Type of organization: Super PAC
Supports candidate: Rick Santorum
Founded: Dec. 27, 2011
Website (parent organization): www.thefamilyleader.com
Social media: YouTube channel, Facebook page (parent organization), Twitter profile (parent organization)
Principals:
- Charles Hurley (treasurer): President of the Iowa Family Law Center, a nonprofit that opposes Iowa’s same sex marriage law; former Iowa state representative; personally endorsed Santorum.
- James Bopp (counsel): Represented Citizens United in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission; former advisor for Mitt Romney’s 2008 campaign.
Profile:
Eleven days before the Iowa primary, Iowa conservative Charles Hurley established Leaders for Families. The super PAC has ties to the Family Leader, a group of conservative nonprofits that opposes gay marriage and support pro-life activities. Hurley is president of the Iowa Family Law Center, one of the nonprofits.
Leaders for Families received an end-of-year cash infusion from super donor Foster Friess, the wealthy Wyoming investor who has been bankrolling the larger pro-Santorum super PAC, Red, White and Blue Fund.
Four contributions in December of 2011 - two from the Red, White and Blue Fund, one from Foster Friess and one from investor Charles Parlato - are the only contributions the super PAC received through the end of March.
Leaders for Families total spending is minimal compared to what the big super PACs are spending.
Hurley told Roll Call that Leaders for Families may not live past Iowa: it did buy radio ads in New Hampshire at the beginning of January but has shown no activity since.
See more data on Leaders for Families at OpenSecrets.org.
Advertisements:
- The group spent more than $135,000, mostly on advertising in Iowa.
Last updated: April 23, 2012