Democrats step up efforts against ‘super PACs’

Reporting from Washington —  Congressional Democrats appear to have decided that rather than trying to beat the “super PAC” funding from their opponents this election cycle, they’ll attack them.

On multiple fronts, Democrats and their allies are engaged in an orchestrated attempt to portray the groups as shadowy corporate players trying to influence the outcome of the fall elections.

This week, a coalition of labor and good government groups announced it was targeting secret corporate donors -- one group is offering a $25,000 reward to the first worker to document an employer funneling funds for a campaign.

And a coalition of Democratic senators announced the formation of a working group to pursue legislation to rein in the influence of the outside groups.

“This group will fight back with every tool at its disposal,” said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who helped launch the Senate effort.

Democrats have been publicly and privately bemoaning the untold sums they believe will flow to the outside groups that are supporting Republican candidates and issues this fall.

At a private fund-raiser this week, Vice President Joe Biden told donors the GOP could raise as much as $800 million through Super PACs.

“The truth of the matter is we can’t match it,” Biden said, according to the pool report from the event at the Georgetown home of Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). He predicted a “barrage of negative ads that will inundate the airwaves that you have never, ever seen in any of your careers.”

Corporations, unions and individuals can now give unlimited donations to outside groups to support political activities, thanks in part to a series of Supreme Court decisions in 2010, including the Citizens United case.

Critics argue that super PACs can have undue influence over elections, especially if secret contributions are funneled to the nonprofit groups. However, in an initial round of financial disclosures many of the donors were listed.

Lawmakers have tried unsuccessfully to pass legislation that would apply stricter disclosure rules or otherwise limit the reach of the groups.

In the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), the minority leader, went after Stephen Colbert’s Super PAC in a spoof within a spoof last month to draw attention to Democratic-led legislation to limit the influence such groups have on the election process.

On Tuesday, several senators, led by Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, announced the formation of a working group to pursue legislative and administrative avenues to more fully disclose those donating to the groups.

Twitter.com/LisaMascaroinDC

Democrats step up efforts against ‘super PACs’