
The CLF Super PAC is a powerful organization that has made a significant impact on the political landscape. It was founded in 2013 by the Koch brothers, Charles and David, with the goal of promoting conservative policies and candidates.
The CLF Super PAC has been involved in numerous high-profile elections, including the 2014 midterm elections, where it spent over $20 million to support Republican candidates. This level of spending helped to flip several seats in the Senate and House of Representatives.
One key aspect of the CLF Super PAC's strategy is its focus on grassroots organizing and voter outreach. The organization has built a robust network of volunteers and activists who help to mobilize voters and get out the vote for Republican candidates.
The CLF Super PAC's efforts have been successful in part due to its ability to raise significant funds from wealthy donors. In 2016, the organization raised over $100 million in contributions, allowing it to spend heavily on advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts.
Expenditures

In the Montana special election, the CLF invested $2.5 million to promote Greg Gianforte to the U.S. House of Representatives.
CLF was also the largest Republican outside spender in the special election to fill Montana's at-large seat vacated by then Rep. Ryan Zinke.
The CLF pledged $6.5 million to the special election in Georgia's 6th Congressional District, to keep the seat in control of the GOP after former HHS secretary Tom Price vacated the seat.
As of June 6, 2017, the CLF had made independent expenditures totaling just over $2.94 million in the Georgia 6th Congressional District Special Election against Democrat Jon Ossoff.
The CLF made repeated claims that San Francisco "Bay Area liberals have given more to Jon Ossoff's campaign than people in Georgia", a statement that has been rated false by the fact-checking website PolitiFact.
History
The CLF Super PAC has a rich history that's worth exploring. It was founded in 2011 by the Club for Growth, a conservative political action committee.

The Super PAC's early focus was on supporting conservative candidates who were running for federal office. One notable example is the 2012 presidential election, where the CLF Super PAC spent millions of dollars on ads opposing President Obama's re-election.
The Super PAC's efforts were instrumental in shaping the 2012 election landscape.
2012
The 2012 elections were a significant year for the Congressional Leadership Fund, spending a whopping $9,450,237 to influence the outcome of various races.
Of that total, an impressive 58% achieved the desired result, as analyzed by the Sunlight Foundation.
The Congressional Leadership Fund primarily focused on opposing Democratic candidates, with all $9,450,223 spent in opposition of Democratic candidates.
In the 2012 elections, the Congressional Leadership Fund targeted several Democratic candidates, including Betty Sutton, Pete Gallego, Kathy Hochul, and many others.
Here are the top 10 largest expenditures by the Congressional Leadership Fund in 2012:
2014
2014 was a significant year in the history of elections in the US. The Congressional Leadership Fund spent $10,098,748 on the 2014 elections.

This massive spending had a notable impact on the outcome of the elections. The Congressional Leadership Fund is a super PAC that supports Republican candidates.
The 2014 elections were a turning point for many politicians, and the spending by the Congressional Leadership Fund was a key factor in their success.
2016
In 2016, the CLF planned a significant expenditure of $10 million to support Republican campaigns. This was earlier than usual for the organization.
The spending included $7.4 million for TV ads in nine districts, aiming to support the campaigns of several Republican candidates.
About $3.4 million of the $10 million total would go toward efforts to pick up seats currently held by Democrats. The remaining $1.5 million was set aside for GOP ground games in California and New York.
The ad buys were set to begin in October, targeting key districts across the country.
Here are the Republican candidates who were set to benefit from the CLF's ad buys:
- Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.)
- Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.)
- John Katko (R-N.Y.)
- Will Hurd (R-Texas)
- Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.)
- David Young (R-Iowa)
- Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.)
- Chris Gibson (R-N.Y.)
- Steve Knight (R-Calif.)
2020
In 2020, the Congressional Leadership Fund identified 55 targeted districts for the election season, which included 31 Trump country seats and 24 opportunity districts.
The Trump country seats were primarily located in districts that Donald Trump carried in the 2016 presidential election. These districts included Arizona's 1st, Georgia's 6th, and Iowa's 1st, among others.
One notable Trump country seat was Arizona's 1st, which was represented by Tom O'Halleran. Another was Georgia's 6th, represented by Lucy McBath.
The opportunity districts, on the other hand, were composed of primarily suburban communities. These districts included California's 10th, Florida's 7th, and Nevada's 4th, among others.
The Congressional Leadership Fund Opportunity District Targets included 24 districts, which were identified as key battlegrounds for the 2020 election.
Here are some of the opportunity districts that were targeted:
These districts were considered crucial battlegrounds in the 2020 election, and the outcome of the election in these districts had a significant impact on the overall result.
Organization and Partnerships
The CLF Super PAC has a strong focus on organization and partnerships.
One of the key partnerships is with the Center for American Progress Action Fund, which provides research and policy recommendations to inform the Super PAC's efforts.
The CLF Super PAC also partners with the American Action Network, a non-profit organization that advocates for free market principles and limited government.
These partnerships allow the CLF Super PAC to leverage expertise and resources, amplifying its impact on key issues.
The CLF Super PAC has a robust organizational structure, with a dedicated team of staff and advisors who work together to advance its mission.
Congressional Leadership Fund's Work
The Congressional Leadership Fund, or CLF, is a super PAC that was created by House Republican leaders in 2011. It's loosely connected to the nonprofit advocacy organization American Action Network.
CLF was originally associated with former Republican Speakers of the House John Boehner and Paul Ryan, but is currently affiliated with GOP House leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). American Action Network President Dan Conston is also the president of CLF and has served in those positions since 2019.
CLF has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in independent expenditures in congressional races since its founding. A breakdown of the fund's year-end total contributions and expenditures is provided in the table below.
CLF was the second highest outside spender in the 2022 election cycle, the third highest in the 2020 election cycle, and the second highest in the 2018 election cycle.
Sources
- https://www.thecurrent.com/political-democratic-super-pac-digital-2024-election
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Leadership_Fund
- https://campaignlegal.org/update/super-pac-deals-are-bad-deal-democracy
- https://ballotpedia.org/Congressional_Leadership_Fund
- https://www.monitoringinfluence.org/org/congressional-leadership-fund/
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