Bob Barr’s Leadership PAC is facing a great deal of scrutiny, especially from the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. They reported on the low rate at which his PAC contributes to the “Conservative” candidates the PAC claims to help raise funds.
In the last five years the fund has given $125,200 —- about three cents of every dollar raised —- to federal candidates and other campaign committees, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has found in a review of reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. Another $81,875 went to state and local campaigns.
The fund spent more than $710,000 in that period on administrative costs, including office expenses, $41,109 in salary for Barr’s son Derek and a $500 political consulting fee for his son Adrian. It also paid $865 for travel for Barr’s wife, Jeri.
Most of the fund’s spending —- $3.3 million, or about 78 percent of all gifts from donors —- paid for raising more money, including mailing lists, postage and telemarketing.
Of the $1,393,750 that the PAC raised last year, a mere $51,050 (or 4%) was contributed to Federal candidates or committees. This is rivaled only by Alan Keyes’ DeclarationAlliance PAC, which contributed only 2.8% to Federal candidates.
The expenses-to-donations ratio is pretty out there, but I don’t see why his focusing on the lower-level races is objectionable.
Barr might be too close to the beltway, but he’s also close enough to at least double or triple the LP’s vote total, and that would have positive effects on ballot access and name recognition no matter what anyone may think of Barr.
I’m still more pissed about Viguerie than separating gullible Republicans from their money. But everyone’ll see why when the FEC reports come in and my final total’s out there.
This, combined with the FairTax and Barr’s contributions to Neo-con Republicans instead of Libertarians should sink his candidacy.