super PAC

Definition

A Political Action Committee that can raise unlimited funds from corporations, unions, and individuals to influence elections, as long as they don't coordinate directly with candidates. A legal fiction that lets money scream in politics while candidates maintain plausible deniability.

Example Usage

The super PAC supporting the governor raised $50 million, coincidentally focusing on the exact same talking points the governor's campaign uses.

Origin

Created following the 2010 Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court decision

Fun Fact

Super PACs must technically operate independently from campaigns, leading to the absurd situation where a candidate can speak at a super PAC event but legally can't say 'please donate to this PAC.'

Source: Campaign finance law and electoral politics

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