Pro-Cruz Super PACs

(page updated Marcch 24, 2016)

Keep the Promise PAC
Keep the Promise I
Keep the Promise II
Keep the Promise III
...filed with the FEC on April 6, 2015 (+). 
Keep the Promise to Veterans
...filed with the FEC on Feb. 11, 2016.
Trusted Leadership PAC
...filed with the FEC on Feb. 19, 2016.

		Keep the Promise II
Keep the Promise PAC keepthepromise.com	Keep the Promise I  www.keepthepromise1.com fb.com/keepthepromiseI   @keeppromise1	Washington Examiner reported KTP II is saving its resources for winner-take all contests later in the primary season.	Keep the Promise III PAC  www.reignitingthepromise.com  fb.com/ReignitingThePromise	Trusted Leadership PAC www.trustedleadership.org www.trustedleadershippac.com

         

Initially, from April 2015, there were the separate Keep the Promise super PACs.  In Feb. 2016 Trusted Leadership PAC was formed; Politico described it as an "umbrella organization that houses super PACs backing the Texas senator and is a vehicle through which they can actively fundraise."

Trusted Leadership PAC
Executive Director  Chip Roy

(reported by Politico on March 10, 2016)  First Assistant Attorney General of Texas under Ken Paxton from late 2014/Jan. 2015-Mar. 2016.  Chief of staff to Sen. Cruz from the outset of his tenure to Sept. 2014, then served as senior political advisor.  Senior advisor to Texas Gov. Rick Perry.  Senior advisor on Perry's presidential campaign.  Director of state-federal relations in the Office of the Governor of Texas.  Per Todd Gillman, ghost writer for Perry's book Fed Up!  Special assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Texas.  Roy worked for Sen. John Cornyn from 2002-09, including as staff director at the Republican Conference; senior counsel on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee; and staffer on Sen. Cornyn's 2002 campaign for Senate.  Bachelor's degree in commerce and master's degree in management information systems from the University of Virginia; law degree from the University of Texas.  twitter

Director of Resarch and Media Outreach  Kellyanne Conway

Initially president of Keep the Promise I.  President of The Polling Company/WomanTrend since 1995.  Practiced law but describes herself as "a fully-recovered attorney."  J.D. from The George Washington University Law School; B.A. in political science from Trinity College in Washington, DC. twitter

Drew Ryun
CEO of Surge Data Technologies, Media Trackers; political director of the Madison Project.  In 2010 launched Media Trackers, a project of the 501(c)(3) Greenhouse Solutions.  Joined American Majority in 2009, launching American Majority Action, a 501(c)(4).  Director of government affairs at the American Center for Law and Justice, Jan. 2005-Feb. 2009.  Deputy director of grassroots in the political division at the RNC, 2003-04.  Ran grassroots efforts in the 2002 U.S. Senate race in Missouri for the RNC.  Degree in English, history from University of Kansas, 2000.

and
Chief Strategist  Dave Carney

(from mid-April 2016) CEO and president of Norway Hill Associates, Inc. (NHA, Inc.) based in Hancock, NH, since 1996.  In the 2012 presidential cycle Carney started out helping Gingrich before the mass exodus, then joined Rick Perry's campaign as strategist/consultant.  He served as the general consultant to Rick Perry's campaigns in 2010, 2006, 2002 and 1998.  Senior advisor on Bob Dole's 1995-96 presidential campaign.  Deputy executive director at the NRSC in the 1994 cycle.  National field director and director of political affairs on Bush-Quayle '92; White House political director; worked on George H.W. Bush's 1988 campaign.  Worked on Gov. John H. Sununu's unsuccessful 1980 run for U.S. Senate.  M.P.P. from New England College.

Treasurer  Alice Hanley

(wife of William Lee Hanley)

   

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Keep the Promise PAC
Chairman  David Barton

(reported by Bloomberg's Zachary Mider on Sept. 9, 2015)  Founder and president of WallBuilders. Barton is a prolific author who has focused on the view that the United States was founded as a Christian nation.  Founder (1987) of Specialty Research Associates.  B.A. in religious education from Oral Roberts University.  Resident of Aledo, TX (suburb of Fort Worth). twitter

Spokewoman  Laura Barnett

Treasurer  Dathan Voelter

Various positions at Freescale Semiconductor since April 2005; started as senior securities counsel and is now vice president-chief securities, ethics and compliance counsel and assistant secretary.  Attorney at Vinson and Elkins, 2000-05.  J.D. from Baylor University School of Law, 1999; B.B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin, 1995.

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Keep the Promise I
President  Kellyanne Conway

President of The Polling Company/WomanTrend since 1995.  Practiced law but describes herself as "a fully-recovered attorney."  J.D. from The George Washington University Law School; B.A. in political science from Trinity College in Washington, DC. twitter

Creative and Media Strategy  M.A. Taylor

(reported by the New York Times on Aug. 4, 2015)  Editor/director of photography on Hillary: The Movie (Citizens United Productions).

Spokeswoman  Kristina Hernandez

Director of communications for Students for Life of America from June 2014.  Worked for CRC Public Relations, Nov. 2004-June 2014.  Also has worked as a photographer, Photography for Valerie, from March 2007.  B.S. in computer information systems from American University, 2002.  twitter

Treasurer  Jacquelyn James

Port Jefferson Station, New York.

Consulting  Jeff King

(reported by CNN's Theodore Schleifer on Aug. 8, 2015)  Son of U.S. Rep. Steve King and has served as King's campaign manager.  twitter

Field Staff include:

Tim Overlin, Des Moines
Melinda Wadsley, Ames

(On Jan. 12, 2016 The Washington Post reported nine staff).

Offices include:
Midlands:  around 1965 Augusta Highway, Lexington ...near All Star Pizza

Director  Dan Tripp

(reported by Bloomberg Politics' Steven Yaccino on Nov. 23, 2015) Recently served as SC director for Scott Walker, inc. (reported by The State's Andy Shain on May 7, 2015 to Sept. 21, 2015)  Founder (March 2011) and president of Ground Game Strategies, Inc., based in Mauldin, SC.  National field director at Friends of Herman Cain, Dec. 2010-March 2011; Tripp also worked on Sen. John McCain's 2000 campaign and Sen. Phil Gramm's 1996 campaign.  National political director at Americans for Limited Government in Fairfax, Virginia, June 2006-Dec. 2010.  State Representative in the South Carolina General Assembly, 1994-2006.  President and owner of Carolina Mortgage Solutions, 2004-06.  Founder and operation of Tripp Insurance Agency, 1995-2004.  M.B.A. from Winthrop University, 2002.  M.S. in public relations from Suffolk University, 1993.  twitter

Regional Field Directors include:
Midlands  Preston Baines 

(Nov. 2015)  President and CEO of Right Side Strategies, LLC in Columbia from July 2010.  Studies business administration at the University of South Carolina 

(Bloomberg reported the group aimed for 14 full-time field directors and county organizers).
    

Director  Ryan Cross

(Jan. 2016)  Campaign director at Friends of Scott Angelle from Dec. 2014.  Communications director on Zach Dasher for Congress, Aug.-Nov. 2014.  Campaign manager on McCulloch for Congress, Feb.-Aug. 2014.  Communications director (Dec. 2013-Feb. 2014), communications consultant (Nov. 2012-Aug. 2013), communications director (June-Nov. 2012) and ran a field office in Lake Charles (May-June 2012) for the Republican Party of Louisiana.  Self-employed political communications consultant, Nov. 2011-Jan. 2014.  Legislative aide in the Louisiana State Senate, March 2010-May 2012.  Assistant to the director of statewide operations at Friends of Bobby Jindal, April-Nov. 2011.  B.A. in public relations from Lousiana State University, 2014.

(The Washington Post on Jan. 12, 2016 reported 19 staff would be based in Louisiana).

INDIANA

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Keep the Promise III
President  Jon Francis

Per CNN, Francis is "a family son in-law who heads The Thirteen Foundation."

Keep the Promise III - $15,000,000 from the Wilks family: $5,000,000 each from Farris and Jo Ann Wilks, and $2,500,000 each from Daniel and Staci Wilks.  Farris and Daniel Wilks are brothers, based in Texas, who founded Frac Tech, and sold the firm in May 2011 for $3.5 billion according to Forbes.

Notes
Matea Gold and Kate Zezima.  "Ted Cruz is running a well-organized campaign.  His super PACs--not so much."  The Washington Post, Jan. 12, 2016.
Steven Yaccino.  "Ted Cruz Super-PAC Targets South Carolina."  Bloomberg Politics, Nov. 23, 2015.
Theodore Schleifer.  "Inside the abandoned plans of Ted Cruz's super PACs."  CNN, Nov. 8, 2016.
Theodore Schleifer.  "Christian group to play leading role in Cruz super PACs amid shake-up."  CNN, Sept. 10, 2015.
Zachary Mider.  "PAC Built by Ted Cruz Mega-Donors Gets Evangelical Leader."  Bloomberg, Sept. 9, 2015.

		Mid-year reports (to June 30, 2015)	Receipts	Disbursements	COH
	[FEC]	Keep the Promise PAC	$  1,826,500.00	$96,944.26	$  1,729,555.74
	[FEC]	Keep the Promise I	$11,007,096.00	$536,169.90	$10,470,926.10
	[FEC]	Keep the Promise II	$10,000,000.00	-	$10,000,000.00
	[FEC]	Keep the Promise III	$15,000,000.00	$5,025.00	$14,994,975.00

Keep the Promise I - $11,000,000 from Robert Mercer, co-CEO of Renaissance Technologies, a hedge fund.
Keep the Promise II - $10,000,000 from Toby Neugebauer, co-founder of Quantum Energy Partners, a Houston private equity firm.
Keep the Promise III - $15,000,000 from the Wilks family: $5,000,000 each from Farris and Jo Ann Wilks, and $2,500,000 each from Daniel and Staci Wilks.  Farris and Daniel Wilks are brothers, based in Texas, who founded Frac Tech, and sold the firm in May 2011 for $3.5 billion according to Forbes.

New Additions
Keep the Promise to Veterans, which filed with the FEC on Feb. 11, 2016, is linked to former Gov. Rick Perry.  Treasurer is Kathy Walt.
Trusted Leadership PAC, which filed with the FEC on Feb. 19, 2016, aims to boost fundraising.  Treasurer is Alice Hanley.

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Copyright © 2014, 2015, 2016  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action. All rights reserved.