00507517&min_date=01/01/2013&max_date=12/31/2014&line_number=F3X-21B.
  12. Byers, Dylan. “The New Republic is sold by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes”. CNN Money. February 26, 2016. Accessed May 29, 2019. https://money.cnn.com/2016/02/26/media/new-republic-chris-hughes-win-mccormack/index.html
  13. “CREDO Mobile Super PAC Contributors, 2012 Cycle.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed May 29, 2019. https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgave2.php?cycle=2012&cmte=C00507517.
  14. “Totals by Fiscal Year.” The Bauman Foundation. Accessed May 29, 2019. https://www.baumanfoundation.org/grants/search?amount=All&fiscal_year=&name=&items_per_page=All.
  15. “Donor Lookup: Scott Shenker.” OpenSecrets. Accessed May 29, 2019. https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=Scott SHENKER&order=desc&sort=A.
  16. “Donor Lookup: Marjorie Roswell.” OpenSecrets. Accessed May 29, 2019. https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=MARJORIE roswell&order=desc&sort=A.
  17. “CREDO Mobile Super PAC Contributors, 2012 Cycle.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed May 29, 2019. https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgave2.php?cycle=2012&cmte=C00507517.
  18. “CREDO Mobile Super PAC to PACs/Parties 2012.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed May 29, 2019. https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pac2pac.php?cycle=2012&cmte=C00507517.
  19. “CREDO Mobile Super PAC to PACs/Parties 2014.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed May 29, 2019. https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pac2pac.php?cycle=2014&cmte=C00507517.
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