Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) has advocated for a ban on super PACs in Democratic primaries but is currently receiving support from one, the Commonwealth Together PAC, in his primary campaign against Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA). Federal election laws prohibit candidates from coordinating with super PACs, yet Markey has not publicly denounced the anti-Moulton advertisements funded by the PAC ahead of the September 1 primary.
The Commonwealth Together PAC has launched ads criticizing Moulton for his financial growth during his tenure in Congress and for not being progressive enough compared to Markey, who is seeking a third Senate term and is a co-author of the Green New Deal. Last year, Markey signed a letter with other senators urging the Democratic National Committee to endorse a resolution to prevent super PAC involvement in primaries, which critics argue would not change federal law.
The PAC describes itself as a union-based organization representing over 250,000 Massachusetts workers and aims to support Markey's reelection. Moulton's campaign has condemned the ads, particularly one that was labeled misleading by fact-checkers. The Moulton campaign criticized the use of corporate donations to attack him, stating that the claims made against him have been proven misleading by independent sources.