Group backed by Adelson targets Romney

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- An independent political committee supportive of Newt Gingrich is planning to release a film critical of Mitt Romney's tenure at a private equity firm, just days after Las Vegas Sands Corp. chairman Sheldon Adelson contributed $5 million to the group to bolster the former House speaker's White House run.

The Gingrich-leaning Winning Our Future PAC said Sunday that the 28-minute video, which assails Romney for "reaping massive awards" while head of Bain Capital, will be posted online soon and could show up on TV ahead of this month's primary elections.

Meanwhile, a person familiar with the development said Adelson, a longtime donor to Republican candidates, made the contribution Friday to Winning Our Future, which is run by Gingrich allies. The person, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said Adelson is expected to contribute to groups backing the eventual Republican nominee, be it Gingrich or one of his rivals.

Both the film and the large contribution highlight the growing role that new "super" political action committees are playing this election. Just weeks ago, a Romney-leaning super PAC called Restore Our Future hammered Gingrich with $3 million in negative ads that largely contributed to his eroding support before the Iowa caucuses. Gingrich finished in fourth place.

Now, the tables have turned: Winning Our Future's case marks the first time Gingrich and his allies have targeted Romney's time at Bain. They have said Romney's record is fair game, but up until now have restricted attacks to his time in government.

The film, called "When Mitt Romney Came To Town," assails Romney for "reaping massive awards" for himself and his investors. Bain has been credited with turning around dozens of companies, including well-known brands , but its record has been criticized -- notably by the Democratic National Committee -- for slashing jobs in the process.

Rick Tyler, an ex-Gingrich aide who is working for Winning Our Future, said the full video would be posted online "soon." Some segments could be used in shorter TV ads, he said, but there were no immediate plans to run the full piece on television.

Super PACs have sprouted up from a series of federal court rulings, including the Supreme Court's Citizens United case in 2010 that stripped away restrictions on corporate and union spending in elections. The groups can't coordinate directly with campaigns but many are staffed by longtime supporters of the candidates.

Several super PACs have already played a role in the Republican campaign. They include Make Us Great Again, a super PAC backing Texas Gov. Rick Perry; Our Destiny, supporting former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman; and the Red White and Blue Fund, which helped revive Santorum's campaign in Iowa and is running ads in South Carolina.

Priorities USA Action, a super PAC backing President Barack Obama's re-election campaign, has spent modestly during the Republican nominating contest and is expected to step up its role in the general election.