Political leanings: Republican/Conservative
2020 total spending: $5.5 million
Our American Century is https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/who-s-behind-effort-to-change-elections-in-missouri-a-couple-from-texas/article_71325b4d-503a-5cc9-870a-15c594fdd44c.html”>one of many political committees https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00532630/1497990/”>managed by long-time PAC treasurer https://www.linkedin.com/in/cabell-hobbs-0032712/”>Cabell Hobbs.
The super PAC was https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/172/12030913172/12030913172.pdf” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>established in 2012, originally under the name https://web.archive.org/web/20141109123813/http://www.geauxpac.com/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Geaux PAC, by its treasurer, Michael D. Thompson. As a https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/superpacs.php”>super PAC, officially known as an https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/registering-pac/types-nonconnected-pacs/#:~:text=Independent%20expenditure%2Donly%20political%20committees,and%20other%20independent%20political%20activity.” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>independent expenditure-only committee, Our American Century advocates for the election or defeat of federal candidates https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/making-independent-expenditures/”>without coordinating with candidates, campaigns or political parties. It can accept unlimited contributions, but it must disclose its donors.
In 2017, Geaux PAChttps://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00532630/1149190/”> was renamed to Our American Century, and https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00532630/1287104/”>in 2018, Hobbs assumed the role of treasurer. In the three election cycles prior to Hobbs becoming treasurer, the super PAC https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/geaux-pac/C00532630/summary/2012″>never https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/geaux-pac/C00532630/summary/2014″>raised https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/geaux-pac/C00532630/summary/2016″>more than $67,000.
Over his career, Hobbs has worked for numerous committees associated with well-known GOP politicians. He currently serves as treasurer for the https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/john-bolton-pac/C00542431/summary/2022″>John Bolton PAC and https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21-12/199972/20211115161627290_Federal%20Election%20Commission%20v.%20Cruz%20J.A.pdf”>assistant treasurer for the https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00492785/”>Ted Cruz for Senate campaign committee. During the 2004 campaign, Hobbs was the https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/621/26930167621/26930167621.pdf”>assistanthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cabell-hobbs-0032712/”> treasurer for the Bush-Cheney ’04 Compliance Committee for Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush and his running mate, Dick Cheney.
In 2020, Our American Century raised https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00532630/?cycle=2020″>nearly $7.7 million, predominantly from two donors: https://www.eshelmanventures.com/about”>Fred Eshelman, founder of Eshelman Ventures investment company and founding chairman of Furiex Pharmaceuticals, who donated https://www.fec.gov/data/individual-contributions/?committee_id=C00532630&contributor_name=Eshelman&two_year_transaction_period=2020″>$7 million, and https://timdunn.org/about-me-2/”>Tim Dunn, CEO of CrownQuest Operating, who contributed https://www.fec.gov/data/individual-contributions/?committee_id=C00532630&contributor_name=Dunn&two_year_transaction_period=2020″>$550,000.
Our American Century spent https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/detail/2020?cmte=C00532630&tab=targeted_candidates”>$5.5 million on the 2020 presidential election: $2.1 million in support of then-President Donald Trump, and $3.4 million against the election of Joe Biden.
In https://campaignlegal.org/update/clc-complaint-alleges-super-pac-illegally-republished-trump-ad-swing-states”>December 2020, https://campaignlegal.org/about”>Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan election watchdog, filed https://campaignlegal.org/sites/default/files/2020-12/12-16-20%20Our%20American%20Century%20%28final%20signed%29.pdf”>a complaint with the Federal Election Commission that alleged Our American Century violated the https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title52/subtitle3/chapter301&edition=prelim” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Federal Election Campaign Act when it paid for a Trump campaign ad during the 2020 campaign.
On Aug. 10, the super PAC agreed to pay a $14,000 fine for failing to disclose that it “made six ad buys from Google” for the Trump campaign ad in four swing states in late October, according to a FEC letter to Hobbs. The ad carried a disclaimer that said it was “[p]aid for by Donald J. Trump President, Inc.,” even though the super PAC paid between $5,100 and $251,000 for the ad buys, the FEC said.
In the 2022 election cycle, Our American Century has received https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00532630/”>over $12 million, as of Aug. 31. Large donors include https://www.forbes.com/profile/steve-wynn/?sh=5a989ece498a”>Steve Wynn, co-founder of Wynn Resorts and https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/27/steve-wynn-resign-rnc-finance-chair-sexual-misconduct-accusations-373768″>former finance chair of the Republican National Committee, and https://www.factcheck.org/2022/03/save-america/”>Save America, a Republican leadership PAC formed by Trump. They have contributed https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00532630/1630915/sa/ALL”>$10.35 million and https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?data_type=processed&committee_id=C00532630&contributor_name=C00762591&two_year_transaction_period=2022″>$1 million, respectively.
As of Sept. 30, the super PAC has spent https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/detail/2022?cmte=C00532630&tab=summary”>$6.75 million on independent expenditures, including $5 million against 10 Democratic senatorial candidates, https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00532630/1628309/se”>since https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00532630/1628590/se”>the https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00532630/1628589/se”>start of September.
Our American Century has been most active in Pennsylvania, where it is supporting Republican Mehmet Oz for Senate. In total, it has spent https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/detail/2022?cmte=C00532630&tab=targeted_candidates”>over $2 million advocating for the election of Oz and the defeat of https://ballotpedia.org/Mehmet_Oz”>his opponents. Mehmet https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/senate/2022/pennsylvania/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>faces Pennsylvania https://www.governor.pa.gov/about/lieutenant-governor/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in the Nov. 8 general election.
Fact-checking Our American Century:
https://www.factcheck.org/2022/09/gop-ads-use-outdated-federal-report-to-attack-democrats-on-higher-taxes/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>GOP Ads Use Outdated Federal Report to Attack Democrats on ‘Higher Taxes’, Sept. 23
https://www.factcheck.org/2022/09/our-american-century/”>