With the 2016 presidential race underway, super PACs are hard at work raising unlimited amounts of funds in support of their preferred candidate so long as they do not directly work with that person's official campaign. Now one super PAC backing Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina is being forced to change its name to comply with Federal Election Commission rules. Well, sort of.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that the Carly for America PAC is complying with the Federal Election Commission by changing its official name to Conservative, Authentic, Responsive Leadership for You and for America. In other words, CARLY for America for short.
Under FEC rules, super PACs must not contain candidates’ names in their own. There’s Right to Rise, the group supporting former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R). Conservative Solutions is pro-Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Priorities USA Action is backing Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
So after the former Hewlett-Packard CEO entered the Republican presidential primary in May, the FEC determined Carly for America needed a new name.
“You must amend your Statement of Organization to change the name of your political committee so that it does not include the candidate’s name and/or provide further clarification regarding the nature of your committee,” the FEC told the PAC, according to the Wall Street Journal.
By using “Carly” as an acronym, the group is able to keep the same website and logo.
This isn’t the first time this has happened since federal court decisions in 2010 changed campaign finance law. This year, a pro-Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) PAC called Stand with Rand changed its name to SWR PAC, and Ready for Hillary became Ready PAC after Paul and Clinton each officially jumped in the race in April.
The FEC rules work the other way too. The FEC has ordered an anti-Clinton PAC called Stop Hillary to change its name, but the group is disputing the request.
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