ABC PAC
Uniting merit shop contractors to support pro-business candidates
Political Action Committee
The purpose of ABC PAC is to work within the federal election process to further the goals of the association through direct involvement in supporting and opposing candidates for the Office of President, United States Senate, and United States House of Representatives. This is accomplished through educating our members on the importance of political activism and through financial support of merit shop candidates.
ABC PAC is governed by fifteen board members who are appointed by the ABC National Chairman. The board members serve a three-year term and represent each of the seven regions. The ABC PAC Board of Trustees works with the Regional Vice Chairs and chapter leadership to promote political involvement and assist in raising PAC funds. Trustees also approve all disbursements to candidates based on well-established guidelines such as voting records of incumbents.
ABC’s PAC is your voice in elective politics. ABC PAC members’ contributions are combined with others to jointly support candidates. This provides a unified and powerful voice for the merit agenda. It is also an opportunity to participate in one of the largest pro-business PACs in the nation.
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ABC PAC DISCLAIMER
Contributions to ABC PAC are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes. Contributions to ABC PAC are for political purposes. All contributions to ABC PAC are voluntary. You may refuse to contribute without reprisal. The proposed contribution amounts are merely suggestions; you may choose to contribute more or less or not at all. ABC will not favor or disadvantage anyone by reason of the amount contributed or the decision whether to contribute. Federal law requires political committees to report the name, address, occupation and name of employer for each individual whose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 in a calendar year.
Prior Authorization & Contribution Form
Per Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulations, a corporate member company of ABC must first provide ABC PAC with prior authorization before any individual in its restricted class can contribute or be solicited.
Political action committees (PACs) of corporate trade associations like ABC (which has corporate members, not individual members) must first receive permission from a member company’s ABC primary contact prior to accepting or soliciting a PAC contribution. Only an individual (or immediate family members) in the “restricted class” of an ABC member company whose company has given prior authorization is eligible to contribute to ABC PAC.
The “restricted class” of a member company is defined as “the company’s executive and administrative personnel or their families.” Executive and administrative personnel are paid on a salary and have policy-making, managerial, professional, or supervisory responsibilities.
ABC PAC PRIOR AUTHORIZATION & Contribution FORMs
Before an individual in the “restricted class” can be asked to contribute to ABC PAC, his or her company’s ABC primary contact must have completed an ABC PAC Prior Authorization Form.
The primary contact is defined as the representatives of the corporation with whom the trade association normally conducts the association’s activities. At times, this may be the Vice President or Director of Business Relations not a company’s President or Owner.
In the middle of the form, you will notice the statement: “The company may not approve a solicitation by any other trade association for these years.” Federal election law states that a corporate member company of a trade association can only give prior authorization to one trade association PAC per year. By including this on the form, ABC PAC is doing its best effort and due diligence to keep its contributors in compliance. This statement is required by law. If a member company does give prior authorization to more than one trade association PAC in a year, it is doing so at its own risk.
