As the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel‘s bombshell story notes,
Feingold’s campaign bought the mailing list created by Progressives United PAC and has raised about $290,000 from individuals who donated to the PAC in 2014…$60,000 more than the total amount given by Progressives United PAC directly to federal candidates in the last three election cycles.
Given the staggering amount of out-of-state contributions responsible for fueling his campaign coffers, it is now abundantly clear why the slush fund PAC spent nearly half of its resources raising more money for itself and only 5% on other federal candidates and political parties. Senator Feingold manufactured Progressives United to serve as his national fundraising nerve center – an out-of-state contributions factory whose product was broken promises.
The self-declared mission of Progressives United was to "work to show how money flows through the political system, who is giving, who is benefitting, and what that money is buying."
The PAC achieved its mission; Progressives United successfully showed how money flows through the political system and what that money is buying: Russ Feingold’s desperate campaign to go back to Washington, DC after spending 18 years in the Senate.
ICYMI, read the Journal Sentinel‘s latest exposé on Mr. Clean’s utter campaign finance hypocrisy:
Top beneficiary of Progressives United might be Russ Feingold himself
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By Daniel Bice
April 26, 2016
Former U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold set a specific goal when he set up Progressives United PAC shortly after losing his seat to Republican challenger Ron Johnson in 2010.
Feingold, a Democrat, said he wanted the political action committee "to support candidates that will stand up to corporate influence and oppose those who blindly push the agenda of their corporate backers."
Now the question is this: Has Feingold proved to be the primary beneficiary of that work by Progressives United PAC and its nonprofit arm, Progressives United Inc.?
It certainly appears so — whether that was the intent or not.
In important ways, Feingold’s campaign against Johnson has picked up on the successes of Progressives United Inc. and PAC, which spent a combined $10 million since 2011.
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Consider these connections between his current campaign and Progressives United:
■Eight of his campaign aides came from Progressives United Inc. or PAC, including four who drew income from both. Feingold also was paid to serve as president of his Progressives United Inc. for a stint.
■Feingold’s campaign is relying on the same direct mail, telemarketing and online firms that were used by the two Progressives United entities.
So far, Feingold’s campaign has paid $1.9 million to the three firms: Nexus Direct, Trilogy Interactive and Integral Resources. The same three companies received $6.3million from Progressives United Inc. and PAC — representing nearly two-thirds of their total outlay.
■Feingold’s campaign bought the mailing list created by Progressives United PAC and has raised about $290,000 from individuals who donated to the PAC in 2014.
While this represents only a fraction of the Feingold campaign’s total $10.8 million income, it is also $60,000 more than the total amount given by Progressives United PAC directly to federal candidates in the last three election cycles.
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Feingold lost his Senate seat in 2010 after 18 years. Not long after that, the Middleton Democrat set up Progressives United PAC and Inc. to help liberal candidates and others opposing "the exploding corporate influence" in politics.
If nothing else, the two groups kept Feingold and his aides in the political game.
The two organizations have come under criticism for pouring the bulk of their funds into raising money. Another sizable chunk went to pay salaries or consulting fees for Feingold, his top aide and eight former campaign and Senate staffers.
In all, Progressives United PAC gave only 5% of its funds, or $355,000, directly to federal candidates and political parties.
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It’s hard not to see some connections between the two Progressives United groups and Feingold’s current campaign.
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These eight staffers represent a third of Feingold’s current team of 25 campaign workers, though most of the former Progressives United employees hold key positions in the campaign.
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Feingold’s campaign acknowledged that it bought Progressives United’s mailing list to hit up past donors of that group.
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Records show the Feingold campaign has seen an uptick every quarter in the number of donors who also gave to Progressives United in 2014. Overall, by Feingold’s account, those 93 individuals have given $288,476 to his campaign over the past year.
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