Club for Growth Action
{{Infobox non-profit
| name = Club for Growth Action
| image =
| type = Political action committee
| tax_id =
| founded_date = 2010
| founder =
| location = Washington, D.C.
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| origins =
| key_people = David M. McIntosh
| area_served = United States
| focus = "Defeating big-government politicians and replacing them with pro-growth, limited government conservatives."{{cite web|title=Club for Growth Action|url=http://www.clubforgrowth.org/about/club-for-growth-action/|accessdate=4 November 2016}}
| method = Congressional elections
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| homepage = {{URL|http://www.clubforgrowth.org/about/club-for-growth-action/|Official website}}
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}}
Club for Growth Action is an independent-expenditure only committee or Super PAC with a stated mission of "defeating big-government politicians and replacing them with pro-growth, limited government conservatives." Club for Growth Action spends money running political advertising campaigns in congressional races throughout the country.{{cite web|title=Club for Growth Action|url=http://www.factcheck.org/2012/04/club-for-growth-action/|work=FactCheck.org|date=26 April 2012 |publisher=Annenberg Public Policy Center|accessdate=1 March 2013}}
Founded in August 2010, Club for Growth Action is an arm of the Club for Growth.{{cite web|last=Marcus|first=Rachael|title=PAC profile: Club for Growth Action|url=http://www.publicintegrity.org/2012/08/22/10740/pac-profile-club-growth-action|work=Consider the Source|date=22 August 2012 |publisher=Center for Public Integrity|accessdate=1 March 2013}}
Political action
Club for Growth Action states that it is “dedicated to a single mission: beating big government politicians” of both parties. The group targets mostly Republicans in primaries and Democrats in the general election. It initially opposed Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential primaries.
In February 2013, Club for Growth Action launched a website called “PrimaryMyCongressman.com." Club for Growth president Chris Chocola said the website would "serve as a tool to hold opponents of economic freedom and limited government accountable for their actions.” According to Club for Growth Action, the website will "rotate liberal Republicans through the website to highlight their failed records on limiting government." The first nine targets were Republicans Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, a voluble Donald Trump foe, plus Mike Simpson, Rick Crawford, Frank Lucas, Steven Palazzo, Martha Roby, Larry Bucshon, Renee Ellmers, and Aaron Schock.{{cite news|title=Club for Growth targets Idaho Rep. Simpson for defeat in 2014|url=http://blogs.idahostatesman.com/club-for-growth-targets-idahos-simpson-for-defeat-in-2014/|accessdate=1 March 2013|newspaper=Idaho Statesman|date=2013-02-27}}{{cite news|last=Wing|first=Nick|title=Club For Growth Launches New Effort To Recruit GOP Primary Challengers Against Republicans|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/27/club-for-growth-primary_n_2774662.html|accessdate=1 March 2013|newspaper=Huffington Post|date=2013-02-27}}
Expenditures
Club for Growth Action has spent millions of dollars on independent expenditures in support of candidates endorsed by the Club for Growth PAC. Those candidates include Ted Cruz, Pat Toomey, Jeff Flake, Tom Cotton, Chris McDaniel, Dan Sullivan, and Ben Sasse.{{cite web|title=Club for Growth Action Independent Expenditures|url=https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/indexpend.php?cycle=2012&cmte=C00487470 |publisher=OpenSecrets}}{{cite web|title=Club for Growth Action|url=http://reporting.sunlightfoundation.com/outside-spending/committee/club-for-growth-action/C00487470/|publisher=Sunlight Foundation|accessdate=1 March 2013}}{{cite news|last=McClaughlin|first=Seth|title=Club for Growth targets Sen. Mark Pryor over spending|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2013/sep/26/club-growth-targets-sen-mark-pryor-over-spending/|accessdate=14 January 2014|newspaper=Washington Times|date=2013-09-28}}{{cite news|last=Joseph|first=Cameron|title=Pryor, Club for Growth in Arkansas ad slugfest|url=https://thehill.com/video/senate/327149-pryor-club-for-growth-release-dueling-ads-in-arkansas/|access-date=14 January 2014|newspaper=The Hill|date=October 8, 2013}}{{cite news|last=Logiuratu|first=Brett|title=One of the Longest Serving Republican Senators Just Set Up a Huge Challenge With the Tea Party Next Year|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/thad-cochran-chris-mcdaniel-senate-2014-election-tea-party-2013-12|accessdate=14 January 2014|newspaper=Business Insider|date=December 6, 2013}}{{cite web|title=Club for Growth Action|url=http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/recips.php?cycle=2014&cmte=C00487470|publisher=OpenSecrets|access-date=2014-01-14|archive-date=2014-01-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140115025010/http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/recips.php?cycle=2014&cmte=C00487470|url-status=dead}}
In 2015, after Mike Huckabee announced he was running for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, Club for Growth Action announced a $100,000 ad buy critical of Huckabee's tax record.{{cite news|last1=Weigel|first1=David|title=Here's the Commercial the Club for Growth Will Run Against Mike Huckabee|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-05-05/here-s-the-commercial-the-club-for-growth-will-run-against-mike-huckabee|accessdate=5 May 2015|publisher=Bloomberg|date=May 5, 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|title=Anti-Tax Group Wastes No Time Targeting Mike Huckabee|url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/05/05/anti-tax-group-wastes-no-time-targeting-huckabee/|accessdate=5 May 2015|work=New York Times|date=May 5, 2015}}
Club for Growth Action was critical of Donald Trump's candidacy, announcing a $1 million advertising buy against his campaign in September 2015. In March 2016, the Club for Growth aired $1.5 million worth of anti-Trump advertisements in Florida.{{cite news|last1=Epstein|first1=Reid|title=Super PACS Launch Anti-Trump Ads in Florida, Illinois and Michigan|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2016/03/02/super-pacs-launch-anti-trump-ads-in-florida-illinois-and-michigan/|accessdate=3 March 2016|publisher=Wall Street Journal|date=March 2, 2016}} The Club for Growth Action also ran anti-Trump advertisements in Illinois and Wisconsin.{{cite news|last1=Bauer|first1=Scott|last2=Pace|first2=Julie|title=Trump stumbling in Wisconsin as forces coalesce against him|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-stumbling-in-wisconsin-as-forces-coalesce-against-him|access-date=1 April 2016|work=Frontline|publisher=PBS|date=April 1, 2016}} In April 2016, Club for Growth Action announced a $1.5 million anti-Trump advertising buy in Indiana in advance of that state's presidential primary.{{cite news|last1=Sherfinski|first1=David|title=Club for Growth Action launching $1.5 million anti-Trump ad buy in Indiana|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/apr/21/club-growth-action-launching-15-million-anti-trump/|accessdate=2 May 2016|work=Washington Times|date=April 21, 2016}} The group's advertisements highlighted Trump's support for liberal policies, such as a single-payer health insurance system and tax increases.{{cite news|last1=Rappeport|first1=Alan|title=Donald Trump Threatens to Sue Club for Growth Over Ad Campaign|url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/09/22/donald-trump-threatens-to-sue-club-for-growth-over-ad-campaign/|accessdate=8 October 2015|work=New York Times|date=September 22, 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Confessore|first1=Nicholas|last2=Rappeport|first2=Alan|title=Donald Trump Is Target of Conservative Ad Campaign|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/16/us/politics/club-for-growth-donald-trump-presidential-election.html|accessdate=8 October 2015|work=New York Times|date=September 15, 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Schouten|first1=Fredreka|title=Club for Growth launches ad campaign against Donald Trump in Iowa|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/2015/09/15/donald-trump-club-for-growth-ads-iowa-presidential-campaign/72306172/|accessdate=8 October 2015|publisher=USA Today|date=September 15, 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Adler|first1=Jonathan|title=Donald Trump v. Club for Growth|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/09/25/donald-trump-v-club-for-growth/|accessdate=8 October 2015|newspaper=Washington Post|date=September 25, 2015}}
In the 2022 election cycle, Club for Growth Action spent a total of $81,355,585 in independent expenditures.{{Cite web |title=Club for Growth Profile: Summary |url=https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/club-for-growth/summary?contribcycle=2022&id=D000000763&lobcycle=2022&outspendcycle=2022&topnumcycle=2022&toprecipcycle=2022 |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=OpenSecrets |language=en}} These have included generating television ads against Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Cheri Beasley, Democratic U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Pat McCrory.{{Citation |title="We Won't Know" CFG Action Ad (NC-SEN) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6xYrhbtGQ4 |access-date=2023-09-26 |publisher=Club for Growth Action |language=en}}{{Citation |title="IRS Invasion" CFG Action Ad (NV-SEN) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6bPXI-TG18 |access-date=2023-09-26 |publisher=Club for Growth Action |language=en}}{{Citation |title="Faker" Club for Growth Action Ad (NC-Sen) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38PuugV0DuA |access-date=2023-09-26 |publisher=Club for Growth Action |language=en}}
Funding
Club for Growth Action used to receive in-kind contributions from the Club for Growth, but now it receives all of its funding from individual donors. The Center for Public Integrity gave Club for Growth Action a high transparency grade for "significant disclosure." Top donors to Club for Growth Action in 2022 include Jeff Yass, Richard Uihlein, and Virginia James.{{Cite web |title=Club for Growth Action PAC Donors |url=https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/club-for-growth-action/C00487470/donors/2022 |access-date=2023-09-23 |website=OpenSecrets |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- {{official|http://www.clubforgrowth.org/about/club-for-growth-action}}
- [http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Club_for_Growth_Action Profile] at Ballotpedia
- [http://www.factcheck.org/2012/04/club-for-growth-action/ Club for Growth Action at FactCheck.org]
- [http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C00487470 Campaign finance] at OpenSecrets.org
- [http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/indexpend.php?cmte=C00487470&cycle=2012 Independent expenditures] at OpenSecrets.org