Under the nation’s odd campaign-finance laws, super PACs can get away with quite a bit of dubious behavior, which is perfectly legal, but it’s not completely a free-for-all. Super PACs cannot, for example, incorporate in support of an allied politician, and then name itself after that politician without his or her permission.
For “Stand With Rand,” which celebrates the junior senator from Kentucky, that’s apparently created something of a problem with the Federal Election Commission (thanks to my colleague Vanessa Silverton-Peel for the heads-up).
A super PAC that has been promoting Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) political career says, despite its clear affinity for the potential 2016 presidential candidate, the name “Rand” in its title refers to noted libertarian author Ayn Rand. […]
“This Committee responds to its pending RFAI by noting that it is unaware that the late Ayn Rand, noted philosopher and author of Atlas Shrugged, is seeking election to federal office,” the PAC says in the letter. […]
It’s a telling little glimpse of the complex world of campaign finance.
It is, indeed. Aaron Blake’s Washington Post piece went on to note that the “Stand with Rand” PAC has a website that features photos and quotations from the Republicans, and it displays “a t-shirt with Paul’s silhouette hovering over the words ‘Stand with Rand.’”
I checked out the site, too, and found that it contains literally no references to Ayn Rand or any of the books some college sophomores recommended to you for some odd reason.
But we’re supposed to believe “Stand with Rand” isn’t about Rand Paul? After the “Stand with Rand” hashtag caught fire with the senator’s supporters? C’mon.
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