CounterPAC
CounterPAC is a company.
Active
Updated: ·
Financial History
Total Raised
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Valuation
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Leadership Team
Key people at CounterPAC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded CounterPAC?
CounterPAC was founded by Jim Greer (Founder).
CounterPAC is a company.
Key people at CounterPAC.
CounterPAC was founded by Jim Greer (Founder).
CounterPAC was founded by Jim Greer (Founder).
CounterPAC is not a company, but rather a nonpartisan political action committee (PAC) focused on campaign finance reform[6].
CounterPAC is a political organization dedicated to reducing the influence of "dark money"—undisclosed political spending—in U.S. elections[1]. Rather than operating as a traditional business, CounterPAC functions as an advocacy group that pressures political candidates to reject unlimited corporate spending and sign pledges committing to more accountable campaigns[1][6]. The organization works to change electoral incentives by launching public campaigns against candidates who refuse to adopt transparency commitments[1].
CounterPAC emerged from the Citizen Engagement Laboratory (CEL), a progressive organization focused on social activism and democratic participation[1]. Jay Costa, who serves as CounterPAC's executive director, previously worked as CEL's campaign director, and a majority of CounterPAC's staff comes directly from CEL[1]. This organizational lineage reflects CounterPAC's roots in the broader progressive movement for campaign finance transparency.
The organization gained visibility through early electoral campaigns, including efforts in West Virginia's 3rd congressional district election in 2014 and Alaska's 2014 Senate race between Mark Begich and Dan Sullivan, where CounterPAC spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertisements tying candidates to dark money[1].
CounterPAC's approach centers on bilateral pledges between opposing candidates rather than unilateral disarmament[6]. The model draws inspiration from the 2012 Massachusetts Senate race, where Elizabeth Warren and Scott Brown successfully implemented the "People's Pledge"—a mutual agreement to reject super PAC support and offset any spending benefiting either candidate by forfeiting their own campaign funds[6]. This bilateral framework creates mutual accountability and removes the electoral disadvantage candidates face when acting alone against outside spending[6].
CounterPAC addresses a significant democratic concern: polling shows 87% of Americans support campaign finance reform, with 78% specifically disapproving of unlimited corporate spending enabled by the 2010 *Citizens United* Supreme Court decision[6]. By focusing on candidate-led pledges rather than legislative reform, CounterPAC operates within existing legal constraints while attempting to shift the political calculus around dark money spending.
Key people at CounterPAC.
