Midterms
Dark (Money) Matters
What’s going on: As if the midterm elections weren’t giving us enough anxiety, a New York Times analysis just upped the ante. A new investigation revealed that $1 billion in “dark money” (anonymous political funding) has gone to both boost and discredit candidates this year. And that dollar amount is just what they could track through advertising data, campaign finance records, and tax forms. It’s likely a low-end estimate that doesn’t include money that's more difficult to track, like payments to influencers or the cost of direct mailers. We’re two months out from our “least transparent midterm yet,” as one election expert put it, and it’s mostly because we don’t know who’s funding it. In Maine, both parties have spent more than $74 million in dark money for support and attack ads involving Sen. Susan Collins (R). An independent super PAC backing James Talarico — a Democratic Senate candidate from Texas critical of corporate PAC money — received millions from anonymous dark money groups.
That’s…dark: This kind of financing isn’t new. But if you’re wondering how it stays that way, there are a few caveats that make it easy. Donors can hide behind vague nonprofits (which don’t have to disclose contributors) or use them to funnel money into super PACs. Sometimes, they create a “pop-up” super PAC right before an election, making it hard for voters to trace funds. “Secrecy has become so widespread it is essentially systematized,” writes the NYT. It doesn’t help that the IRS and Federal Election Commission — which monitor campaign funds and elections, respectively — lack manpower after Trump administration cuts. While some, including both Republicans and Democrats, argue dark money protects free speech and their donors, others are raging against the Big Money Machine and winning. After his victory in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary last month, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed — whose opponent accepted $62 million in secret money — said his campaign showed that “the power of our many is greater than the power of their money.”
Related: How Citizens United Shaped the 2024 Election (Brennan Center for Justice)
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Midterms
Dark (Money) Matters
What’s going on: As if the midterm elections weren’t giving us enough anxiety, a New York Times analysis just upped the ante. A new investigation revealed that $1 billion in “dark money” (anonymous political funding) has gone to both boost and discredit candidates this year. And that dollar amount is just what they could track through advertising data, campaign finance records, and tax forms. It’s likely a low-end estimate that doesn’t include money that's more difficult to track, like payments to influencers or the cost of direct mailers. We’re two months out from our “least transparent midterm yet,” as one election expert put it, and it’s mostly because we don’t know who’s funding it. In Maine, both parties have spent more than $74 million in dark money for support and attack ads involving Sen. Susan Collins (R). An independent super PAC backing James Talarico — a Democratic Senate candidate from Texas critical of corporate PAC money — received millions from anonymous dark money groups.
That’s…dark: This kind of financing isn’t new. But if you’re wondering how it stays that way, there are a few caveats that make it easy. Donors can hide behind vague nonprofits (which don’t have to disclose contributors) or use them to funnel money into super PACs. Sometimes, they create a “pop-up” super PAC right before an election, making it hard for voters to trace funds. “Secrecy has become so widespread it is essentially systematized,” writes the NYT. It doesn’t help that the IRS and Federal Election Commission — which monitor campaign funds and elections, respectively — lack manpower after Trump administration cuts. While some, including both Republicans and Democrats, argue dark money protects free speech and their donors, others are raging against the Big Money Machine and winning. After his victory in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary last month, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed — whose opponent accepted $62 million in secret money — said his campaign showed that “the power of our many is greater than the power of their money.”
Related: How Citizens United Shaped the 2024 Election (Brennan Center for Justice)
Skimm This
How would you skimm this photo?
You know the drill: Every week, we pick a photo and ask you to give us your best skimm — in 20 words or fewer. Once we choose the finalists, you vote for your favorite on Thursday. The winner gets a shoutout in Friday’s Daily Skimm.
This week: Olivia Rodrigo and Melinda French Gates at the Daisy Chain Music Festival. Between Rodrigo’s fundraising and Gates's matching donation, $20 million will go to charities that support women and girls.
KNOW IT ALL
Which millennial favorite brand is back at a big-box store near you?
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