Looking to score some pots of gold for their campaigns, this week several lawmakers will be attending St. Patrick’s Day-themed fundraisers in their honor. The celebration kicks off early tomorrow, when Kevin Brady, R-Texas, will be honored at a “Celebration of the Irish“ at a townhouse near the Capitol. Contributors looking to get the coveted “Pot of gold” moniker will have to shell out $2,500, while contributing $1,000 will earn the title “Shamrock.” If you are only a wee contributor under the age of 30, you will be asked to donate only $250, but you will be stuck with the title of “Leprechaun.”

Other Mar. 15 St. Paddy’s Day celebrations include a classic “St. Patrick’s Day Reception“ at the Democratic National Headquarters benefiting Tim Holden, D-Pa. Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y., will be honored at his annual, and only slightly less traditional, “Sushi and Shamrocks Fest“  at the Eris Group Townhouse. The following day will see Irish-themed events benefiting Dale Kildee, D-Mich., at the National Democratic Club townhouse (“Pre-St. Patrick’s Day Celebration”) and Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan., at the Capitol Hill Club (“Tribute to the Irish”).

Plenty of St. Patrick’s Day events are planned for the 17th itself. An “Irish Breakfast Reception” in honor of Bill Keating, D-Mass., is planned for the morning at the Strategic Healthcare’s townhouse. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., will be the beneficiary of a “St. Patrick’s Day Lunch” at the Associated General Contractors  townhouse. In the evening, the Democratic Club will see a collection of “Pots of Gold,” “Lucky Charms,” “Leprechauns” and “Shamrocks,” as attendees to Joe Donnelly’s, D-Ind.,”St. Patrick’s Day Celebration” are asked to contribute $5,000, $2,500, $1,000 and $500, respectively. Also, an annual “St. Paddy’s Day Reception” will be held for Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., over at the Erickson & Co. townhouse. New York’s Bill Owens, D-N.Y., will be a beneficiary of a luncheon at the ever so appropriate Dubliner (“St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon”), and later on in the evening the party will move upstairs to the Phoenix Park Hotel for a St. Patrick’s Day reception in honor of California’s Jerry McNerney, D-Calif. (“St. Patrick’s Day Celebration”).  Also of note, Elliot Engel, D-N.Y., will be honoring not just one, but two ethnicities, at the 5th annual “Kiss Me I’m Yiddish” luncheon at the National Democratic townhouse.

Not to be outdone by any of these one to two hour events, however,  Mike Michaud, D-Maine, plans to celebrate the patron saint of the Emerald Isle with a two day “St. Patrick’s Day Maine Winter Sports Getaway Weekend.” Activities will include a kick off dinner on Friday night, and on Saturday guests will choose to enjoy either skiing or snowmobiling followed by a Happy Hour Maine Beer Tasting.

This invitation to an October fundraiser for a new leadership PAC for Rep. Tim Holden (D-PA) shows how Party Time can serve as an early warning system for fundraising before detailed campaign contribution reports are filed with the U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Leadership PACs are not as strictly regulated as lawmakers’ re-election campaign funds. Theoretically lawmakers are supposed to pass along the money they raise to their colleagues, as a way to build clout and help their parties. However, many lawmakers use these PACs to cover expenses that would not be allowed for a regular campaign committee. (See this recent expose by Propublica centering on Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) and his propensity for using his leadership PAC to fund golf trips.)  Some 70 percent of lawmakers now sport leadership PACs.

While the invitation in our database clearly connects Holden to PENNPAC, the committee is not associated with Holden’s candidate summary report on the FEC’s website, nor does the committee’s first monthly receipts/disbursements report indicate that it is affiliated with Holden in any way. The only official FEC record is an August filing for the creation of the leadership committee.

However, the committee raised no money between the August 19th filing date and the September 30th third quarter deadline, meaning it has remained virtually invisible to databases designed to track these kinds of committees.  The Center for Responsive Politics has compiled a list of 247 leadership committees and associated those committees with members of Congress, but there are still several mystery PACs and, as evidenced by Holden’s committee, others that remain hidden.

Maybe the congressman was waiting for the fourth quarter to kick start his new leadership committee. The only invitation for PENNPAC in the Party Time database may be the committee’s first fundraiser.