Stephen Colbert is no stranger to entering the political fray. He ran for president four years ago (well, only in South Carolina, but who’s counting?), he testified before the House Committee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Security following working with migrant workers in New York and he headed up a really kic-kass rally in Washington DC with Jon Stewart.
Starting today, though, Colbert’s plate will be a little more full. Following a testimony before the FEC, Colbert’s super PAC (yup, that’s a thing, and that’s seriously the name) just received official approval.
In case you’re not well-versed in the nuances of federal election law, a quick breakdown: super PACs are a new form of political action committee that can raise – and spend – unlimited cash from any person or organization. Like massive corporations. Check out this video from last night’s Colbert Report to get an even better idea of what’s at stake.
In Colbert’s case, though, there was a catch. Under regular PAC regulations, talking about or promoting Colbert’s organization would have to be reported as a contribution from Viacom, his parent company. Needless to say, Viacom wasn’t thrilled about this development, so off Colbert went to Washington to testify in hopes of getting his less-regulated super PAC approved and exempted from those pesky media rules.
Fortunately for Colbert, though, the FEC sided with him (5-1), so he’ll be able to chatter to no end about his new super PAC. Game changer, guys!
