that seemed to work. >> reporter: santorum doesn't believe that friess is trying to buy influence. >> if he was in it for access, he wouldn't be supporting one guy four years ago at 1% in the polls and four years later. >> reporter: gop fund-raiser henry barber say passionate donors like friess are outgunned. >> there are a lot more people giving because they believe in something. they far outnumber the people who give for access. yet the people who give for access give much larger dollars. >> reporter: according to a nonpartisan watchdog, so far this election cycle, super pacs have raised $315 million and spent almost $100 million. much of it on ads. but those ads still leave republican candidates far behind the front-runner who hasn't spent a dime on television advertising. >> super pacs are a disaster. they're a scam. they cause dishonesty, and you'd