This article is from the archive of our partner .

GOP fundraisers have created a monster. Or better yet, an army of monsters. The super PACs assembled to support the GOP presidential candidates have become more powerful and more self-sufficient than the candidates' own campaigns. In January, the super PACs supporting the top four candidates raised $22.1 million more and kept $5 million more cash on hand than the candidates themselves. Here's how the super PACs have over-shadowed each campaign, according to financial data filed Monday.

Mitt Romney Perhaps benefitting the most from his super PAC, Romney is more dependent on the Restore Our Future PAC than ever before given that his campaign has maxed out many of its donors who have given the maximum $2,500 to his campaign. According to The New York Times' Nick Confessore, about 44 percent of all Romney's contributors have reached the limit stipulated by federal law, leaving the super PAC, which can raise unlimited funds, to pickup the cash overflow. By comparison, Confessore notes: "About 5 percent of Mr. Paul’s donors, 14 percent of Mr. Gingrich’s donors and 30 percent of Mr. Santorum’s donors had maxed out, meaning that a vast majority of their contributors can continue to give more money this year."