ACP Services Political Action Committee (“Committee”) was established by the American College of Physicians Services, Inc. (“Services”) to promote and facilitate the accumulation of contributions in a manner consistent with applicable Federal Law to candidates (“candidates”) for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Contributions to the Committee are voluntary, derived from its eligible membership, and separate from dues to the American College of Physicians (ACP).
Evaluating Candidates
The Committee’s 15-member Board of Directors (“Board”) is empowered in a manner consistent with its bylaws to make contributions on a bipartisan basis to support candidates for election to the United States Congress and to support political committees established and maintained by national political parties. All funds used for this purpose are drawn from contributions made to the PAC; no ACP membership dues are used for political contributions. It is the practice of the Committee to disburse contributions in connection with scheduled fundraising events for candidates that staff or members attend. This enables the Committee to advocate directly with lawmakers on policy priorities and foster stronger relationships. When authorizing political contributions, recognizing that the Committee has limited funds, the Board shall consider a myriad of factors with priority given to:
- Candidates of strategic importance who serve on key congressional committees with jurisdiction over policies of interest to the Committee and Services; those who serve in leadership positions in Congress.
- Candidates who have taken responsible positions which generally support and further the specialty of internal medicine and which are in the best interest of Services, the Committee, and their members, as so emphasized in its bylaws. This includes positions on public policies as well as positions that reflect on candidates’ character and conduct.
- Candidates who are physicians/clinicians and/or members of ACP/Services.
- Candidates supported by local members of the Committee.
Decisions when evaluating candidates for contributions are made on a non-partisan basis and exclusively to promote the interests of the Committee and Services, without regard for the personal political views or interests of Board members. The Board further recognizes the inherent value in having a Congress comprised of lawmakers from all backgrounds with the need for diversity, equality, and respect for all races, ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations.
Candidate Conduct and Integrity
The Board insists that candidates conduct themselves with dignity, respect, and a commitment to problem solving and bipartisanship. The Board will consider suspending or withholding any contributions to candidates who demonstrate poor judgement in their conduct and behavior in ways that run contrary to the values or policies/principles of the Committee or Services, such as:
- The candidate is a named subject in an active investigation of ethical or legal misconduct.
- The candidate misappropriates campaign funds for personal or illegal use.
- The candidate consistently makes prejudiced remarks against a protected class (race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, etc.).
- The candidate is a convicted felon.
- The candidate incites violence in any form, or condones acts that serve to intimidate, harm, injure, or kill people to achieve political outcomes in elections.
- The candidate demonstrates disrespect for democratic institutions/principles, the rule of law, and/or the elections process.
Compliance
The Board likewise takes seriously its oversight role of the Committee’s best practices on public responsibility and its strict adherence to all relevant legal and regulatory requirements governing the Committee’s activities. The Board works closely with our staff to ensure that all contributions are made in accordance with applicable laws, Services policies and these principles.
The Board further commits to reviewing the above principles on an annual basis.
These principles shall be adopted and effective January 1, 2022.