What is GOPAC?

GOPAC is a political action committee, or PAC, established in 1979 by then-governor Pierre "Pete" Dupont of Delaware. Newt Gingrich assumed control of GOPAC in 1986 and transformed it into an 800-pound gorilla of political organizing with a $2 million annual budget. GOPAC has raised more than $8 million since 1991 though this figure may actually be higher since GOPAC doesn't release its list of contributors to the public. (So we did--see our leaked major donor list.)

Despite receiving credit for playing a major role in the 1994 Republican takeover of the House, GOPAC claims that most of its money is used to help elect Republican candidates for state offices, which would free the organization from disclosing its finances or observing federal limits on the size and source of campaign contributions. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) disagrees and is suing GOPAC in federal court over the issue. In fact, there's ample evidence that GOPAC is intentionally skirting federal elections rules to avoid disclosing contributions and to collect contributions from wealthy individuals that far exceed annual federal election limits.

GOPAC did not even register as a federal PAC until 1991, two years after it allegedly began supporting federal candidates. After it registered with the FEC, GOPAC released only 10 percent of its donor list, claiming that it represented the percentage of its resources going to congressional candidates.

Additionally, in the states where GOPAC did file a list of supporters, a deceptive pattern of recycled contributions emerges, with the same $40,000 in contributions from eight businessmen reported over and over again in at least six different states.

Forced to refile under public pressure, GOPAC began making donor names public beginning with November 1994 contributions. Gingrich has also had to backpedal on his claim that he didn't personally receive any GOPAC money, acknowledging two trips he took with his wife that he initially failed to disclose GOPAC's funding of. But where did the rest of GOPAC's unreported millions go?

The relationships between GOPAC and Gingrich's other main political enterprises (his college course "Renewing American Civilization" and his nonprofit Progress & Freedom Foundation) have led to pending House ethics charges. In May 1995, Gingrich stepped down as GOPAC chairman in an apparent effort to distance himself from these controversies.