Cracker Barrel Old Country Store INC PAC

Political Action Committee

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

Raised
$42,642
incl. $29,942 unitemized small gifts
Total Spent
$67,171
Spent outside Tennessee
$46,800
70% of spending
Operating & other
$17,871
27% of spending

Where the Money Goes

Of the $67,171 this committee reported spending, the largest share — $46,800 (70%) — 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: $17,871 ÷ Total spent: $67,171
Inputs behind Operating share of spending
Operating / overhead spending $17,871
Contributions to candidates $2,500

“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 $2,500 to candidates, while tracked candidates reported receiving $0. Of the $2,500 difference, $2,500 went to recipients not tracked here (itemized below).

Its filing also reports $2,500 in candidate contributions to recipients not tracked here — federal, local, and out-of-state races, and sitting legislators not on the 2026 ballot:

  • Duncan for Congress $1,000.00
  • Armstrong, Joe $1,000.00
  • Kurita, Rosalind $500.00

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.

Given in Other States

This committee sent $46,800 to 30 candidates and committees outside Tennessee, across 19 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
Tinsley for Congress New Mexico $5,000.00
Alexander for Senate 2008 Inc. Virginia $2,500.00
Chambliss for Senate Georgia $2,500.00
Elizabeth Dole Committee, Inc. North Carolina $2,500.00
Friends of Mark Warner Virginia $2,500.00
Jay Love for Congress Alabama $2,500.00
Keller for Congress Florida $2,500.00
Mark Pryor for US Senate Arkansas $2,500.00
McConnell Senate Committee 08 Georgia $2,500.00
Souder for Congress Inc. Indiana $2,500.00

Operating & Other Spending

Operating spending by purpose
Purpose Total
Administrative Expenses $3,120.57
Leader Forum For Calendar 2008 $3,000.00
2008 Special General $2,500.00
Pac To Pac Tsfr $2,000.00
2008 General Election Run-Off $2,000.00
'08 Support $1,500.00
May 15, 2008 Fundraiser $1,000.00
May 14, 2008 Fundraiser $1,000.00
Event $1,000.00
'08 Koella Event $750.00

Who Funds It

Donors funding this political action committee
Donor Location Employer Total Given
Robert Harig Hermitage, TN Cracker Barrel Old Country Store $2,200.00
Forrest Shoaf Lebanon, TN Cracker Barrel Old Country Store $1,100.00
Michael Woodhouse Westport, MA Cracker Barrel Old Country Store $1,100.00
Michael Zylstra Arrington, TN Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. $880.00
Michael Chissler Murfreesboro, TN Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. $802.90
Debbie Conner Junction City, KS Cracker Barrel Old Country Store $700.00
Patrick Sheehy Mt Juliet, TN Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. $687.50
P Doug Couvillion Hendersonville, TN Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. $628.94
Diana Wynne Lebanon, TN Cracker Barrel Old Country Store $550.00
Douglas Barber Longboat Key, FL Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. $550.00

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 2008 Historical $29,713.07 $7,046.85 Source ↗
Pre-General 2008 Historical $27,980.07 $29,713.07 Source ↗
Q3 2008 Historical $28,266.01 $27,980.07 Source ↗
Pre-Primary 2008 Historical $32,847.31 $28,266.01 Source ↗
Q2 2008 Historical $36,211.82 $32,847.31 Source ↗
Q1 2008 Amended Historical $28,465.54 $36,211.82 Source ↗