Count at least two reasons why the newly formed “Stand With Rand PAC” is notable.
First, it’s a hybrid PAC — a relatively rare, but increasingly popular vehicle that combines the advantages of a traditional political action committee and a super PAC. Under one roof, a hybrid PAC may raise limited amounts of money in one account to donate directly to politicians and unlimited amounts in another to advocate for politicians (or against their opponents) through independent advertisements.
Secondly, the committee, the name for which salutes Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., form via the “MyPAC” ready-made hybrid PAC service offered by DB Capitol Strategies — a campaign law and consulting firm that in 2011 prompted the creation of hybrid PACs in federal court case Carey v. Federal Election Commission.
DB Capitol Strategies is charging clients $695 through its MyPAC service to form hybrid PACs, which includes $100 deposited in each of a hybrid PAC’s two accounts for immediate use. It heavily promoted its service this month at the Conservative Political Action Conference at National Harbor, Md., in part enticing Chantilly,Va.-based accountant Bill Willenbrock to sign up and operate the Stand With Rand PAC.
Willenbrock says he wanted to form a PAC since last year, and Paul’s recent Senate filibuster and CPAC speech gave him strong impetus.
His Stand With Rand PAC won’t just support Paul, but become an “effort to stand for other candidates who stand for liberty,” Willenbrock said, offering Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Mike Lee, R-Utah., as examples.
Stand With Rand PAC is “in its embryotic stage” and doesn’t yet have a fundraising goal, but Willenbrock hopes to raise enough money to produce advertisements — both in and out of election season — that “educate the public on conservative principles,” he said.
“I don’t feel like representatives in Congress, a lot of them, are conveying a conservative message,” he added.
There are 67 hybrid PACs in operation today, according to a running list maintained by the Federal Election Commission.