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Super PACs and independent expenditure hybrid PACs gave out a combined $552 million to the top 10 highest-paid political consultants during the 2018 election cycle, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics, meaning only a handful of groups produce a majority of the political ads that fill the airwaves come election season. Data on expenditures from outside spending groups, including payments to political consultants, is now included on the profile pages for super PACs and other outside spending groups on Opensecrets.org, making it easier than ever to see which consultants are being paid by these groups. Political consultants — which use money from super PACs to produce political ads and purchase them on stations along with other duties — tend to stick with one side of the ideological spectrum and are often staffed with former political operatives. With more than $149 million given to the group by super PACs and hybrid PACs, liberal consultant Waterfront Strategies claims the top spot among outside spending vendors in 2018. Between GMMB and Waterfront, the two groups have combined to be the highest-paid consultant in each election cycle since 2012. Waterfront was the top vendor for a number of major liberal super PACs, including Senate Majority PAC, Women Vote! and League of Conservation Voters. The firm has no online presence whatsoever and had just two large clients prior to 2018 — the National Republican Senatorial Committee ($7.4 million) and Liberty for All Super PAC ($1.3 million) in 2012. A majority of those funds — $38 million — came from Democratic super PAC Priorities USA Action, which spent $126 million in negative ads against Trump during the 2016 election. Red Eagle Media Group just makes the top 10, getting nearly $22 million from pro-Trump super PAC America First Action.