Ex-Biden aide launches super PAC

A longtime ally of former Vice President Joe Biden filed paperwork to form a super PAC supporting Biden’s 2020 presidential bid on Monday after his campaign signaled openness to accept financial support from the groups. 

Democratic consultant Larry Rasky filed the paperwork to create the group, which is known as Unite the Country, according to Federal Election Commission documents signed by Rasky on Monday.{mosads} 

Rasky, who is a veteran of Biden’s 1988 and 2008 presidential campaigns, is shown as the group’s treasurer on the documents. 

A number of other Biden allies, including Mark Riddle, Julianna Smoot, and Steve Schale are in talks about joining the group, according to Politico. 

News of the group’s formation comes less than a week after Biden’s campaign signaled openness to using a super PAC to boost his 2020 bid, but said Biden would ultimately work to end the use of the groups is he becomes president. 

“Until we have these badly needed reforms, we will see more than a billion dollars in spending by Trump and his allies to reelect this corrupt president,” deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield told NBC News. “He and his allies are already spending [a] massive amount of money on paid television and digital advertising to intervene directly in Democratic primaries with the goal of preventing Joe Biden, the opponent that Trump fears most, from becoming the Democratic nominee.”

The move was quickly slammed by progressives, arguing that it was a move to bring in unlimited cash from billionaires and corporations. 

The use of super PACs has become a contentious issue within the Democratic presidential primary, with contenders like progressive Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) vowing not to work with the PACs. 

While Warren and Sanders have been able to successfully fill their coffers with small-dollar donations, Biden has recently lagged in fundraising, finishing off the third quarter with just $9 million cash on hand.

Sanders and Warren had $33.7 million and $25.7 million in cash on hand, respectively, at the end of the same period.