Cracker Barrel Old Country Store INC PAC

Political Action Committee

Registered Jan 1990 · Treasurer: Charlie Austin · Lebanon, TN

Raised
$36,714
incl. $24,385 unitemized small gifts
Total Spent
$47,150
Spent outside Tennessee
$19,000
40% of spending
Operating & other
$15,650
33% of spending

Where the Money Goes

Of the $47,150 this committee reported spending, the largest share — $19,000 (40%) — went to activity outside Tennessee.

Why this number?

Operating share of spending compares operating spending with total spent.

Show formula

Operating / overhead spending divided by everything this committee spent (each expenditure lands in exactly one bucket).

Operating spending: $15,650 ÷ Total spent: $47,150
Inputs behind Operating share of spending
Operating / overhead spending $15,650
Contributions to candidates $11,500

“Spent outside Tennessee” is money this committee sent out of state — a multi-state committee’s lump non-Tennessee line plus any individually-filed out-of-state contributions (itemized below). Separate from out-of-state donors.

Contributions to Candidates

No contributions to tracked candidates on record.

This committee’s own filings report $11,500 to candidates, while tracked candidates reported receiving $0. Of the $11,500 difference, $11,500 went to recipients not tracked here (itemized below).

Its filing also reports $11,500 in candidate contributions to recipients not tracked here — federal, local, and out-of-state races, and sitting legislators not on the 2026 ballot:

  • Bob Corker for Senate $5,000.00
  • Beavers, Mae $2,000.00
  • Bryson, Jim $1,250.00
  • David Davis Victory Fund $1,000.00
  • Bill Ketron for State Senate $500.00
  • Don McLeary for State Senate $500.00
  • Friends of Randy Rinks $500.00
  • Jack Johnson for State Senate $500.00
  • Mae Beavers for State Senate $250.00

Tennessee caps what a PAC may give one candidate per election — $15,400 for statewide and House races, $30,800 for Senate races (2025–26 limits; a primary and a general count as separate elections). Registry of Election Finance limits.

Contributions to Other PACs

Contributions to other political action committees
Committee Total
Committee To Elect John Worley for State Rep $1,000.00

Given in Other States

This committee sent $19,000 to 14 candidates and committees outside Tennessee, across 13 states. These are counted as spending outside Tennessee, not as Tennessee candidate support — Who Funds Tennessee doesn’t track out-of-state races, so they don’t link to a page here.

Contributions to candidates and committees outside Tennessee
Recipient State Total
Talent for Senate Committee Missouri $5,000.00
Steele for Maryland Inc. Maryland $2,500.00
Tom Kean for US Senate Inc. New Jersey $2,500.00
Perdue for A New Georgia, Inc. Georgia $1,000.00
Whalen for Congress Iowa $1,000.00
Nelson for US Senate Nebraska $1,000.00
Pryce for Congress Ohio $1,000.00
Reynolds for Congress New York $1,000.00
Trent Lott for Mississippi Mississippi $1,000.00
Charlie Melancon Campaign Committee Inc. Louisiana $1,000.00

Operating & Other Spending

Operating spending by purpose
Purpose Total
Leadership Pac $6,000.00
Leadership Forum Dinner, 3/4/06 $3,000.00
2006 Presidents Dinner $2,500.00
2006 Primary Election Debt Retirement $2,500.00
July 16, 2006 Event In Missouri $600.00
Us House (Fl-13) $500.00
Annual Fundraiser 8/21/06 $300.00
Event-December 11, 2006 $250.00

Who Funds It

Donors funding this political action committee
Donor Location Employer Total Given
Forrest Shoaf Lebanon, TN Cracker Barrel Old Country Store $2,300.00
Robert Harig Hermitage, TN Cracker Barrel Old Country Store $2,300.00
Mark Tanzer Nashville, TN Cracker Barrel Old Country Store $1,200.00
Dwayne Evans Greenbrier, TN Cracker Barrel Old Country Store $805.00
Patrick Sheehy Mt Juliet, TN Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. $718.75
Cyril Taylor Murfreesbor, TN Cracker Barrel Old Country Store $575.00
Douglas Barber Longboat Key, FL Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. $575.00
Michael Zylstra Arrington, TN Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. $575.00
Diana Wynne Lebanon, TN Cracker Barrel Old Country Store $425.00
Charlie Austin Overland Park, KS Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. $360.00

Filing History

Totals as filed with the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance; see About for how this data is processed.

Campaign filing history
Filing Cash Beginning Cash Ending Source
Q4 2006 Historical $10,940.93 $19,593.18 Source ↗
Pre-General 2006 Amended Historical $15,511.80 $10,940.93 Source ↗
Q3 2006 Historical $26,304.66 $15,511.80 Source ↗
Pre-Primary 2006 Amended Historical $28,220.54 $26,304.66 Source ↗
Q2 2006 Historical $29,445.69 $28,220.54 Source ↗
Q1 2006 Historical $29,540.71 $29,445.69 Source ↗