Venable partner Larry Norton was quoted in a June 1, 2014 National Journal article on Senator David Vitter’s (R-LA) move to fund a super PAC supporting his run for governor using money donated to his Senate campaign. Louisiana law prohibits funds donated for federal campaigns from being transferred to state campaigns. Senator Vitter got around the law by donating a portion of the money from his senate campaign to the super PAC. A recent federal court ruling overturned Louisiana’s limits on super PAC donations meaning Senator Vitter can now transfer the rest of the money from his senate campaign to the super PAC.
According to Norton, Senator Vitter’s funding of his own super PAC “strikes me as raising the questionableness of the separation of the super PACs and the campaign to a new level.” The notion of a super PAC’s independence from a campaign “rests on the idea that they're not communicating about strategy or plans, or projects,” said Norton, adding he had never heard of a candidate doing this before. “But guess what—the candidate is going to fund the super PAC? You sort of wonder at what point the argument collapses under its own weight.”
According to Norton, Senator Vitter’s funding of his own super PAC “strikes me as raising the questionableness of the separation of the super PACs and the campaign to a new level.” The notion of a super PAC’s independence from a campaign “rests on the idea that they're not communicating about strategy or plans, or projects,” said Norton, adding he had never heard of a candidate doing this before. “But guess what—the candidate is going to fund the super PAC? You sort of wonder at what point the argument collapses under its own weight.”