Colbert's Super PAC Raked in Big Bucks

(Newser) – Now that Stephen Colbert is no longer running for president of the United States of South Carolina, he has taken back control of his super PAC—just in time for today's deadline to file financial disclosure reports. Colbert announced last night that he would post the paperwork online at midnight, and the New York Times reports that his Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow super PAC has raised a whopping $1,023,121.24. A few boldfaced names are listed as donors, including Gavin Newsom, California's lieutenant governor, and Bradley Whitford, West Wing star.

"We raised it on my show and used it to materially influence the elections—in full accordance with the law. It’s the way our founding fathers would have wanted it, if they had founded corporations instead of just a country," says a release accompanying the paperwork. It was also accompanied by a letter to the Federal Election Commission reading, in part, "Stephen Colbert, President of ABTT, has asked that I quote him as saying, 'Yeah! How you like me now, FEC? I’m rolling seven digits deep! I got 99 problems but a non-connected independent-expenditure only committee ain’t one!'" Click to see how some of the money was spent.