A leadership PAC sponsored by an elected official cannot use funds to support that official's own campaign.

Mr. Schumer does have a national leadership PAC, but his aides said he does not often use it.

The Senate majority leader, George Mitchell, does not maintain a leadership PAC.

She has given $12,000 to Republican candidates, party committees and leadership PAC's since 1988.

Such leadership PAC's, critics say, are a back-door way of raising money and currying Congressional favor.

Twelve Republican members of Congress have leadership PAC's of more than $200,000.

In the last two years, corporate lobbyists poured more than $1.7 million into Senator Lott's leadership PAC, along with $175,600 for his re-election campaign.

But critics say leadership PAC's like Senator Lott's are yet another campaign finance abuse.

Corporations are taking advantage of this to contribute, through Senator Lott's leadership PAC, at levels above the $10,000 that they can give directly.

For many years, politicians have used leadership PAC's to promote their personal careers and political agendas.