You’re not the worst run PAC of the Big-3 according to at least one metric.
Aron posted an Anchorage Daily News article on another thread. It seems that SarahPAC’s first FEC filing had garnered it a Request For Additional Information from the FEC. The ADN was trying to make a big deal out of it.
Such RFAIs are fairly routine with PACs. PACs file hundreds of pages of detailed information that must comply with a bazillion Federal regulations, some of which are contradictory and confusing. It is no surprise that nearly all PACs get them filed against them on a fairly regular basis.
That got me curious. How does this compare to other PACs? So I got out the filings for the Big-3 PACs and downloaded all the RFAIs filed against them. I then went through each RFAI to determine how many items of concern are in each of them. I then totaled all the pages of filings, the total number of RFAI items, and determined the rate of filing pages per RFAI item for each PAC. Here are my results:
Total # Pages / Total # RFAI items / # pages per item
FnSAPAC: 1768 / 21 / 84.2
HuckPAC: 668 / 12 / 55.7
SarahPAC: 265 / 7 / 33.9
So HuckPAC — which heretofore has been the best at being the worst-run PAC of the big three — comes in second this time, and SarahPAC comes in dead last. They were more than twice as bad as Romney’s FnSAPAC.
One other interesting factoid gleaned from the RFAIs. The worst FnSAPAC ever got cited for was three items in one RFAI. The worse RFAI for HuckPAC cited four items. SarahPAC got cited for seven in one RFAI. Ouch!
What does this all mean? Not much. As I said, RFAIs are par for the course for PACs. Remember, SarahPAC was likely set up with a minimum budget and an inexperienced staff. It should not come as a surprise if they made a few mistakes, especially considering the overwhelming response they got. So don’t make a big deal out of this. It is an interesting observation, no more.
All the same, it is only fair to relieve HuckPAC of the Howard/Howard/Fine award for Excellence in PAC Management and pass it on to the new holder. So this is for you, SarahPAC. Wear it in good health. 
Oh, and don’t get too smug, FnSAPAC. Another month or two of deficit spending and this can be yours.
August 28th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Isn’t a second month of deficit spending all but assured if your theory about his big money donors being tapped turns out to be accurate? I believe internet traffic is the best way to ascertain the volume of small-donors because how else are you going to make the donations?
August 28th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Tommy,
The award is for PAC (mis)Management. A month or two of deficit spending does not constitute mismanagement. Three or more in a row with no sign of cutting back on expenses — now that is another story.
August 28th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
So you felt the need to post, on the front page, negative information about the candidates that you yourself admit towards the end of your own post means nothing. Isn’t this what we’re always complaining the MSM does to our candidates on a routine basis? What was your point?
August 28th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Alaska,
I posted it precisely because it was no big deal. The best way to tell that to people is on the front page, not buried deep down in some obscure thread about dysfunctional states.
August 28th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
AJ,
It’s a little tongue-in-cheek from MarK but hopefully Palin’s PAC will correct the errors so that it doesn’t come up again.
August 28th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
And more to the point, AJ. I have tweaked HuckPAC for every bit of news no matter how small that casts aspersions upon their management effectiveness. I also posted where Romney’s PAC reported lousy numbers last month. In all the above instances, I have provided my honest commentary on them.
Now, should I not treat SarahPAC in the same manner?
Fair is fair after all.
August 28th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
No tommy. It might mean some of us used our extra income to take vacations and such. I have not seen any stats, but I would think that July and Aug might be a slow month for many pac. Especially in an off year.
August 28th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
6. You’re right marK. I’m just tired of minor gotcha stories when there’s so much worse going on. I’ve been reading too much news today. My fault for being so cynical.
August 28th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
MarK
And how is this post helpful to the conservative cause?
Seems like a better use of our time to talk about what the candidates are doing to help our cause.
August 28th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
#8. That’s quite alright. I hate gotcha stories, too.
August 28th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
#9,
Well, for one, it reminds us that we are all human and subject to mistakes.
For another, it helps us to not take ourselves too seriously.
August 28th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
I think we should remember that at least SarahPAC is not funneling money to family members, nor in the red.
August 28th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Holy crap Martha kinda sorta defended Palin??? Stop the presses!
August 28th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Yes, I noticed that too, AJ.
August 28th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
So there’s your answer, Texas. That qualifies as helping the conservative cause, doesn’t it?
August 28th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
hahaha I take back my criticism marK. Martha’s defense of Palin is the best news I’ve heard in months. This now qualifies as a positive post.
August 28th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Mitt Romney won’t the nominee in 2012. He is not conservative. I don’t understand why these Republicans want him to run again. Look what happened to him in the last 2008 primary election. He lost. The reason he lost because the Republican conservatives don’t trust him and they didn’t vote for him. He is so liberal. Romney does lie about every issues what he stand for. Huckabee won just about every states in the South in the 2008 primary election. Hope Palin will run for President in 2012. She is a true conservative. Palin will get my vote. Not Romney!
August 28th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
MarK
Romney’s PAC numbers may not be as bad some think.
I do remember reading during the 08 primary, that Romney likes to only raise the amount of funds needed for a certain period of time, he must think his PAC has what they need for now.
After the primary, he returned money back to the donors, even when they didn’t ask.
I am on his donate list and I haven’t gotten a fundraising letter for over a month, so this makes sense.
August 28th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Well Alaska and Texas, looking back at this post after several hours, I think it may have been a little too snarky. So your criticism is justified, or at least some of it is. There is a fine line between being clever and being too clever. I think I may of crossed it a bit.
If I were to do it over again, I think I would take a little less delight in rubbing HuckPAC’s nose in their past problems.
My apologies.
August 28th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Apology accepted.
I hope that all the pacs do better in the second half of 2009. But I bet they will stay slow until the 2010 races get closer.
August 29th, 2009 at 1:07 am
#17,why are you hate Mitt so much? every times you just say same things,what did Mitt had done wrong for you? or you will defeat again because you never learned.Mitt lose in 2008 was a best lesson for republican and for the country,because America don’t believe their real leader,don’t see their true leader,and don’t respect their value leader Mitt,why Obama is riding on the neck of America,laughing attacking America around the world,where are the America value? if Mitt is in the democrat party, I am sure 100% he is the president now,is not Mr. Obama. republican look over Mitt to Mc,why the Kenya’s kid take over America and will change America to Kenya. Obama never let America know the goal of his change,change for what? look his goal and his direction now,is socialism first and then communist,because his best friend Mr. Jone Van the communist member is the czar green job in the white house and Obama turned his gun to the Bush administration,no president in the U.S history ever attacked his own people and critic ed his country,just only Obama did it.Did you remembered Obama said”the Bush administration was the dark and painful era in history,the true Bush was protected America and saved American life,the terrorist was in the run,but why hurt Obama? he will release the detainee and will prosecute the Bush administration and the CIA,who is Obama? only one mistake is enough,no more mistake again,never believe the inexperience that just good talking but never done any thing in the economy,any thing in the business,and any thing in the corner of the country like Obama,because America wil be bankruptcy soon,or that is the change we can believe in,in the secret in his mind that America never ever known.Mitt is the right man for America now! only he can come to save America for America and he can defeat Obama by landslide in 2012,so America will be re happy and have better life and better future in 2013.Mitt is America true leader,strongest leader,smartest leader,he will lead America for prosperity and America will lead the world like Reagan did again, America for Mitt and Mitt for America in 2012,is not anonymous for Palin,and is not Obama for America any more.
August 29th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Anon No. 17. In your dreams….Mitt will be the conservative for 2012!!! I agree Kub, well said…and he is a great American…Mitt gets it…..