6-16-15 feingold, johnson spar over pac

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democrat Russ Feingold and Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson are sparring over how a political action committee created by Feingold has spent its money.  Campaign finance records show the Progressives United PAC founded by Feingold spent only 5 percent of its income on federal candidates and political parties. About half the money went toward overhead.  Feingold’s campaign manager Tom Russell argues the PAC was a new model that didn’t operate like most other similar groups formed “before the advent of email.”  Instead of exclusively giving money to candidates, Feingold’s PAC organized like-minded voters and encouraged them to donate on their own.  But Johnson’s campaign spokeswoman Betsy Ankney calls Feingold a hypocrite and says he was using the PAC as a slush fund to pad his pockets.