The lack of a major super PAC vehicle is a source of concern among top Trump advisers, some of whom have reached out to experienced strategists in recent weeks to gauge their interest in launching a new entity, according to multiple people familiar with the conversations. Such outreach is potentially risky, since federal law prohibits a candidate’s agent from establishing a super PAC.
As of Feb. 29, super PACs have spent more than $226 million on the 2016 races. Here’s what a super PAC can (and can’t) legally do. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)When asked if he was aware of such talks, Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski did not respond directly, writing in an email, “Mr. Trump continues to disavow all Super PAC’s.”
That unequivocal statement probably will further confuse major donors, who interpreted Trump’s softening rhetoric on super PACs in recent media interviews as a sign that he was open to their support. (“I know that people maybe like me and they form a super PAC, but I have nothing to do with it,” he told NBC last week.) On Saturday night, Trump retweeted a link to a New York Times report that Adelson is willing to spend as much as $100 million to boost his bid.
Senior Republican strategists think that it would be extremely difficult for Trump to be competitive in the general election without the help of a well-financed outside operation. Trump is just now assembling a fundraising team to try to raise $1 billion for his campaign and for the Republican Party in five months, a steep goal.