Price of Power: Candidates get little of ex-GOP leaders' funds

By Brian Kalish and Matt Kelley
USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Even after leaving office, former Republican Senate leaders Rick Santorum and Bill Frist continue to raise and spend big money, but little of it has gone to GOP candidates, campaign finance records show.

Although Frist retired and Santorum lost re-election in 2006, both have political action committees, known as leadership PACs, that have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars this campaign cycle.

Santorum's committee, America's Foundation, brought in nearly $800,000 from January 2007 to March 31, campaign finance reports show. The committee donated $19,500, or 2.4%, to candidates.

Frist's Volunteer Political Action Committee, known as VOLPAC, raised more than $900,000 from January 2007 to May 31. The committee kept two-thirds of the money and the rest went to its division helping Tennessee state candidates, according to state and federal campaign finance records. Together, the VOLPAC committees donated $26,500, or 2.9% of the total raised, to other political committees.

Bob Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies, a non-partisan group based in Los Angeles, said donors may be surprised at how little of their money goes to candidates. "If I give a dollar, I'm not getting very much for my buck," he said. "I would hope my money goes to the candidates he supports, not to overhead."

Linus Catignani, a Frist spokesman who oversees VOLPAC's fundraising, responded to questions about the committee's small percentage of contributions with an e-mail statement that said the group has a history of "conserving resources" and making a "late financial boost" to state and federal candidates. He declined to elaborate.

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