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A pro-Donald Trump super PAC has tapped Jesse Benton, a veteran Republican operative with ties to Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell, to serve as its chief strategist. The move is the latest indication that the super PAC, dubbed Great America PAC, is developing into a serious organization — one looking to buttress Trump in the final stretch of the Republican primary and, potentially, the general election. "There is a growing movement behind Donald Trump, bringing new voters to the GOP in an unprecedented way,” Benton wrote in an email. “Great America PAC will help grow and harness that movement, unify...

Just when you thought the Republican Establishment couldn’t sink any lower…. The GOP establishment is desperate — And they will run any smear they can against GOP frontrunner Donald Trump to take him out.

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump took to Twitter on Monday to denounce a super political action committee opposing his campaign that's primarily funded by Marlene Ricketts, whose family owns the Chicago Cubs. "I hear the Rickets (sic) family, who own the Chicago Cubs, are secretly spending $'s against me. They better be careful, they have a lot to hide!" wrote Trump ...

One small governor's race has turned into a cattle call for potential 2016 presidential candidates: Nebraska. Specifically, one candidate in the Cornhusker State is getting outsized attention from talked-about Republican presidential contenders. (SNIP) "Ted Cruz and Paul Ryan and Mike Pence, they don't know the difference between Pete Ricketts and Jon Bruning or any of the other candidates in this race," said Bruning campaign manager Jordan McGrain. "They know his last name is Ricketts."

Ted Cruz's campaign sent a letter to TV stations across South Carolina and Georgia on Tuesday, demanding that they stop airing what it calls "a false attack ad" from the conservative super PAC American Future Fund that goes after the Texas senator on national security. "The ad falsely claims 'Cruz proposed mass legalization of illegal immigrants.' Ted Cruz has never introduced, outlined, or supported any policy that would give legal status to illegal immigrants," wrote Eric Brown, general counsel to the campaign, in the letter shared with the media. "Indeed, quite the opposite, Ted Cruz led the fight in Congress...

News articles concerning the most influential political donors in America typically list the same names: The Koch brothers, George Soros, Sheldon Adelson and, lately, Tom Steyer. But as we reach the end of 2015, none of these billionaires has spent big in the 2016 contest, at least not at an individual candidate level. In their absence, a number of lesser known donors are shaping up to be major players in 2016. Here are five to watch: 1. The DeVos Family We're cheating by including a whole family in our list, but there is no way of separating out this high-spending...

A decision in this regard was taken by the newly formed 'Indian Americans for Trump 2016' - a political action committee - at its meeting in New Jersey on Tuesday. A group of Indian-Americans supporting Donald Trump have decided to campaign and run advertisements in New Hampshire after the Republican presidential front-runner suffered a shock defeat in Iowa. A decision in this regard was taken by the newly formed 'Indian Americans for Trump 2016' - a political action committee - at its meeting in New Jersey on Tuesday. "To turn out Indian Americans in New Hampshire to vote for Donald...

Manchester, New Hampshire (CNN)A super PAC spending millions of dollars to bash Ted Cruz's Republican rivals is shielding the names of many of its top donors and strategists, accepting and directing donations through a particularly high number of hard-to-trace companies, new documents reveal. Stand for Truth, Inc., an emerging player in the orbit of often clashing constellation of pro-Cruz super PACs, recently pledged to air more than $4 million in television ads to back Cruz in Iowa and South Carolina. Super PACs can accept unlimited contributions but are required to disclose their financial backers. The twist here is that Stand...

A group of Indian-Americans has formed a committee to campaign for Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, describing him the best hope for the country. 'Indian-Americans for Trump 2016' -- which was registered as a political action committee on January 21 with the federal election commission -- aims at garnering support of Indian-Americans to have Donald J Trump become the next president of the United States. In a media release, the PAC said A D Amar, a business professor with Seton Hall University in New Jersey has been elected as its president; while New York-based attorney Anand Ahuja as its vice...

The controversial J Street PAC announced it will center its attention on attempting to unseat Republicans who led efforts to oppose President Obama’s Iran nuclear deal and will focus on Sen. Ron Johnson (R., Wis.) during the 2016 elections, according to the Times of Israel. They write: J Street will focus this year on unseating Republican senators in Illinois and Wisconsin who led opposition to the Iran nuclear deal. In an interview with JTA on Friday, Ben Shnider, political director of the liberal Jewish Middle East policy group, said the organization would focus on defeating Sen. Mark Kirk from Illinois...

Political action committees (Super PACs) have become a popular way for candidates to dodge those annoying regulations set up by the FEC when it comes to individual donations. As long as Super PACs don't "coordinate" *wink wink nudge nudge* with the campaigns they support, they can do just about anything they want. Taking a look at the 5 candidates who have a realistic shot of being president, and their PAC money, should help us gain a little insight into who their biggest financial supporters are. This can also tell us what kind of a presidency to expect from them. 1....

A new 2-minute video by the Madison Project political action committee plugs presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, as a consistent conservative and non-establishment candidate who can "break the Washington cartel."Madison Project Ted Cruz HD (Video)The video comprises television and radio clips of Cruz addressing a half-dozen issues that have controlled mainstream media news cycles and occupied Cruz's grassroots base. These include the Supreme Court's judicial activism in its Affordable Care Act and marriage rulings, the nation's law enforcement and national security crisis caused by illegal immigration, taxes and over-regulation crippling small businesses, and Planned Parenthood performing abortions.Raz Shafer, a...

I used to feel bad for Jeb because he was so overmatched in his war of words with Trump, but Trump doesn’t bother much with him now that he’s faded in the polls. Lately I feel bad for him because no matter how far he falls and how much people goof on his struggles, he and his team seem dead set on staggering on to New Hampshire. His ads may be ineffective and his media appearances may be completely overshadowed by Trump’s, but there’s simply no way Bushworld will accept the humiliation of quitting the race before any votes...

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, left, speaks at a campaign event on Nov. 28, 2015, in Iowa as U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, far right, looks on. (Photo by Patrick Svitek) LAMONI, Iowa — Ted Cruz and his campaign are offering their harshest and most extensive criticism yet of Marco Rubio since the U.S. Senate colleagues began clashing over immigration and national security issues.Speaking with reporters before a town hall here, Texas' junior senator repeatedly pushed back on a TV ad airing in Iowa that suggests Cruz "voted to weaken America's ability to identify and hunt down terrorists." The spot was produced...

"Why are Marco Rubio's RINO donors attacking Ted Cruz for fighting Barack Obama's NSA spying? Because Ted Cruz is surging in the polls and Rubio's people are desperate. Desperate because Rubio stood with Obama and Chuck Schumer on his Gang of Eight Amnesty scheme and it's hurting, so Rubio's lashing out..."

Monday on MSNBC’s “Hardball,” while discussing a new pro-Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) super PAC ad featuring an anti-gun control message that references Presidents Barack Obama’s gun control push after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) called on Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) to disavow the ad.

Pro-Amnesty Club for Growth PAC Spends Millions To Attack Candidate Donald Trump Using Pro-Rubio Media Firm... Similar to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce - "Club for Growth" is a Political Action Committee who support: Amnesty, H1B visa growth programs, ObamaCare and the anti-American Trans-Pacific Trade Deal. CfG also has deep connections to Goldman Sachs and former banking executives. Club For Growth only supports candidates who support their "open borders"/ "globalist" objectives: ♦ Amnesty ♦ Comprehensive Immigration Reform ♦ Trans-Pacific Trade Deal Their current favored candidates are Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. From September 1st through September 30th Club For Growth...

I am sorry to have to do this, but as a representative of the mainstream media, I hereby declare war on GOP presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz. In the media's defense, Cruz started it. Literally. -- snip -- Strap on your boots, Teddy boy. We're comin' for ya now. And we've got the weapon you fear the most: the truth.

What is only whispered within the Beltway is the Carson candidacy is not so much a serious effort to make him president as a fundraising scheme–and a very effective one. A polished team is making millions flogging a hopeless black candidate to guilt-ridden Republicans who are wasting every dollar they contribute. It’s a tactic they have perfected with several black long shots. The man who filed the paperwork to set up National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee and is now its political director, Vernon Robinson, made around a quarter of a million dollars in 2014. Mother Jones reports about...

No, not that personal tragedy. His other personal tragedy. Despite 35 years in the Senate and seven more as VP, this is the very first thing his biggest fans want low-information voters to know about him. I wonder if Biden quietly signed off on this just like he quietly leaked that “do it for Beau” anecdote to Maureen Dowd.But … it’s a good ad, no? However crass you may find this “He’s suffered enough so let’s make him president” campaign pitch, it’s a superb contrast with the RoboClinton. This is exactly the sort of thing the public likes about...