Democratic Super PAC raises individual, union, corporate and Super PAC contributions

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The House Majority PAC, one of the two Democratic Super PACs currently seeking permission from the Federal Election Commission to have federal candidates and party officials solicit funds for them, has disclosed its first batch of donors in the 2012 election cycle. Among the big givers are stalwart Democratic donors, including unions like the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees ($200,000) and the Communications Workers of America ($50,000), individuals like Fred Eychaner ($100,000) and George Soros ($75,000), trial law firm Kazan McClain Lyons Greenwood & Harley ($10,000), tech company Integrated Archive Systems ($25,000) and America's Families First Action Fund ($50,000), which is itself a Super PAC.

Super PACs, or independent expenditure-only committees, can raise unlimited money from individuals, corporations and labor unions and spend it to influence federal elections, provided they don't coordinate with candidates or party committees.

Law firm Perkins Coie represents both groups; Robert Bauer, an attorney at the firm and former White House Chief Counsel, represents the Democratic National Committee and President Barack Obama's reelection campaign. 

The donations to the House Majority PAC arrived between April 19 and May 23, 2011. Most of the donations were received before James Bopp Jr., a conservative lawyer and co-founder of an independent expenditure-only committee called the Republican Super PAC, announced that he intended to enlist Republican federal candidates and party officials in fundraising efforts for his group.

The Center for Responsive Politics reported yesterday that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., solicited on behalf of the Majority PAC, a companion organization of the House Majority PAC that focuses on supporting Democratic Senate candidates. Reid's solicitation was dated on June 21.