CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Super PACs have a strange name but can greatly impact elections.
The "PAC" in super PAC stands for political action committee. The "super" comes from their massive influence.
A candidate's campaign has strict limits on fundraising, but a super PAC can support that candidate and accept unlimited amounts of money from billionaires, corporations and labor unions. These organizations are then allowed to use that money for campaign ads supporting the candidate of their choice.
A recent example is Tesla founder Elon Musk, who reportedly plans to pledge about $45 million a month to a new super PAC backing former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign.
There are some limitations. Legally, super PACs can't work directly with a candidate.
More than a decade ago, super PACs came to be when the U.S. Supreme Court removed restrictions on multimillion-dollar donations to political campaigns.
Critics argue that the ruling changed American elections forever, giving billionaires, corporations and unions an oversized influence on political campaigns and how they're presented to voters.
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