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How Important Are Super PACs?

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    What role do committees play in elections?

  • Duration 2:56
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Middle of the first presidential election in which it's not just the candidates working to sway your vote but so called super pacs.

Political action committees have already spent eighteen million dollars this cycle.

All thanks to the -- court's controversial Citizens United ruling two years ago.

In essence it lets these super -- -- unlimited amounts of cash to help or hurt the candidates of their choice.

The only catch is they can't directly communicate with the campaigns themselves.

She fox were correspondent Jonathan what is in our New York City newsroom Jonathan.

-- -- -- following unprecedented amounts of cash into the Republican presidential nomination race they'll likely do the same for the presidential election itself.

-- -- hundreds of close congressional races.

And the super pac dollars according to Larry Sabbah -- of the University of Virginia -- going overwhelmingly.

Towards the -- side of campaigning.

They enable candidates in directly to air millions of dollars of negative advertising against their opponents.

And yet put distance between themselves in the advertising.

It's it's a bit phony everyone knows the way it really works behind the scenes but legally.

This fiction is a reality.

The candidates stand by won't missed a summit Joseph -- fiction the super -- that happens to endorse me is.

Has put some ads out you know I I can't control -- as you know like we're not allowed to have a coordination between a campaign and the city's independent tax I have no connection with that super pac I don't.

Have anything to do with the super backbone.

Negative ads from super -- would.

Credited with halting Newt Gingrich is momentum in Iowa.

Now -- super -- that -- colts the former house speaker.

Is trying to hold Mitt Romney in South Carolina airing a video attacking the former Massachusetts governor is business -- you do a little less than human that you weren't.

Pretty happy yeah.

Yeah.

You know -- see some more even playing field but for the average voter it's not a leveled playing field according to the experts.

Because we frequently don't know who's funding these super -- And on top of that.

They -- a danger that candidates will be beholden to their big money back.

-- I always ask a very simple question.

Who's a candidate most likely to call back first.

His or her spells.

His or her children.

Or his or her multi million dollar top donor I think we all know the answer.

Or is the comedian Stephen called then who recently set up his own super -- puts it.

Remember according to the FBC this is 100%.

Legal and at least 10% ethical.

So you may not like them -- get used to them super -- seem to be here to stay and we'll be seeing a lot more of their work -- And that influence as November approaches.

Jonathan -- thank you the.

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