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      Understanding nonconnected PACs

Understanding nonconnected PACs A nonconnected committee is a political committee that is not a party committee, an authorized committee of a candidate or a separate segregated fund established by a corporation or labor organization. Although nonconnected committees and corporate or labor separate segregated funds (SSFs) are both commonly called “political action committees” or “PACs,” a nonconnected committee is distinguishable from an SSF by the following basic features: No connected organization A nonconnected committee does not have a “connected organization”—that is, no corporation or labor organization establishes, administers or raises money for a nonconnected committee. (An SSF, by definition, always has a sponsoring corporation or labor organization.) However, a nonconnected committee may nonetheless receive limited financial and administrative support from a sponsoring organization that is not a corporation or a labor organization, such as a partnership or an unincorporated association. Limited sponsorship All forms of support including money and other things of value received by a nonconnected committee from a sponsoring organization are considered contributions, which are subject to annual limits, prohibitions and disclosure requirements under the Federal Election Campaign Act. By contrast, an SSF may generally receive unlimited administrative support from its connected organization, and such support is usually not subject to federal disclosure requirements. Unrestricted solicitations Unlike an SSF, a nonconnected committee may solicit contributions from anyone in the general public who may lawfully make a contribution in connection with a federal election. An SSF, by contrast, may solicit only a limited class of individuals who have specific relationships with the connected organization (i.e., stockholders or members and certain employees of the connected organization and their families).
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          Registering as a nonconnected PACTypes of nonconnected PACs Need help? Get help from the FEC by phone or email
 Continue learning about this topic Forming a political action committee
 Legal citations Regulations 11 CFR 100.5(a)Definition of political committee 11 CFR 106.6(a)Allocation of expenses between federal and nonfederal activities by separate segregated funds and nonconnected committees


This information is not intended to replace the law or to change its meaning, nor does this information create or confer any rights for or on any person or bind the Federal Election Commission or the public. The reader is encouraged also to consult the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (52 U.S.C. 30101 et seq.), Commission regulations (Title 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations), Commission advisory opinions and applicable court decisions.


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