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    Make America Number 1

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    Make America Number 1
    Makeamerica1-headerimage-v2-600x368.jpg
    Basic facts
    Location:New York
    Type:Super PAC
    Affiliation:Republican
    Year founded:2015
    Website:Official website

    Make America Number 1 is a super PAC supportive of President Donald Trump (R) and his policy agenda. The organization was founded in 2015 as Keep the Promise I, a pro-Ted Cruz (R) super PAC, and was funded by an initial $11 million donation from hedge fund manager Robert Mercer. The group filed with the FEC to change its name to Make America Number 1 in June 2016.[1][2][3]

    Mission[edit]

    According to the last available version of the group's website, archived in June 2016, the super PAC's mission was:[4]

    “

    Make America Number 1 is an independent expenditure only Super Pac dedicated to supporting conservative principles, upholding the rule of law, and opposing ethically challenged candidates. It’s first special project entitled, 'Defeat Crooked Hillary', will shed light on what the Clinton’s want to keep in the dark.[5]

    		”

    Background[edit]

    Make America Number 1 began as Keep the Promise I, a super PAC that supported Ted Cruz's 2016 presidential campaign. The organization changed to support Trump in June 2016.

    Keep the Promise I[edit]

    Keep the Promise I was set up by Jacquelyn James on April 3, 2015.[2] James is a partner at the New York-based accounting firm Golub, LaCapra, Wilson & DeTiberiis, which, according to The New York Times, is also the accounting firm for a family foundation of the billionaire hedge fund investor Robert Mercer.[6][7]

    Make America Number 1[edit]

    In late June 2016, Keep the Promise I filed an amended statement of organization with the FEC to change the super PAC's name to Make America Number 1.[1] The group has changed its purpose, stating that it opposed 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.[8] In June 2016, Politico reported that the super PAC was "colloquially known as the 'Defeat Crooked Hillary PAC.'"[9]

    According to Politico, conservative operative David Bossie took over the leadership of the newly named super PAC in June 2016.[9] At that time, Bossie was also the president and chairman of Citizens United.[10][11] At the time, Bossie noted that the members of the Mercer family were still "big financial supporters" of the group.[9] He left the group in August 2016 to become the deputy campaign manager for Donald Trump's presidential campaign. On September 7, 2016, Rebekah Mercer took over leadership of the organization.[12]

    Work[edit]

    Super PACs
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    Republican National Committee delegate targeting, 2016[edit]

    In April 2016, Keep the Promise I had initiated a "Plan B+," which was a strategy to target unbound delegates and convince already pledged delegates to back Cruz after the first ballot at the Republican National Convention in July.[13]

    Anti-Hillary Clinton ads[edit]

    In June 2016, the super PAC released a digital ad under their new name, Make America Number 1, that attacked Hillary Clinton. The ad questioned the Clinton family's source of income.[14]

    Finances[edit]

    2016[edit]

    According to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission, Make America Number 1 (which operated for part of the year as Keep the Promise I) reported $9,700,834 in total receipts and $16,117,769 in total disbursements during calendar year 2016.[15]

    2015[edit]

    According to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission, Make America Number 1 (then operating as Keep the Promise I) reported $11,036,750 in total receipts and $3,541,762 in total disbursements during calendar year 2015.[16]

    Robert Mercer, CEO of Renaissance Technologies, according to FEC documents, made an initial $11 million contribution to Keep the Promise I upon the establishment of the super PAC.[17]

    Legal status[edit]

    Make America Number 1 is a super PAC. A super PAC is a political committee that can solicit and spend unlimited sums of money. A super PAC cannot contribute directly to a politician or political party, but it can spend independently to campaign for or against political figures. These committees are also called independent expenditure-only committees. A super PAC is not legally considered a political action committee (PAC) and as such is regulated under separate rules.[18][19]

    Recent news[edit]

    The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Make America Number 1'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

    Make America Number 1 - Google News

    See also[edit]

    External links[edit]

    Footnotes[edit]

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 FEC, "Statement of Organization, Make America Number 1 (amended)," June 21, 2016
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 FEC, "Statement of Organization, Keep the Promise I," accessed August 10, 2015
    3. ↑ Texas Tribune, "Cruz Doesn't Take A Chance to Bless Dump Trump Movement," June 23, 2016
    4. ↑ Make America Number 1, "About," archived June 27, 2016
    5. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    6. ↑ Golub, LaCapra, Wilson & DeTiberiis, "About Us," accessed August 10, 2015
    7. ↑ The New York Times, "Network of ‘Super PACs’ Says That It Has Raised $31 Million for Ted Cruz Bid," April 8, 2015
    8. ↑ USA Today, "Analysis: Thousands of Republican donors avoid Donald Trump," June 27, 2016
    9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Politico, "Trump's secret data reversal," June 28, 2016
    10. ↑ Citizens United, "About Us," accessed July 11, 2016
    11. ↑ The Washington Post, "Pro-Clinton super PAC unleashes new ‘Stop Trump/Stop Hate’ campaign aimed at young voters," June 23, 2016
    12. ↑ USA Today, "Wealthy donor will run anti-Clinton super PAC," September 7, 2016
    13. ↑ USA Today, "Super PACs scramble to get delegates to dump Trump," April 6, 2016
    14. ↑ YouTube, "Gotta Pay the Bills," June 21, 2016
    15. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Make America Number 1 Year-End Report, 2016," May 30, 2017
    16. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Keep the Promise I Year-End Report, 2015," May 9, 2016
    17. ↑ Keep the Promise I, "FEC form 3X, Mid-Year (2015)," accessed August 10, 2015
    18. ↑ The Atlantic, "The New York Times' Disingenuous Campaign Against Citizens United," February 24, 2012
    19. ↑ The New York Times, "Who's Financing the 'Super PACs?" May 7, 2012
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