Freshman Reps. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Trey Radel, R-Fla., have registered new leadership PACs with the Federal Election Commission. The PACs will permit Duckworth and Radel to solicit funds from donors under a new limit, even if the donors had already given to their campaign committees.

Duckworth’s Perimeter PAC and Radel’s Catalyst PAC will be able to receive $5,000 a year from another PAC or an individual. A contribution to a leadership PAC is separate from the contribution limit to a candidate’s campaign committee. A member’s leadership PAC funds may not be used by a the member for expenses related to his/her campaign.

However, leadership PACs often are used to pay for consultants, travel, meals, office expenses that are not related to their campaign. Most members use their leadership PAC to contribute to another member’s campaign committee. A member’s multicandidate leadership PAC may give $5,000 per election to another member’s campaign. If a member only had a campaign committee, they could give only give $2,000 per election.

Duckworth’s campaign committee raised $5.3 million in 2011-2012, including $727,991 from PACs. It raised $352,544 in the first quarter of 2013, including $182,105 from PACs and other committees. It has $283,858 cash on hand as of March 31. View 2011-2012 financial profile of Duckworth’s campaign committee.

Radel’s campaign committee raised $1.1 million in 2011-2012, including $205,825 from PACs. It raised $69,044 in the first quarter of 2013, including $64,708 from PACs and other committees. It has $153,577 cash on hand as of March 31, along with $206,000 in loans outstanding owed to the candidate. View 2011-2012 financial profile of Radel’s campaign committee.

Also starting a leadership PAC is Sen. Michael D. Crapo, R-Idaho. He registered the Idaho Conservative Growth Fund as an affiliate of his current leadership PAC, Freedom Fund. The Freedom Fund raised $1.2 million in 2011-2012, including $919,937 from PACs and other committees. View the 2011-2012 financial profile of the Freedom Fund. As of May 7, the Freedom Fund had not filed its first-quarter report.

Political MoneyLine has done earlier postings on the new leadership PACs of freshmen Paul Cook, R-Calif., Joseph P. Kennedy III, D-Mass., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, Steve Daines, R-Mont., Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., and Cheri Bustos, D-Ill.