The Republicans for Choice political action committee (PAC) collects money to support pro-choice Republicans running for office.<\/p>\n
The odd part of this is that Republicans for Choice PAC doesn’t actually give much of the money to said candidates<\/a>:<\/p>\n Since the PAC\u2019s formation in 1990, documents show that Republicans for Choice has raised and spent more than $5.5 million. But a Center for Public Integrity analysis of the PAC\u2019s more recent filings \u2014 along with data from CQ MoneyLine, which tracks political giving \u2014 reveals that over the past decade less than five percent of the committee\u2019s spending has gone to political candidates, other political committees, or independent expenditures. Since 2005, just about one-half of one percent of the PAC\u2019s nearly $1 million in spending has gone to federal or state campaigns, according to a review of records. By comparison, Federal Election Commission data show the average federal PAC in the recent 2007-2008 cycle dedicated about 35 percent of spending to contributions aiding federal candidates. A comparison to other PACs on both sides of the abortion debate shows that similar groups spend a much greater portion of their funds on candidates and campaigns.<\/p>\n Where did RFC\u2019s money go? Much of the group\u2019s spending has been for consulting companies owned by the PAC\u2019s chairwoman, Ann E. W. Stone. Those firms \u2014 along with payments to reimburse Stone\u2019s expenses for travel, entertainment, and automobile repairs \u2014 comprise more than two-thirds of RFC PAC\u2019s expenditures since 2006. And hundreds of dollars more went to pay for Stone\u2019s parking tickets.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This should not be a surprise.<\/p>\n For folks who follow Talking Points Memo<\/span><\/a>, this sort of self dealing is rather common among Republican fund raising groups.<\/p>\n