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    Great America PAC

    From Ballotpedia - Reading time: 7 min
    Great-america-pac-logo.png

    Type: Hybrid PAC
    Affiliation: Republican
    Founded: 2016
    Founders: William Doddridge and Amy Kremer
    Leadership: Ed Rollins

    Website • Twitter • Facebook

    Great America PAC (GAP) is a pro-Donald Trump (R) hybrid PAC led by Ed Rollins. The group has described itself as being "committed to bringing people together and uniting them behind President Donald Trump and the movement he represents."[1]

    As of January 2020, Great America PAC reported spending $3.8 million to support Trump in the 2020 presidential election. The organization also spent $31,000 against two Democratic presidential candidates: former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

    In the 2016 presidential election, Great America PAC spent more than $26 million to back Trump's candidacy. The committee said on its website that it had broadcast more than 20,000 television spots and 300,000 radio ads, distributed 2.5 million mailers, placed 30 million phone calls, and established field offices in battleground states.[1]

    This page contains the following information about the organization:

    Mission[edit]

    According to Great America PAC's website, the organization's mission is as follows:[2]

    “

    We have been and continue to be President Donald Trump’s strongest and most active independent ally, and we’re determined to see the America First Agenda succeed.

    We strive to advance President Trump’s agenda day in and day out: repealing and replacing Obamacare, filling Supreme Court vacancies with rock-solid conservatives, protecting the 2nd Amendment, securing our borders, repealing the Iran Deal, and restoring the American economy are just some of the issues we must advocate Congress to act on.[3]

    		”

    Background[edit]

    Great America PAC was founded in February 2016 by diamond retailer Bill Doddridge and former Tea Party Express chairwoman Amy Kremer as a hybrid PAC under the name TrumPAC.[4] The organization changed its name to comply with FEC regulations prohibiting the unauthorized use of a candidate's name.[5][6]

    Attorney Dan Backer, Republican operative Jesse Benton, and Republican strategist Eric Beach signed on to support the group in 2016.[4][7]

    2020 presidential election[edit]

    See also: Presidential election, 2020

    Ads opposing Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren[edit]

    "Lie" - Great America PAC ad, January 31, 2020

    In January 2020, Great America PAC launched a $250,000 ad campaign against Democratic candidates and Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. The anti-Sanders ad criticizes his economic policies, while the Warren ad focuses on her previous claims of Native American heritage.[8]

    The ads were released nationally on cable and digitally in Iowa and Presidential election in New Hampshire, 2020.[8]

    Great America Voter Drive[edit]

    The Great America PAC and Committee to Defend the President joined forces to launch the "Great America Voter Drive" in June 2019. They spent $1 million on the campaign, with an initial focus on national and local ads in four battleground states: Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Five more states were expected to be the focus of the second wave: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, and New Hampshire.[9]

    Ads opposing Joe Biden[edit]

    "Creepy Joe" - Great America PAC ad, April 2, 2019

    Great Ameria PAC released a negative ad against Joe Biden (D) that featured clips of Biden touching women and children during public events in April 2019. The ad buy was for six figures, The Hill reported.[10]

    Rollins said GAP decided to model the ad after a 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign ad opposing Trump. "Sadly, Democrats are now being incredibly hypocritical by ignoring or dismissing these episodes, which they never do against our side. So, using the format of Clinton’s 2016 ad is the perfect way to detail this disturbing behavior by Biden as well as the Democrats’ blatant hypocrisy," he said.[10]

    GAP also created a corresponding website—Stop Joe Biden—to collect contact information from potential voters and supporters.

    Other political activity[edit]

    2018[edit]

    U.S. Senate endorsements[edit]

    In October 2017, Great America PAC announced that it would support West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R), Montana Auditor Matt Rosendale (R), and U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) in their campaigns for U.S. Senate in 2018. According to The Hill, Great America PAC and former White House strategist Steve Bannon were asking candidates they endorsed to oppose Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as majority leader and to back the trade and immigration policies of President Trump.[11]

    Great America PAC also endorsed Kevin Nicholson (R) in the Wisconsin and Kelli Ward (R) in Arizona, according to McClatchy DC.[12]

    2017[edit]

    Georgia special election, June 2017[edit]

    In the final days leading up to the special election in Georgia's 6th Congressional District, Great America PAC's affiliated nonprofit, Great America Alliance, ran ads encouraging black voter turnout for Republican Karen Handel.[13] The ad used audio from Barack Obama reading his 1995 memoir, Dreams From My Father, where Obama quoted a black barber speaking about politics. The super PAC’s ad did not explain where the clip came from. A spokesperson for the group said, “The clip of President Obama was absolutely in context on this issue and helps make our point in the ad, which is why we used it.”[14]

    Anti-James Comey ads[edit]

    In June 2017, Great America PAC's affiliated nonprofit, Great America Alliance, ran ads on CNN and Fox News opposing former FBI Director James Comey during Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee. The ad, called “Showboat,” accused Comey of “putting politics over protecting America.”[15]

    2016[edit]

    Republican Party unity ads, April 2016[edit]

    In February 2016, Great America PAC announced that it planned to launch television and radio ads promoting Trump.[16]The ads, which aired in April 2016, were part of a $1 million ad buy focused on securing more delegates for Trump in New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Maryland and Delaware, according to Politico.[17] The ad featured a voiceover by Trump discussing the unification of the Republican Party.[18]

    Ads focused on national security, June 2016[edit]

    On June 20, 2016, Great America PAC spent $700,000 on an ad entitled "The Enemy." The ad focused on the June 2016 mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, stating, "The Orlando tragedy is a stark reminder that the enemy and the battlefield is moving here to our shores. Join millions of active duty military members and veterans like me who stand with Donald Trump.”[19]

    Battleground states bus tour, September 2016[edit]

    On September 15, 2016, the Associated Press reported that GAP was launching a bus tour in battleground states focused on opening support offices and registering voters. Actor Jon Voight, along with conservative radio talk show hosts, joined the tour in support of Trump.[20]

    Campaign to block Wisconsin recount[edit]

    On December 2, 2016, The Hill reported that Great America PAC and Stop Hillary PAC had filed to block the proposed 2016 presidential election recount in Wisconsin, which had been initiated by the Green Party candidate Jill Stein. Both groups argued that the recount "violate[d] the due process rights of Donald Trump voters in the state."[21] Trump's lawyers also filed to block the recount, as well as Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette.[21]

    Leadership[edit]

    As of July 2019, the following individuals were associated with Great America PAC:

    Great America PAC leadership
    Name Position Prior experience Twitter handle
    Ed Rollins Chairman National campaign director, Reagan 1984 presidential campaign N/A
    Dan Backer Treasurer Founder, political.law @danbackeresq

    Financial information[edit]

    The following chart and list of federal candidates supported and opposed was collected by the Center for Public Integrity.[22]

    Federal candidates supported[edit]

    Federal candidates opposed[edit]

    Legal status[edit]

    Great America PAC is a hybrid PAC, or Carey committee, a type of political committee that maintains two separate bank accounts, one for candidate contributions and one—called a "non-contribution account"—for independent expenditures. As of June 2017, the FEC's website noted, "The first account is subject to all of the limits and prohibitions of the Act, but the non-contribution account may accept unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, labor organizations and other political committees."[23]

    Noteworthy events[edit]

    Alleged Trump campaign cease-and-desist order[edit]

    According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump's former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, stated in March 2016 that Trump's campaign had "disavowed this [Great America PAC] and all PACs," further adding that the campaign had sent a cease-and-desist order to Great America PAC.[18] According to Great America PAC strategist Jesse Benton, the PAC never received any such communication from Trump's campaign or lawyers.[18]

    Jesse Benton foreign donation solicitation claim, October 2016[edit]

    In October 2016, British newspaper The Telegraph accused Benton—who had previously worked with Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Ron Paul (R-Texas), and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)—of soliciting foreign donations for Great America PAC. The paper's journalists claimed that they posed as associates of a Chinese benefactor. According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, "The journalists captured Benton in emails and on video in a New York hotel suggesting that he could funnel $2 million toward a pro-Trump PAC through his own public affairs company to hide its origin, according to the report."[24] As of June 2017, Benton was no longer employed by Great America PAC.[25]

    Recent news[edit]

    The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Great America PAC'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

    Great America PAC - Google News

    See also[edit]

    External links[edit]

    Footnotes[edit]

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Great America PAC, "About," accessed July 1, 2019
    2. ↑ Great America PAC, "The Agenda," accessed July 1, 2019
    3. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Center for Public Integrity, "Pro-Trump Super PAC Wants Your Money," April 13, 2016
    5. ↑ FEC, "Statement of Organization, Great America PAC," accessed March 11, 2016
    6. ↑ FEC, "Statement of Organization, TrumPAC," accessed March 11, 2016
    7. ↑ Politico, "Pro-Trump super PAC ramps up, hires top political operative," March 1, 2016
    8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Hill, "Great America PAC to run ads hitting Sanders, Warren," January 30, 2020
    9. ↑ The Hill, "Exclusive: Top Trump super PACs join forces on voter mobilization effort," June 4, 2019
    10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Hill, "Pro-Trump group to release 'Creepy Joe' Biden ad," April 2, 2019
    11. ↑ The Hill, "Bannon-tied group kicks off brutal GOP primary season," October 11, 2017
    12. ↑ McClatchy DC, "Pro-Trump group endorses in key Senate primaries," October 16, 2017
    13. ↑ The Washington Post, "A Trump PAC fakes appeal from Obama to lure blacks to vote Republican in crucial Ga. race," June 20, 2017
    14. ↑ PolitiFact, "Anti-Ossoff ad in Georgia House race distorts lines from Obama's book," June 19, 2017
    15. ↑ Mother Jones, "This Pro-Trump Group Is Airing Ads Attacking James Comey While He Testifies," June 8, 2017
    16. ↑ GAP, "Media," accessed March 11, 2016
    17. ↑ Politico, "Pro-Trump super PAC launches nearly $1 million TV buy," March 18, 2016
    18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 The Wall Street Journal, "Super PAC Airs ‘Unifier’ Ad to Support Donald Trump," March 22, 2016
    19. ↑ Gant News, "First on CNN: Pro-Trump super PAC cites Orlando attack," June 20, 2016
    20. ↑ AP, "Super PAC tries to plug holes in Trump's ground campaign," September 15, 2016
    21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 The Hill, "Trump super PACs file federal lawsuit to block WI recount," December 2, 2016
    22. ↑ Center for Public Integrity, "Great America PAC," accessed March 6, 2020
    23. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate Terminology," accessed January 8, 2016
    24. ↑ Louisville Courier-Journal, "Convicted Paul family operative in trouble again," December 23, 2016
    25. ↑ Center for Responsive Politics, "Seven years later: Blurred boundaries, more money," January 19, 2017
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