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Biden Campaign Signals It Favors Priorities USA as Super PAC

Priorities USA is a super PAC created in 2011 for President Barack Obama’s re-election.

Biden Campaign Signals It Favors Priorities USA as Super PAC
Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a news conference in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. (Photographer: Ryan Collerd/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- Joe Biden’s campaign signaled to donors Wednesday that they should direct their money to a longstanding Democratic super political action committee rather than a group founded to support the former vice president during the primaries.

Priorities USA, a super PAC created in 2011 for President Barack Obama’s re-election, “is an organization of proven effectiveness and the work they are doing to elect Joe Biden and defeat Donald Trump is absolutely critical,” the presumptive Democratic nominee’s campaign said in a statement Wednesday.

“As Democrats across the country come together to achieve this goal, we are pleased that Priorities USA will be a leader of an unprecedented and united community of organizations focused on winning in November,” the statment added.

By favoring Priorities USA, the Biden campaign is dealing a blow to Unite the Country, a pro-Biden super PAC created in October to help his primary bid after he reversed his stance against super PACs getting involved in the race. Last month, Unite the Country announced it would work with American Bridge, another prominent progressive super PAC, to coordinate strategy and fundraising.

The Biden campaign’s shift was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Priorities USA has raised $27 million through February, Federal Election Commission records show, and says it has commitments for tens of millions more. The group is aiming to spend $200 million in its effort to defeat President Donald Trump. Unite the Country has raised $22 million since it launched in October, spokeswoman Lily Adams said.

“Even in the midst of dealing with all of the recent challenges, Priorities USA has been hard at work and remains focused on defeating Donald Trump and electing Joe Biden,” Guy Cecil, chairman of Priorities USA, said in a statement Wednesday.

“Just in the last three weeks we have formed two new partnerships, launched three television ads in battleground states, created 638 pieces of new creative content holding Trump accountable on his handling of the pandemic, and won two voting rights cases.”

Federal law bars candidates for federal office and super PACs from coordinating their spending, but Biden can solicit donations for the group provided he doesn’t request more than $5,000 per donor.

The Trump campaign has designated America First Action as its official super PAC, and he was the featured speaker at a November fundraiser the group held in New York.

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