Pac-Man

A screen capture from the website of Connecticut's Future PAC, a pro-Christopher Murphy political action committee created by supporters of the Democratic Senate hopeful.

A pro-Christopher Murphy super PAC has spent $160,000 since the political action committee’s inception in July to help the Democratic Senate contender counter the vast war chest of Republican Linda McMahon, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.

Connecticut’s Future PAC paid about $120,000 of that total to Waterfront Strategies in Washington, D.C., for television advertising in the rough-and-tumble race.

The firm has developed a reputation for its clandestine activities in the nebulous world of super PACs, mostly helping Democrats.

The pro-Murphy group helped pay for a recent television ad contending that McMahon wants to “sunset” Social Security, or let it expire.

The 30-second spot included a sound bite of McMahon telling tea party members earlier this year that Social Security legislation should have a sunset provision.

McMahon’s campaign has vehemently denied that the wrestling mogul and repeat Senate candidate wants to take away entitlement benefits, saying her quote was taken out of context.

Super PACs are forbidden from collaborating with the candidates that they support under the law.

Chris VanDeHoef, chairman of Connecticut’s Future PAC and a Hartford lobbyist, served as a groomsman in Murphy’s wedding.

Murphy’s campaign has bristled at the inference that there is collusion between the campaign and super PAC, which set out with a goal to raise $1 million.

Campaign finance laws limit individual donations to federal candidates to $2,500 for the primary and $2,500 for the general election during the current cycle. The cap on donations to the national parties for individuals is $30,800.

There is no such ceiling for super PACs, however.

Murphy’s supporters say that McMahon is, in essence, her own super PAC, having spent $50 million of her wrestling fortune on a failed Senate candidacy in 2010 and at least $15 million this time.

The pro-Murphy super PAC paid $20,250 to GSG Communications LLC of New York City for digital media strategy and a media buy, according to the group’s FEC filing.

It paid nearly $18,000 to SKD Knickerbocker, a political consulting firm in Washington, D.C., as well as $1,000 to the popular news aggregating website, CT Capitol Report, for advertising.

Neil Vigdor