PACs promote Sanders, whether he likes it or not

Nicole Gaudiano | USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Sen. Bernie Sanders has long denounced super PACs and the unlimited sums they spend in support of candidates.

But that hasn't stopped independent political action committees from forming in support of his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

One such committee, "Bet on Bernie 2016," even arranged for Sanders' photo to flash — without his knowledge, according to the Vermont senator — on an electronic billboard last month in New York City's Times Square.

"I have not sanctioned any super PAC," Sanders, an independent, said in an interview. "A major problem of our campaign finance system is that anybody can start a super PAC on behalf of anybody and can say anything. And this is what makes our current campaign finance situation totally absurd."

A Bet on Bernie news release says it is seeking volunteers to participate in telethons, raise money and boost Sanders on social media. The committee is a hybrid PAC that has one account for making donations to Sanders and another super PAC-style account for making independent expenditures to boost his candidacy.

"We want to raise 50 million bucks but, you know, we're getting pledges, and Hollywood just jumped into this," said Bet on Bernie's chairman, Cary Peterson.

Peterson, a newly registered lobbyist given to self-promotion — "I'm a very interesting guy" — has not yet had to file a report with the Federal Election Commission that would support his fundraising claims.

Another pro-Sanders PAC, "Northern Michigan for Bernie Sanders," was formed by Colby Winter, 18, who will graduate June 7 from high school in Traverse City, Mich. Winter said he and his friends are seeking donations of up to $400 to help spread Sanders' ideas about education and campaign finance reform.

Their group meets the definition of a super PAC, but they don't like the term.

"We feel it's derogatory," Winter said. "We don't like super PACs. That's what we're working against."

Organizers of pro-Sanders PACs say they share Sanders' view that the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United vs. FEC is undermining democracy and should be overturned. The 2010 decision helped pave the way for super PACs that may spend unlimited funds in support of candidates as long as they operate independently of political campaigns.

Vermont state Rep. Christopher Pearson of Burlington, who formed the has "Draft Bernie" super PAC, has voted to call for a constitutional convention to overturn the Citizens United decision. He acknowledged a certain "irony" in his decision to start Draft Bernie.

"I think big money in politics is a deeply corrupting influence, but I also recognize that changing the debate in this country requires resources," said Pearson, who worked for Sanders in the late 1990s. "People with my point of view and Bernie's point of view are heavily outgunned by big-money interests, and I think we've got to use the tools that are out there in order to spread a message that I think resonates with a lot of voters."

Sanders said he prefers that his supporters donate directly to his presidential campaign. Such donations are limited by law. So far, the bulk of his fundraising is from 130,000 individuals who have contributed donations averaging $40 via his campaign website. Sanders does not accept contributions from corporate PACs.

Mike Hersh, spokesman for Progressive Democrats of America, said his organization — a traditional PAC — just filed paperwork to become a hybrid PAC to promote Sanders. The group would "shift gears" if Sanders asked it to stop raising money to support his candidacy, Hersh said. But he said forming the hybrid PAC was the easiest way to raise money to make the case for Sanders and his issues — including overturning Citizens United.

"One of the things we want to do is succeed to the point where our … PAC is not allowed to exist anymore," Hersh said. "It's a suicide PAC."

Draft Bernie is the only pro-Sanders super PAC that has had to file a contributions report with the FEC. Filing deadlines for the other PACs have not yet arrived. Draft Bernie raised only about $6,800 last year and spent about $5,100.

Sanders said there's a distinction between such small-scale efforts and super PACs that raise huge sums in support of top-tier candidates.

"They'll have more influence on their campaign than the candidate actually will," he said. "That is totally crazy."

Another concern: Super PACs formed solely to make money for their organizers, he said.

"Or, they can be saying really dumb things, supposedly in the name of the candidate," Sanders said. "And that's pretty dangerous."