An independent expenditure political action committee called Time for a Change has amassed $230,000 to promote Democratic gubernatorial candidate Aly Richards in the lead-up to the August 11 primary. The formation of the PAC has spurred criticism from Richards’ opponent in the primary, Amanda Janoo. But Richards says she has nothing to do with the PAC and cannot control what it does.
On Friday, Janoo sent a press release and fundraising email announcing that a PAC had started spending on behalf of Richards. Though polling showed Janoo with a slight edge in the primary, she wrote in her press release, the PAC’s formation “may change the dynamics of the race.”
Janoo called on Richards to publicly disavow the PAC’s support and request those who funded it “make themselves known for the sake of transparency for Vermont voters and democratic integrity.”
Richards countered with a statement that she had only recently been made aware that the PAC existed and it wasn’t “something I asked for, had knowledge of, or can control.”
An independent expenditure PAC differs from other types of PACs — including those formed by corporations, labor and interest groups — in that it does not donate directly to a campaign and cannot coordinate with candidates, according to Bert Johnson, a political science professor at Middlebury College. Independent expenditure PACs, also known as super PACs, also have no limits in how much they can raise.
Richards wrote on Friday that she expected Time for a Change would disclose its donors in line with campaign finance law and asserted that her campaign “is a grassroots movement of Vermonters who are committed to a brighter future for our state.”
Last weekend, the Vermont Secretary of State’s office posted a new round of campaign-finance information. Time for a Change, which registered with the Secretary of State’s office on July 21, has raised $230,000 as of Jul 31, according to the filings. Meanwhile, Richards has independently raised $440,000; Janoo has raised a total of $303,000.
A big chunk of Time for a Change’s money — $100,000 — came from Family Security and Prosperity, an organization based in Missouri that has almost no digital footprint. Kansas-based Impact Fellows Action Fund, a group that works to promote policies that support young children and their families, donated $75,000, while $25,000 came from the Washington D.C.-based Government that Works PAC. Two individuals also donated to Time For a Change: Carl Ferenbach of Boston gave $25,000 and Tom MacLeay of Montpelier gave $5,000. Ferenbach is a cofounder of Berkshire Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm. Along with real estate developer Rick Davis, Ferenbach founded the Permanent Fund for Vermont’s Children, an organization which evolved into Let’s Grow Kids, a group that Richards led. MacLeay is the former CEO of Montpelier-based National Life Group and served as treasurer of the Let’s Grow Kids’ board.
John Hollar, a lawyer, former lobbyist and former mayor of Montpelier John Hollar, is treasurer of Time for a Change. Hollar also served on the board of Let’s Grow Kids Action Network, a lobbying arm of Let’s Grow Kids.
In an interview Tuesday, Hollar said that a group of Richards’ supporters and friends, including him, learned that donors wanted to support Richards’ campaign, which led to the PAC,
Asked about the Family Security and Prosperity group that donated $100,000, Hollar said he was not able to provide more information about who was behind it.
“Aly’s work on childcare advocacy is well-known, and I think that’s where it stems from, but we haven’t really communicated with the donors about their reasons or their support for Aly’s campaign,” Hollar said. “The campaign finance laws and the disclosures exist as they are and we were given an opportunity to receive money in support of [Richards’] campaign.”
Hollar said that he’s had no communication with Richards about her decision to run for governor or campaign strategy. The decisions about how to spend the PAC’s money “are entirely ours. We’re not being told how to do that,” Hollar said.
In the past week, Time for a Change has spent more than $200,000 on online advertising, text messaging and media consulting, public filings show.
In an interview Tuesday, Richards said that she stands by public statements that she has not and will not accept any donations from corporations or corporate PACs. She said she believes that Citizens United, the Supreme Court decision that allows corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns, is “the seed of destruction for our democracy” and said she’d work to change campaign finance law in Vermont if elected governor. She said she found it concerning that it’s difficult to figure out who is behind the donations.
“We want transparency about who is funding elections and that’s why I’ve been pretty strong about needing campaign finance reform,” Richards said. “We have to move toward publicly financing campaigns — not voluntary, but mandatory in Vermont.” She also believes that Vermont could “start hacking away at Citizen’s United” by limiting corporate contributions and the amount of money that goes into super PACs, she said.
“I don’t support PAC spending and this group is going to do what they’re going to do,” Richards said. “It’s not something that I can control. That’s the crux of it.”
Richards has also received $500 from two labor union PACs representing the Professional Firefighters of Vermont and the Ironworkers Local #7 Vermont PAC, campaign finance filings show. Neither Richards or Janoo has taken any money from corporations or corporate PACS.
In contrast, Gov. Phil Scott — who will vie against either Richards or Janoo in November — has received contributions from a number of corporations, including the maximum amount of $5,180 from Google, $2,000 from Anheuser-Busch and $1,525 from T-Mobile. According to his most recent campaign filings, Scott has raised $128,000 in new money to add to an existing reserve of $240,000.
A limited amount of PAC money is also finding its way into the race for lieutenant governor, but as direct contributions rather than independent expenditures.
In the reporting period ending July 31, Ryan McLaren reported three donations totaling $5,800 from PACs.
The largest was $4,800 from the American Society of Anesthesiologists PAC, based in Illinois. He also received $500 in donations from the Los Angeles-based Able Dems PAC, which supports Democrats with disabilities, and $500 from the same firefighters PAC that donated to Richards.
That’s a small percentage of the $105,000 McLaren raised in the period. To date he’s raised just shy of $410,000 in total contributions.
Molly Gray received $2,500 from an organization called Next 50 PAC, which bills itself as supporting the next generation of Democratic leaders. She also got $1,000 from a PAC associated with former U.S. senator Patrick Leahy, for whom she once interned.
That’s also a very small percentage of the $53,000 she raised in the period or the $336,000 she’s collected so far.
Contributions to a third candidate, Esther Charlestin, slowed sharply in July. She pulled in just under $3,050 for the period. Her total contributions of $38,500 lagged well behind the other two.
All three candidates have vowed not to take money from corporate PACs.
The GOP candidate in the general election, incumbent John Rodgers, doesn’t have a primary challenger. Rodgers is building up a war chest that includes some corporate cash.
Google gave him $5,180; Altria (formerly known as Philip Morris Companies), $1,500; and Anheuser-Busch Companies, $500. Rodgers also received a $4,480 donation from the Republican State Leadership Committee Vermont PAC.
To date he’s raised just over $89,000.
Kean MacLelland, Rodgers’ campaign manager, said taking corporate money doesn’t affect Rodgers’ independence.
“John accepts legal and fully disclosed contributions from Vermonters and organizations that share his commitment to serving Vermonters,” MacLelland said.
Kevin McCallum contributed reporting.