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Capitol Trace v1.0
SYSTEM ONLINE
CLASSIFICATION: PUBLIC
2026-04-12

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PAC Flow

Committee-to-Committee Transfers

Trace how Political Action Committees move money between each other -- from leadership PACs controlled by powerful members, through party committees, to vulnerable candidates in battleground races.

$82.3M

Total Transferred

2025-2026 cycle

15

Leadership PACs

tracked

$8K

Avg Transfer

per transaction

18

Unique Recipients

committees

Money Flow: Source to Destination

Hover over flows to see transfer amounts. Width proportional to dollar volume.

Party Committee$32.7MLeadership PAC$32.1MIndustry PAC$20.0MCandidate Committee$70.5MParty Committee$8.3MLeadership PAC$6.0M

Flow Type Breakdown

Leadership PACCandidate Committee

$28.6M

4,250 transfersAvg $7K
Party CommitteeCandidate Committee

$32.7M

2,860 transfersAvg $11K
Industry PACCandidate Committee

$9.2M

3,100 transfersAvg $3K
Industry PACLeadership PAC

$6.0M

1,820 transfersAvg $3K
Industry PACParty Committee

$4.8M

980 transfersAvg $5K
Leadership PACParty Committee

$3.5M

420 transfersAvg $8K

How PAC Money Flows

What Are Leadership PACs?

Leadership PACs are political committees established by current or former members of Congress to raise money and distribute it to other candidates. Unlike a member's campaign committee, a leadership PAC cannot fund the controlling member's own campaign. They are a primary tool for building political alliances and influence within Congress.

Why Do Members Create Them?

Members of Congress use leadership PACs to build coalitions, reward loyalty, and accumulate political power. By distributing funds to colleagues and challengers, they can earn support for leadership bids, committee assignments, and legislative priorities. The top leadership PACs distribute millions each cycle.

Bundling & Intermediaries

Industry PACs often route money through leadership PACs and party committees before it reaches candidates. This 'bundling' allows interest groups to amplify their influence indirectly. A single industry contribution may pass through multiple committees before landing in a candidate's war chest.

Campaign Committees vs. Leadership PACs

A campaign committee (or principal campaign committee) exists solely to elect the candidate it represents. A leadership PAC, by contrast, is a separate entity that can accept and distribute funds independently. Federal law limits contributions to $5,000 per PAC per election, but PACs can contribute to many recipients.

Legal Limits

Federal election law caps PAC-to-candidate contributions at $5,000 per election ($5,000 primary + $5,000 general). PAC-to-PAC transfers are capped at $5,000 per year. Party committees have higher limits and can make coordinated expenditures on behalf of candidates.

Why Track PAC-to-PAC Transfers?

PAC-to-PAC transfers reveal the hidden plumbing of political finance. They show which members wield the most financial influence, which industries are funneling money through intermediaries, and which candidates are receiving coordinated financial support from multiple sources.

Data reflects 2025-2026 election cycle PAC-to-PAC transfers. Source: FEC filings.