Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) is now open to receiving help from super PACs—political committees that can raise and spend unlimited sums of money—after repeatedly decrying their influence in politics.
The Persist PAC was formed on Tuesday to provide a boost to the Warren campaign and will begin running ads ahead of Saturday's Nevada caucus. The Massachusetts senator previously promised not to accept assistance from super PACs and to "disavow" any super PAC formed in her name.
When questioned on the new super PAC Thursday, Warren defended the new committee.
"If all the candidates want to get rid of super PACs, count me in," Warren told reporters in Nevada. "I'll lead the charge. But that's how it has to be. It can't be the case that a bunch of people keep them and only one or two don't."
Warren's campaign told Axios yesterday, after the super PAC's existence was first reported, that "Senator Warren's position hasn't changed."
"Since day one of this campaign, she has made clear that she thinks all of the candidates should lock arms together and say we don’t want super PACs and billionaires to be deciding our Democratic nominee," the campaign said.
Warren has for years attacked massive spending in politics. The Massachusetts senator boasted during the Feb. 7 debate that she and fellow Democratic presidential contender Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) were the only two candidates in the field not receiving help from super PACs.
A new super PAC formed to boost Klobuchar's candidacy last week. On Feb. 14, the Kitchen Table Conversations PAC was launched to run ads in Nevada and South Carolina introducing the Minnesota senator to voters. Richard Carlbom, the PAC's spokesman, told the Washington Free Beacon the group had already received enough money to place a seven-figure digital and TV ad buy.