I already know most of those reading this will probably say you either don't answer calls from numbers they don't recognize, or you just hang up on robocallers. I used to do that, too. Those who do that can pass this post up, and thanks for reading this far. But I'm trying to get an idea of how many Mainers might have actually sent a contribution to something like the "National Committee for Volunteer Firefighters PAC," or the "National Breast Cancer Relief Committee PAC."
The reason I ask is that I don't think either of those organizations--or some others that solicit donations via robocalls--are really a PAC. The Artificial Intelligence (AI; actually probably a soundboard operated by a human drone somewhere, maybe even in another country) will be quick to say they're not a charity, as that could trigger deeper scrutiny into their fundraising.
This is from the Political Committee and Lobbyist Registrar at the Maine Ethics Commission: "Organizations are required to register as PACs in Maine once they raise or spend more than $2,500 to influence candidate elections in the State." Neither of the above organizations has registered with the Ethics Commission, but I'm not sure yet how to figure out if they've hit the $2,500 threshold. I'd be willing to bet they haven't spent anywhere near that amount on any election in Maine or any other state, so the big question is how much they might have raised in Maine. Their required financial disclosures show that more than 90% of the funds they raise goes to "overhead" and "advertising." They might take in more than a million buck$ annually, most if not all of it from small donations ($35 or less; somebody somewhere is donating), but very little seems to go to their stated causes. (The Daily Beast and OpenSecrets[dot]org have done deep dives into their financial filings, as has William P. Barrett, a financial analyst who writes a blog called New to Las Vegas.)
Full disclosure: I think if it could be proven that they're not really a PAC, then any federal tax exemptions they have should disappear, and any exceptions they have under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act for making robocalls should go away, too. I don't think anyone has (to date) successfully sued a "PAC" for making robocalls, but I might like to try it.
More disclosure: I am not a lawyer, so anything above that might look lawyerly is not. It's just my personal opinion, and during my Air Force days, I learned a rather colorful saying about opinions. I am a former volunteer firefighter, from back around 1969. And finally, I dislike scammers of any kind.
If you've read this far, thanks. Anyone who has made a donation to either of those "PACs" can PM me.
Stay warm and well, all.