Another ‘super PAC’ will keep donors secret until after key nominating contests

Looking for a sign of the “super PAC” sea change in campaign finance? Even Texas Rep. Ron Paul—whose official campaign has been bolstered by legions of small donors—stands to benefit from an outside group that can spend unlimited donations in secret until after a string of key nominating contests occur.

The Los Angeles Times/Tribune Washington Bureau noted Thursday that independent groups expected to spend heavily in the primaries on advertising and voter outreach for their preferred candidate will not have to report their donors after the first five primaries and caucuses.

The pro-Paul “Revolution PAC” confirmed it will join other candidate-specific super PACs backing Gov. Rick Perry, Gov. Mitt Romney and Rep. Michele Bachmann in filing its next financial disclosure report on Jan. 31—after planned votes in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina and Florida.

Mary Putnam, Revolution PAC’s spokeswoman, said the group hopes to report a haul of $10 million. That would be an extra boost to the official Paul campaign, which Wednesday announced more than $8 million raised for the third financial quarter.

The super PAC—whose website promotes the online “money bomb” fundraising approach that has fueled Paul’s presidential campaigns—first flexed its muscle during the Ames (Iowa) straw poll in August, doling out for billboards and print ads in the days leading up to the event. Paul scored a close second in the poll, trailing Bachmann, the winner, by 152 votes.