AP News reports Brad Raffensperger has filed a suit challenging the ways that state campaign finance laws enhance party spending by permitting coordinated spending forbidden (at least in theory) for super PACs. The challenged law is precisely the kind of reform many who are critical of the dominance of “outside” spending favor. Mostly, though, the story appears to be one of intra-party fighting (Raffensberger v. Kemp).
Under Georgia’s 2021 leadership committee law, party leadership committees can raise unlimited funds, can coordinate with candidates, and can raise funds during legislative sessions when other fundraising is banned. These count as party committees because candidates are only able to establish them after they win their party’s nomination for governor or lieutenant governor.
“Raffensperger set up an independent committee — Safe Affordable Georgia — that can raise unlimited funds and help other candidates, but not himself. But he says he should be able to use the committee in the same way Jones [an incumbent] uses his [party] leadership committee.
. . . .
“’Alone among current candidates for governor, the sitting lieutenant governor can solicit and accept unlimited contributions that can support his own campaign. That means that one current candidate for governor has different campaign finance rules that govern him than the other candidates. The Constitution does not allow this.’”
