I decided to go back and redo my breakout of David Hogg's "Leaders We Deserve" PAC filing with the FEC for the 2023-2024 election cycle. Here's what it looks like visually. www.fec.gov/data/committ... - ThreadSky

charlesgaba.com • 32 days ago

I decided to go back and redo my breakout of David Hogg's "Leaders We Deserve" PAC filing with the FEC for the 2023-2024 election cycle.

Here's what it looks like visually.

https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00843110/?cycle=2024

Comments

stauggiedog.bsky.social•31 days ago

Dems are unfortunately addicted to high priced consultants, usually the same ones each cycle regardless of results, just another thing the party needs to break itself of and use those funds to fight everywhere possible. Also, working for a PAC sure does pay well.

stuartoneill.bsky.social•32 days ago

It's not a good read. I believe Hogg has shot himself in the foot. He needs to run for anmoffice and get some experience before he tells lawmakers how to do their jobs.
I wouldn't say this if he hadn't made so much out of the publicity that came his way.

bex7860.bsky.social•31 days ago

This is what happens when you're a noisemaker that's never put in the groundwork
Start at the bottom, work your way up
Experience is how you let people know that you know what you're talking about
They want positions they've never earned or put in the groundwork for, and it falls apart

stuartoneill.bsky.social•31 days ago

I 100% agree.

stuartoneill.bsky.social•31 days ago

Thank you. Send this directly to Hogg and hope he reads it. If he slows, he can see that he CAN win a race,perhaps state rather than Fed, but win something. He could run a district very well AND keep being a spokesman.
So both can be done.

roxanne123.bsky.social•32 days ago

I would like to know how that 28% that goes directly to candidates compares to other PACs and ActBlue … seems low

charlesgaba.com•32 days ago

https://bsky.app/profile/charlesgaba.com/post/3lpdg5icfyc2d

bpaige.bsky.social•32 days ago

Great work Charles!

bellatv55.bsky.social•31 days ago

If many of the representatives would stop only regurgitating/reposting the news of the day on social media and post their proactive suggestions for solving problems-- time, money and patience would be saved - not to mention problems solved.

wuwei2024.bsky.social•32 days ago

Paid a million for our email addresses? I deleted/blocked his emails instantly.

callmejael.bsky.social•32 days ago

United we stand - divided we fall…

mindy103.bsky.social•31 days ago

I am not sure of the purpose of the OP. I find the information interesting, but it seems that we cannot afford to pig pile on a democratic activist. I would like to see a republican PAC breakdown.

#unite #resist

carolpanderson1.bsky.social•32 days ago

I would like to compare the percentages to several pacs including GOP pacs and the DNC

glory-b.bsky.social•31 days ago

The DNC isn't a PAC & mainly operates the presidential primary & convention.

alissakmclean.bsky.social•32 days ago

📌

charlesgaba.com•32 days ago

They raised ~$11.9 million last cycle and "disbursed" just under $11.0 million, although the detailed breakout adds up to around $11.76 million; I'm not sure what accounts for the ~$760K discrepancy. 1/

charlesgaba.com•32 days ago

Regardless, they actually donated around $3.2 million to various Democratic candidates, Dem Party committees & other PACs (including themselves...$116,000 went to "Leaders We Deserve Florida").

A whopping $1.23M of it went to a single legislative candidate in Texas.

charlesgaba.com•32 days ago

They spent nearly $1 MILLION on "consultants."

"Digital consultants"
"Fundraising consultants"
"Compliance consultants"
"Research consultants"
"Strategic consultants"
"Finance consultants"
"Communications consultants"
"Administrative consultants"
"Operations consultants"

cheekyginger.bsky.social•32 days ago

I guess that makes sense if you don't know what the hell you're doing.

charlesgaba.com•32 days ago

They spent ~$450,000 on direct mail, though I don't know if that was to help elect candidates or marketing for themselves.

They spent ~$1.7 million on "digital ads"...again, I don't know if those are ads for candidates or for themselves.

charlesgaba.com•32 days ago

They spent $128,000 on travel (airfare, hotels, trains, gas, car rental, Lyft/Uber, etc).

$166,000 to rent office space (they only list 5 employees).

$184,000 in legal fees (lawyers can be expensive I know).

charlesgaba.com•32 days ago

Speaking of those 5 employees, the payroll for them was $490,000 (this was for 18 months FWIW).

mattortega.com•32 days ago

People like to shit on consultants and it is warranted at times but they are often necessary, particularly if you don’t know how to do something or simply don’t have the bandwidth. I would not want to chance screwing up an FEC filing so it makes sense to pay for someone knows what they are doing.

mattortega.com•32 days ago

Disclosure: I worked in the consulting world, including at one firm who at least did their site. (I didn’t work on it as it was after I left.)

mattortega.com•32 days ago

Digital has retainers, ad commissions, or things like building a website.

Comms consultants may be a firm that has relationships with reporters and pitch on your behalf, track media coverage, draft materials. It’s very time consuming.

mindy103.bsky.social•31 days ago

Did any of the supported candidates win? I see Carranza did not?

bigdogmomthree.bsky.social•31 days ago

Unfortunately the IRS has been depleted so that they are like 8 yrs behind in their audits.

There are so many red flags with this PAC, I've posted the payroll tax issues on your first post on this.

The other 🚩is the credit card line. Is that on the Income Stmt or Balance Sheet?

1/

bigdogmomthree.bsky.social•31 days ago

If on IS, that's incorrect way of reporting, all expenses should be dispursed to the proper expense line.

If on the BS, the line should be zero, used as a pass through account to be disbursed.

I'm not going to go into debits and credits here, but it's another thing that's weird and could

2/

bigdogmomthree.bsky.social•31 days ago

Be hiding all sorts of personal items paid via the PAC's credit card.

It looks like most of the lyft, food and misc charges are personal too.

Basically PACs are a grift and Hogg has taped into it.

maudi63.bsky.social•31 days ago

Those food, ride share and travel expenses really cause my eye. Seemed extremely excessive. Like if a teenager got a hold of their parents credit card and went on a year long vacation. I would love to know more about those, but 🤷🏻‍♀️.

chocomint17.bsky.social•32 days ago

The 1.2M was wasted on Kristen Carrenza because she lost. That's not something to brag about, yet Hogg's fans think he is the savior of the Democratic Party.

abbiseattle1.bsky.social•32 days ago

Looks like a nice slush fund for him.

guachi.bsky.social•32 days ago

Based on this it's clear you'd make a better Vice Chair than Hogg. You raise more money and don't grift off the top.

jmeyernj.bsky.social•32 days ago

THANK YOU AS ALWAYS

spikesyndrome.bsky.social•32 days ago

JC Superstar all that $$$ for Act Blue processing fees? I’m not doing any of that shit anymore.

alissakmclean.bsky.social•32 days ago

Act Blue takes 4%. That’s…not that much?

charlesgaba.com•32 days ago

Really? THAT'S what you're upset about?

ActBlue takes less than 4% for credit card processing, which is pretty standard, actually (it's a bit high but they also provide the infrastructure for every Dem candidate)

spikesyndrome.bsky.social•32 days ago

Sorry I was upset about the wrong thing. Lesson learned.