PACs Give Quickly to New Legislator
Shortly after a new House member was sworn into office, political action committees were sending contributions to the new legislator.
The campaign committee of Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., reported receipts of $188,373 and disbursements of $397,383 from May 16 to June 24, leaving $19,136 in cash on hand and $37,033 in debts owed. View the 2013-2014 financial profile of Smith.
Smith won the June 4 special election in Missouri’s 8th district. He was sworn into office on June 5. He replaced Republican Jo Ann Emerson, who resigned earlier this year to head up the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
Smith reported receiving PAC contributions in the weeks right after he was elected: $5,000 from Holcim (U.S.) Inc. PAC (June 21) and $5,000 from the Associated Builders and Contractors PAC (June 24). The committee received $4,000 from Emerson Electric Company Responsible Government Fund (June 21); $1,500 from the National Community Pharmacists Association PAC (June 24); $1,000 each from the National Association of Home Builders PAC (June 24); $1,000 from Ford Motor Company Civic Action Fund (June 21); $1,000 from the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (June 21); and $1,000 from the USA Rice Federation PAC (June 21), among others.
Smith now serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee.
His campaign committee also reported it received contributions from Patriot Voices PAC, a Pennsylvania-based PAC. The committee reported three small contributions totaling $145 for in-kind contributions of emails.
Patriot Voices PAC is registered with the Federal Election Commission as a PAC that has a separate bank account that will not be used for making contributions or making expenditures to federal candidates. The PAC reported on July 3 that it had received two $20,000 contributions between Jan. 1 and June 24 from people with the same street address. H. H. Frost (retired) of Houston gave $20,000 on May 15, and Kathleen Wall (volunteer, self-employed) of Houston gave $20,000 on May 15.
