Outside Spending
A January 2010 Supreme Court decision (Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission) permits corporations and unions to make political expenditures from their treasuries directly and through other organizations, as long as the spending — often in the form of TV ads — is done independently of any candidate. In many cases, the activity takes place without complete or immediate disclosure about who is funding it, preventing voters from understanding who is truly behind many political messages. The spending figures cited are what the groups reported to the FEC; it does not account for all the money the groups spent since certain kinds of ads are not required to be reported. See more on the reporting rules regarding outside spending.
Total by Type of Spender, 2022
| Type of Group | Total Spent | # of Groups Registered | # of Groups Spending to date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super PACs | $258,061,751 | 2,162 | 309 |
| Social Welfare 501(c)(4) | $3,763,171 | N/A | 37 |
| Trade Assns 501(c)(6) | $351,639 | N/A | 4 |
| Unions 501(c)(5) | $727,489 | N/A | 5 |
| Parties | $13,623,532 | 139 | 8 |
| Other (corporations, individual people, other groups, etc) | $90,482,891 | 811 | 132 |
| Grand Total: | $367,010,473 | 3,196 | 495 |
Renaud Brown for Annapolis Delegate 2022 