▁total ing ▁over ▁$ 1 2 ▁million , ▁with ▁an ▁estimated ▁two - third s ▁coming ▁from ▁super ▁P AC s . ▁( Un like ▁contributions ▁directly ▁to ▁candidate ▁funds , ▁which ▁have ▁a ▁$ 2 , 5 0 0 ▁contribution ▁limit ▁and ▁must ▁disc lose ▁all ▁contrib utors , ▁super ▁P AC s ▁may ▁raise ▁un limited ▁amounts ▁of ▁money ▁and ▁may ▁keep ▁contrib utors ▁anonymous ). ▁Some ▁$ 1 0 ▁million ▁was ▁spent ▁in ▁television ▁advert ising ▁by ▁candidates ▁and ▁super ▁P AC s ▁across ▁the ▁state ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁ ▁Form er ▁journalist ▁David ▁Y eps en , ▁who ▁covered ▁nine ▁Iowa ▁c auc uses ▁for ▁the ▁Des ▁Mo ines ▁Register ▁before ▁joining ▁the ▁Paul ▁Simon ▁Public ▁Policy ▁Institute ▁at ▁Southern ▁Illinois ▁University ▁Car b ond ale , ▁told ▁The ▁Boston ▁Glo be : ▁" It ' s ▁hard ▁to ▁figure ▁out ▁who ▁is ▁doing ▁the ▁attack ing ▁and ▁to ▁what ▁end , ▁and ▁they ' re ▁double - bar re ling ▁the ▁attacks ▁on ▁two ▁or ▁more ▁candidates . ▁I ' ve ▁never ▁seen ▁that ▁before . ▁We ' ve ▁never ▁had ▁this ▁volume ▁[ of ▁negative ▁ad s ] ▁or ▁this ▁much ▁complexity ." ▁ ▁Rom ney ' s ▁campaign ▁was ▁by ▁far ▁the ▁largest ▁overall ▁sp ender , ▁and ▁Rom ney ' s ▁" Rest ore ▁Our ▁Future " ▁super ▁P AC ▁spent ▁$ 4 ▁million ▁in ▁attack ▁ad s ▁against ▁G ing rich ▁beginning ▁on ▁December ▁ 9 .