By Adam Pagnucco.
The Working Families Party PAC, an independent expenditure committee operating in Maryland and elsewhere, has accepted money from Council Member Will Jawando’s U.S. Senate campaign account and is now spending money to support his candidacy for county executive.
Last September, the Working Families Party endorsed Jawando for executive. Two months later, I reported that Jawando’s U.S. Senate campaign had made two contributions totaling $115,000 to the Working Families Party PAC.
Now the Working Families Party PAC has filed a report with the State Board of Elections (SBE) showing that it has made independent expenditures totaling $72,159.50 in support of Jawando’s candidacy. The PAC is also spending on behalf of a state’s attorney candidate in Baltimore County.
The money flows can be easily spotted on SBE’s campaign finance website.
This screenshot shows the payments by Jawando’s U.S. Senate campaign account in March and April of 2025.
And this screenshot shows the PAC’s spending on behalf of Jawando on May 26 (yesterday).
Under Maryland law, independent expenditure committees and Super PACs may accept unlimited contribution amounts but may not coordinate with candidates. The state’s campaign finance summary guide contains this statement.
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What is a Super PAC?
A PAC that makes independent expenditures only is commonly referred to as a Super PAC. It may not coordinate or make any direct transfers to candidates. In order to establish a Super PAC, you must file a Statement of Organization, designate at the time of registration that the PAC will make only independent expenditures, and identify which candidate(s) it tends to support or oppose.
Consistent with the legal authority on this issue, the State Board does not interpret the contribution limits of Election Law Article § 13-226(b) to apply to contributions or donations to Super PACs or political groups or PACs that make only independent expenditures or electioneering communications. However, candidate committees, slates, political parties, and legislative party caucus committees may not make a contribution or transfer to a Super PAC or any entity that makes only independent expenditures or electioneering contributions because, in that event, the contribution or transfer would amount to “coordination.” Once coordination exists, the contribution limits would apply to all contributions or donations received by the Super PAC and any amounts exceeding the legal limits would be subject to civil penalties.
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Jawando is crying foul about spending against him by one independent entity, the Affordable Maryland PAC, but now his U.S. Senate campaign account has funded another independent entity that is working on his behalf. That issue deserves reflection.
But the legal question of whether this constitutes coordination is more important. This activity warrants attention from the State Board of Elections and the Office of State Prosecutor.
The Working Families Party PAC’s latest campaign finance report can be downloaded below.