Super PACs Make Move to Lobbying
High-dollar super PACs and advocacy groups failed to score big wins in the recent elections, but they may have better luck with their next act: lobbying Capitol Hill. From anti-tax activists to environmental organizers, special interest players are pivoting to the policy arena and bringing their unrestricted super PACs with them. It’s a trend that worries campaign reform advocates, who warn that the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling may do more to distort policymaking than elections.
"People are going to be looking for new tools to break through the noise in D.C.," said Public Policy & Regulation Group Chair Rich Gold. "I could see super PACs being set up by industry sectors, or even by coalitions interested in a particular issue," said Mr. Gold.