drk$2bak

capt 2/19<div>
</div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">3/18</font><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">SEE main and tag</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">see social welfare 501c4</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">tool:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">In addition the new&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.issueone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Dark-Money-Illuminated-Report.pdf" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" text-decoration-line="text-decoration-line" none="none"><em>Dark Money Illuminated</em></a><span times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">&nbsp;(pdf) report, which identifies about 400 donors and organizations bankrolling these 15 secretive groups, the researchers also developed profiles for each dark money group and an "</span><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vpImNT1tSNoBWpSIg7Hx_gqG85hcM70CJ_5DtPcIYBI/edit#gid=0" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" text-decoration-line="text-decoration-line" none="none"><b>extensive, first-of-its-kind database</b></a><span times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">&nbsp;</span><span times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">containing nearly 1,200 transactions, each supported by primary source documents."</span></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">tool:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.factcheck.org/players-guide/2018/">https://www.factcheck.org/players-guide/2018/</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">eg</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><div class="entry-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">leanings</span>:</strong>&nbsp;<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Republican/Pro-President Trump</strong></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Spending target</strong>:</span>&nbsp;<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Unknown</strong></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.americafirstpolicies.org/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; touch-action: manipulation;">America First Policies</a>&nbsp;is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit devoted to promoting the agenda of President Donald Trump. According to its website, the group’s main goals are repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, overhauling the U.S. tax system, securing the border with Mexico, building a strong national defense, rebuilding infrastructure, and providing choice in education.</font></p></div></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/02/somp3-billion-dollar-dark-money-tip-of-the-iceberg/">https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/02/somp3-billion-dollar-dark-money-tip-of-the-iceberg/</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no charts]</font></div><div><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Secret donor-funded “dark money” spending reported to the Federal Election Commission has officially exceeded $1 billion according to a new analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics, and that barely begins to scratch the surface of political spending by groups that don’t fully disclose their donors.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Along with another billion dollars spent by partially-disclosing groups that keep some donors hidden or are funded by dark money sources, spending by groups that don’t fully disclose donors has exceeded $2 billion since the 2006 election cycle.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Direct dark money spending by groups funded entirely by anonymous donors hit nearly&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/disclosure.php" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">$150 million</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">reported to the FEC for the 2018 election cycle alone. That doesn’t include additional money funneled to other groups spending in elections or spent on political ads couched as issue advocacy and digital advertising that remains largely untouched by FEC disclosure requirements. Dark money has hardly waned. Instead, it has begun manifesting in new forms that are often harder to track and quantify.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">More than half of all 2018 election spending by outside groups, excluding party committees, was by groups that do not fully disclose their donors.</font></span></p><div class="flourish-embed" data-src="visualisation/229407" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">chart]</font></span></div><div class="flourish-embed" data-src="visualisation/229407" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Altogether, the 2018 election cycle attracted more than&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/summ.php?cycle=2018&disp=O&type=P&chrt=D" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">$539 million</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;in spending by groups that don’t fully disclose their donors, setting a record for reported spending by these groups during non-presidential years and nearly edging out the all-time high of $619.4 million spent during the 2012 presidential election cycle. In 2006, groups that don’t fully disclose donors made up less than 2 percent of outside spending excluding party committees. Since then, that portion has jumped precipitously, making up more than half of all outside spending excluding party committees for three election cycles in the past decade — including 2018.</span></font></div><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Partially disclosing groups are playing an increasingly important role in the political area, as evidenced by record spending by groups that keep some donors secret or are funded by dark money sources.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The percentage of outside spending made up by partially disclosing groups spiked to a record high in 2018 elections, totaling more than $391 million and accounting for more than a third of money spent by outside groups excluding party committees.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">chart ]</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Even among groups that do report spending to the FEC, donor disclosure is checkered at best. Recent FEC guidance requires all groups that spend at least $250 explicitly advocating for or against a candidate to report every donor giving at least $200 for “political purposes” in the calendar year, but some of the biggest spenders in the 2018 election cycle found ways to skirt this requirement — leaving the financiers behind tens of millions of dollars spent to influence elections unaccounted for.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Some spenders claim to have adopted policies against accepting funding earmarked for political purposes despite spending tens of millions of dollars on politicking and a little else, a loophole that can continue to be exploited without a settled definition of “political purposes” in this context. Others reported dark money groups as their donors, simply adding an extra layer of insulation between a spender and its ultimate source of funding.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">More than&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/01/dark-money/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">$176 million</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;was funneled from dark money groups to super PACs and hybrid PACs during the 2018 election cycle alone. Many of those dark money groups are closely tied to the political committees they fund, sharing staff, office space and other resources. In the 2018 election cycle, 20 partially disclosing groups made up of a super PAC and affiliated dark money arm spent over $1 million each. In multiple cases, they spent tens of millions.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That number does not include spending by “pop-up” super PACs that are legally allowed to hide their donors until after election day by strategically submitting formation paperwork after FEC deadlines then quickly pouring millions of dollars into a race.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Moreover, dark money spending reported to the FEC does not take into account millions of dollars spent on issue ads that praise or attack candidates using carefully crafted language that does not explicitly advocate for or against their election. The vast majority of ads airing under the guise of issue advocacy fall outside of the FEC’s reporting requirements — meaning the actual amount of dark money spending in 2018 elections was likely much higher. This not only leaves political donors secret but also obscures the actual amount spent to influence elections.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><b style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The digital dark money boom</font></b></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Digital advertising has also become an increasingly common vehicle for dark money groups to dodge disclose requirements, with digital media spending reported to the FEC rising with each election cycle. CRP’s conservative calculation of digital spending reported to the FEC by House candidates exceeded&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/01/democrats-dominate-political-spending-on-twitter/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">$33.3 million</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;in the 2018 election cycle, more than twice the $16.2 million spent in the 2016 election cycle.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As more and more money pours into digital political ads, the scope of loopholes only continues to expand. The Internet largely remains a regulatory Wild West, leaving the most common platform for American voters to get information subject to significantly less stringent disclosure requirements than television or even political mailers.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Although the information about digital spending made available through FEC disclosures is limited, social media and digital advertising platform resources for tracking political ads shined additional light on spending in the final months of 2018 elections.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">More than $350 million was spent on Facebook advertising labeled as political from when the social media platform began publishing the spending data in May 2018 through Election Day, according to data from the Facebook Ad Archive.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Google took in roughly $75 million in political ad spending during that same period, according to data from Google, but covers a smaller subset of ads limited to spending mentioning candidates or officeholders.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Twitter saw&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/01/democrats-dominate-political-spending-on-twitter/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">over $3 million</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;in political spending by certified “political campaigning” accounts paid for by political committees and candidates registered with the FEC or ads using express advocacy language about a clearly identified candidate for federal office. Non-disclosing groups make up just $56,655 of spending by political and partially disclosing groups make up $13,747. However, Twitter’s spending does not account for a breadth of issue advocacy ads and ads by groups that have skirted detection despite political messaging.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><b style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Liberal vs. Conservative: Which side is the darkest?</font></b></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The 2018 election cycle also saw record levels of dark money spending supporting Democrats with liberal groups accounting for over half of all spending by groups with secret donors.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Liberal dark money groups spent over&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/summ.php?cycle=2018&chrt=V&disp=O&type=P" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">$81.7 million</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;on 2018 elections, nearly twice the $43.3 million spent by their conservative counterparts.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Liberal groups may have warmed to dark money spending but conservative groups have continued spending through other less apparent channels. While liberal groups dominated direct dark money spending, conservative groups that only partially disclose their donors spent nearly four times as much as their liberal equivalents with&nbsp;<span data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":311204038}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":4289,"3":{"1":4,"2":"\"$\"#,##0","3":1},"9":2,"10":2,"15":"arial,sans,sans-serif"}" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">$311.2</span>&nbsp;million by conservatives and&nbsp;<span data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":79725462}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":4289,"3":{"1":4,"2":"\"$\"#,##0","3":1},"9":2,"10":2,"15":"arial,sans,sans-serif"}" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">$79</span>&nbsp;million by liberal groups.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In total, conservative groups that do not fully disclose their donors outspent liberal groups by hundreds of millions of dollars during the 2018 election cycle. Conservative groups that don’t fully disclose their donors spent more than&nbsp;<span data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":354473913}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":4289,"3":{"1":4,"2":"\"$\"#,##0","3":1},"9":2,"10":2,"15":"arial,sans,sans-serif"}" data-sheets-formula="=sum(R[0]C[-5]:R[1]C[-5])" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">$354.47</span>&nbsp;million while liberal groups spent just over&nbsp;<span data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":161506291}" data-sheets-formula="=sum(R[2]C[-5]:R[3]C[-5])" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">$161.5&nbsp;</span>million.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">c hrtt]&nbsp; The biggest dark money spender reporting to the FEC for the 2018 election cycle was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/01/lib-dark-money-group-majority-forward-targeting-gop-senators-2020" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Majority Forward</a>, a liberal 501(c)(4) nonprofit that does not disclose its donors despite spending more than $45 million on 2018 elections.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">While the top dark money spender was Majority Forward, the top spender overall was the conservative Congressional Leadership Fund, a partially-disclosing super PAC fueled by a closely-aligned dark money group.&nbsp;</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Over $26.5 million&nbsp;</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">of the group’s coffers were filled with money from&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000060058&cycle=2018" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">American Action Network</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;(AAN), the 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that shares much of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C00504530&cycle=2018" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Congressional Leadership Fund</a>&nbsp;staff and resources but is funded entirely by secret donors.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Despite the large investment in political contributions, AAN spent nothing directly supporting or opposing candidates during the 2018 election cycle, a marked shift from prior years.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In the 2016 election cycle, AAN spent more than $5.5 million and made just $771,295 in political contributions. Continuing that trend, AAN spent around $8.9 million in the 2014 election cycle and roughly $11.7 million in 2012 while giving just only a few hundred-thousand in political contributions each year.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The dark money landscape is more than just direct spending, hundreds of millions more is being funneled through other kinds of groups that don’t fully disclose their donors.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This adulteration of new technology with gaping holes in disclosure rules has bred an environment ripe for effectively unlimited secret political spending. Some of the biggest financiers pulling the strings of U.S. elections will remain hidden if the 2020 election cycle continues on the same path as 2018, potentially leaving voters in the dark about whether messaging may be paid for by a billionaire with stake in an election outcome or even foreign powers trying to interfere.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2/21: Partially disclosing group data for ideology was modified to reflect&nbsp;$311,204,038 in spending by conservative groups and $79,725,462 in spending by liberal groups.</font></span></p><div class="widget_text awac-wrapper" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><div class="widget_text awac widget custom_html-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin-bottom: 20px;"><div class="textwidget custom-html-widget" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; border: 1px dotted; padding: 11px; border-radius: 15px; margin-top: 40px; text-align: center;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics.&nbsp;<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;" />For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:info@crp.org" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">info@crp.org</a></font></div></div></div></div><div class="related-box" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; width: 760px; padding: 8px 0px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span class="txt" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; float: left; line-height: 28px; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: -0.03em; margin-right: 15px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">RELATED TOPICS</font></span><ul class="related-list" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px -5px; padding: 0px; list-style: none;"><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/2018-election/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">2018 election</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/2018-elections/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">2018 elections</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/2018-midterm-elections/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">2018 midterm elections</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/2020-election/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">2020 election</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/american-action-network/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">American Action Network</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/anna-massoglia/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Anna Massoglia</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/congressional-leadership-fund/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Congressional Leadership Fund</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/conservative/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">conservative</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/dark-money/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">dark money</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/digital-ads/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">digital ads</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/digital-advertising/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">digital advertising</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/disclosure/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">disclosure</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/election-2020/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">election 2020</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/facebook/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">facebook</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/fec/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">fec</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/federal-election-commission/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Federal Election Commission</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/google/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">google</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/google-ads/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">google ads</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/internet-ads/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">internet ads</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/internet-advertising/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">internet advertising</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/liberal/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">liberal</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/majority-forward/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Majority Forward</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/midterms/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">midterms</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/open-secrets/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Open Secrets</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/opensecrets/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">opensecrets</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/outside-spending/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">outside spending</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/partially-disclosing-groups/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">partially disclosing groups</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/political-ad-archive/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Political Ad Archive</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/pop-up-pacs/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Pop-up PACs</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/somp/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">SOMP</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/state-of-money-in-politics/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">State of Money in Politics</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/total-cost-of-election/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">total cost of election</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/twitter/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">twitter</font></a></li></ul></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/01/dark-money">https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/01/dark-money</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx graph</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><div>
</div><div><b>Dark money’ groups funneled millions to powerful super PACs during 2018 midterms</b></div><div>By Karl Evers-Hillstrom</div><div>January 3, 2019</div><div>
</div><div>(AP Photo/Jon Elswick, File)</div><div>
</div><div>Even in the most expensive midterm election cycle ever, outside spending reported by “dark money” 501(c)(4) and 501(c)(6) nonprofits was surprisingly sparse, falling to $126 million from $161 million in 2014.</div><div>
</div><div>Don’t let that fool you. Rather than spend it themselves, dark money groups instead chose to funnel their funds through super PACs, with which they are often closely linked or directly connected.</div><div>
</div><div>Groups that do not disclose their donors and shell corporations gave more than $176 million to super PACs and outside spending hybrid PACs during the 2018 election cycle, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics.</div><div>
</div><div>The surge in dark money giving came as super PACs spent nearly $818 million in the 2018 elections, a monumental increase from the $345 million they spent in the previous midterm cycle.</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The top outside spending super PAC this cycle,&nbsp;<b>Congressional Leadership Fund,&nbsp;</b>also got the most dark money, receiving more than $26 million from the closely-linked American Action Network. The same officials run the two conservative groups and share a Washington, D.C. office.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Similarly, conservative dark money group<b>&nbsp;One Nation&nbsp;</b>gave more than $18.5 million to the neighboring Senate Leadership Fund, with which it shares an office and president.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The Democrat-aligned Senate Majority PAC, the second-largest outside spending group this cycle, got $6.8 million from dark money sources, including $4.5 million from the Greater New York Hospital Association, a trade association that does not disclose its donors. The super PAC also took in $1.4 million from the closely-tied Majority Forward, by far the top dark money spender this cycle.</span></div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>Looking beyond the biggest political players, several super PACs directly connected with political nonprofits got significant funds, if not all their money, from the corresponding non-disclosing nonprofit.</div><div>
</div><div>One prominent example of this is<b>&nbsp;Democrat-supporting Environment America Action Fund,</b>&nbsp;which got pretty much all of its money from dark money sources and more than $14 million from its own subsidiaries.</div><div>
</div><div>Even super PACs supporting single candidates get in on the dark money action. Hometown Freedom Action Network, a single-candidate super PAC supporting Tommy Pope — a Republican who lost the primary in South Carolina’s 5th District race — got nearly all of its $3.4 million from<b>&nbsp;Citizens for A Working America,&nbsp;</b>a non-disclosing group.</div><div>
</div><div><b>Change Now PAC emerged as a large spender seemingly out of nowhere,</b>&nbsp;shelling out $7.9 million to aid House Democrats despite popping up a few months before the election. The group took nearly $3 million from dark money group Sixteen Thirty Fund and another $1.8 million from partially-disclosing groups, which include fellow super PACs that accept dark money.</div><div>
</div><div><b>In total, 33 super PACs and hybrid PACs received more than $1 million from dark money sources.</b></div><div>
</div><div>These groups are allowed to spend unlimited sums on advertisements and other literature supporting or opposing candidates. Super PACs must disclose their donors, but large givers can shield their identities by contributing to dark money nonprofits that funnel the funds to super PACs. Those super PACs then identify the respective dark money group as the donor.</div><div>
</div><div>“It is clear that any long-term solution to the dark money problem will require addressing transfers between groups,” said Tyler Cole, legislative director at Issue One, a cross-partisan Washington, D.C. group that aims to reduce the influence of big money on politics. “Real disclosure requires identifying what individual donors are behind the groups that spend millions to influence American elections.”</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">It’s possible dark money’s influence is greater than CRP’s numbers convey, as super PACs also accept funds from fellow partially-disclosing groups — groups that take money from dark money sources. Contributions from these groups could be dark money, but it’s nearly impossible to tell.</span></div><div>
</div><div>Additionally, dark money groups have been known to spend funds on issue advocacy advertisements that they do not register with the FEC.</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Though not considered dark money in CRP data,&nbsp;<b>“Pop-up PACs” are a new kind of strategy to dodge donor disclosure. These super PACs waited until Oct. 18 to spend for or against candidates, allowing them to hide their donors until after election day.</b></span></div><div>
</div><div>“The American public is fed up with our broken political system and their anger is starting to boil over,” Cole said. “Political consultants and dark money groups know this, but they are still not willing to engage in meaningful disclosure.”</div><div>
</div><div>RELATED TOPICS</div><div>American Action Network</div><div>Change Now PAC</div><div>Citizens for a Working America</div><div>Congressional Leadership Fund</div><div>dark money</div><div>Environment America Action Fund</div><div>hometown freedom action network</div><div>hybrid pac</div><div>karl evers-hillstrom</div><div>Majority Forward</div><div>One Nation</div><div>Pop-up PACs</div><div>senate leadership fund</div><div>Senate Majority PAC</div><div>Sixteen Thirty Fund</div><div>Super Pac</div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ref</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://publicintegrity.org/federal-politics/pop-up-pacs-are-spending-big-in-election-2018s-final-days-but-theyre-hiding-their-bankrollers/">
</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://publicintegrity.org/federal-politics/pop-up-pacs-are-spending-big-in-election-2018s-final-days-but-theyre-hiding-their-bankrollers/">https://publicintegrity.org/federal-politics/pop-up-pacs-are-spending-big-in-election-2018s-final-days-but-theyre-hiding-their-bankrollers/</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">W<span style="letter-spacing: 0.3px;">ant to influence Tuesday’s midterm election but keep your identity secret from voters?</span></font></div><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">No problem. Here’s how you do it:</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Step 1. Pick a super PAC name, treasurer and bank account.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Step 2. File a short form with the Federal Election Commission.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Step 3. Wait until&nbsp;<a href="https://transition.fec.gov/info/report_dates_2018.shtml#general" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">Oct. 18</a>&nbsp;to begin spending your money. That way, you won’t have to report your donors until an entire month after Election Day.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This isn’t just theory — it’s happening now. And Democrats are leading the way&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2018/02/20/21559/how-democrats-use-dark-money-and-win-elections" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">despite decrying political efforts funded by “dark money” — political cash that can’t be traced to</a>&nbsp;its ultimate source.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/politics" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">Center for Public Integrity</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;analysis of federal campaign records indicates that<b>&nbsp;three super PACs that have formed since Oct. 18&nbsp;</b>have reported spending a combined $1.4 million across three hotly contested U.S. Senate races and one U.S. House race.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/03/18/14427/merriam-webster-makes-super-pac-official" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">Super PACs</a>&nbsp;may raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to advocate for or against political candidates, but they can’t contribute money to candidates’ campaigns directly.</span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">As of Thursday night, these three groups are among 44 political action committees that have formed since Oct. 18.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">These groups must by law disclose their donors. But this election cycle, the final pre-Election Day&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fec.gov/calendar/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">deadline</a>&nbsp;for PACs and super PACs to reveal their donors came and went on Oct. 25&nbsp;— a deadline covering financial activity from Oct. 1 to Oct. 17. Any group that formed after Oct. 17 isn’t subject to this deadline and must first report the identities of their contributors, and the amounts they contributed, on Dec. 6, per&nbsp;<a href="https://transition.fec.gov/info/report_dates_2018.shtml#general" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">federal regulations</a>.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Most notable among these just-formed groups is Texas Forever, a super PAC bashing Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.</b>&nbsp;To date, Texas Forever has spent more than&nbsp;<a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/280/201810279133548280/201810279133548280.pdf" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">$1.29 million</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2018-elections/2018/10/25/new-anti-ted-cruz-super-pac-texas-forever-launches-12-million-tv-ad-blitz-dallas" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">anti-Cruz TV ads</a>&nbsp;just in the past two weeks.&nbsp;</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;">(<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;">Update, 10:49 a.m., Nov. 6, 2018</span>:&nbsp;As of Election Day morning, Texas Forever has&nbsp;<a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/126/201811049133587126/201811049133587126.pdf" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">spent more than $2.3 million</a>&nbsp;on anti-Ted Cruz ads.&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;">Update, 5:49 p.m., Dec. 6, 2018:</span>&nbsp;Texas Forever revealed in a filing with the FEC that two donors funded its operations:&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">the Democratic Party-backed super PAC&nbsp;Senate Majority PAC, which gave $2.35 million, and director and producer, James Brooks, who gave $10,000.</span>&nbsp;Senate Majority PAC has used this disclosure delay strategy in the past, including in the&nbsp;</span><a href="https://publicintegrity.org/2018/02/20/21559/how-democrats-use-dark-money-and-win-elections" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;">Alabama&nbsp;</span></a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;">and&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/the-hidden-money-funding-the-midterms" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;">Arizona</span></a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;">&nbsp;U.S. Senate races. Senate Majority PAC’s major backers this election cycle&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgave2.php?cycle=2018&cmte=C00484642" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;">include liberal megadonors</span></a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;">&nbsp;such as former New York City Mayor&nbsp;Michael&nbsp;</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"><b>Bloomberg</b></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;">, Paloma Partners’ Donald Sussman and</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"><b>&nbsp;Renaissance Technologies</b></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;">’ James Simons.)</span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Who gave that money to Texas Forever is a mystery, and will remain so until Dec. 6. Cruz is battling Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke in a race that a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2018/10/31/ted-cruz-beto-orourke-poll-uttyler-texas/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">University of Texas at Tyler poll</a>&nbsp;Wednesday indicates is very close and the Cook Political Report has declared a “<a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">toss-up</a>”.</font></p><p class="hang-punc-medium" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; text-indent: -0.4em; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“BBQ. Football. … There’s a lot in Texas you shouldn’t mess with. Your health care is one of them. But Ted Cruz did,” the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXlB_oUASXY" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">ad’s voiceover says.</a></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The&nbsp;<a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/612/201810199125654612/201810199125654612.pdf" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">treasurer</a>&nbsp;of the Texas Forever super PAC is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2010/12/17/txdot-spokesman-rejoins-old-pr" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">Democratic</a>&nbsp;Texas political consultant Christopher Lippincott, who from 2006 to 2011 served as the director of media relations for the Texas Department of Transportation.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Lippincott acknowledged an interview request from the Center for Public Integrity, but did not respond to several follow-up attempts. In a recent interview with the&nbsp;<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2018-elections/2018/10/25/new-anti-ted-cruz-super-pac-texas-forever-launches-12-million-tv-ad-blitz-dallas" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">Dallas Morning News</a></em>, he declined to reveal the group’s donors but nevertheless called Cruz out for benefitting from conservative political groups’ secretive money: “Ted Cruz is a phony politician propped up by millions of out-of-state dark dollars who has spent the past six years doing favors for his special interest donors.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Said Cruz campaign spokeswoman Catherine Frazier to the Center for Public Integrity: “That’s an awfully hypocritical charge given that Beto O’Rourke is being propped up by this very super PAC and has taken money for his campaign bundled by multiple PACs.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Although little is known about Texas Forever, it hired a media buying firm,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/01/18/12054/expenditure-profile-waterfront-strategies" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">Waterfront Strategies</a>, that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2018&vendor=Waterfront+Strategies" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">has ties</a>&nbsp;to the national Democratic machinery.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">O’Rourke has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2018/aug/20/beto-orourke/beto-orourke-says-he-doesnt-accept-pac-donations/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">routinely</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/betoorourke/status/963441790744395776?lang=en" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">boasted</a>&nbsp;of not accepting corporate PAC or special interest money.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">But as Texas Forever is a super PAC, and therefore not controlled by the O’Rourke campaign, it can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money as it sees fit — to benefit O’Rourke or any other political candidate. O’Rourke has also financially benefited from the effort of JStreetPAC, a “<a href="https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/5026763/Jstreet.pdf" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">pro-Israel, pro-peace</a>” political committee that’s served as a “conduit” and directed individuals’ contributions to O’Rourke’s campaign</span>, as the Associated Press has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/texas/articles/2018-08-06/ap-fact-check-orourke-gets-money-through-pac-not-from-it" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">reported</a>. &nbsp;</font></p><p class="hang-punc-medium" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; text-indent: -0.4em; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“We’re not interested in the help of any super PACs or special interest groups and don’t want their involvement in this race, which is why our grassroots campaign has accepted exactly zero dollars from PACs in this election,” Chris Evans, the O’Rourke campaign communications director, told the Center for Public Integrity.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But Democrats of late have not hesitated to use untraceable money as part of their efforts.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A prime example, from late last year, is the super PAC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00659896/?tab=filings" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">Highway 31</a>.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2018/02/20/21559/how-democrats-use-dark-money-and-win-elections" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">Highway 31 spent millions</a>&nbsp;in Alabama’s special U.S. Senate race without disclosing&nbsp;<a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/548/201801199090457548/201801199090457548.pdf" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">its donors</a>&nbsp;— which turned out to be Democrat-aligned super PACs Senate Majority PAC and Priorities USA Action, as well as the League of Conservation Voters — until after the election.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In Montana this month, a&nbsp;<a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/607/201810199125654607/201810199125654607.pdf" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">super PAC</a>&nbsp;named&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00689901/?tab=filings" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">Forward Montana</a>&nbsp;has spent about $9,900 on mailers, printouts and digital ads supporting Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and Democrat&nbsp;<a href="https://kathleenformontana.com/about-kathleen/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">Kathleen Williams</a>, a water conservation expert running for Montana’s U.S. House seat. Forward Montana reported&nbsp;<a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/021/201810259133252021/201810259133252021.pdf" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">receiving no donations</a>&nbsp;as of Oct. 17, according to Federal Election Commission records.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Forward Montana’</b>s website says&nbsp;<a href="https://forwardmontana.org/our-work/about-fmt/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">University of Montana students</a>&nbsp;founded the group in 2004, with its “first fights … focusing on recycling, renewable energy, sexual assault and tenant rights.” It boasts being the largest youth civic engagement organization in Montana with staff in Billings, Bozeman and Missoula.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Forward Montana registered a super PAC arm on Oct. 19&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00689901/?tab=filings" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">this year.</a>&nbsp;On Thursday, the super PAC filed paperwork with the FEC&nbsp;<a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/673/201811019133575673/201811019133575673.pdf" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">changing itself</a>&nbsp;into a traditional PAC, which is subject to fundraising limits but may donate money directly to candidates.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">>> READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2016/04/07/19510/understanding-political-committees-101" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">Understanding political committees 101</a></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Forward Montana members did not return the Center for Public Integrity’s requests for comment.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.ifs.org/about/staff/david-keating/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">David Keating</a>, president of the Institute for Free Speech, which advocates against campaign finance regulations, said it’s “ironic” that liberals are engaging in such activity.</font></p><p class="hang-punc-medium" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; text-indent: -0.4em; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“If [Democrats] think disclosure is such a good idea, then why aren’t they doing it?” Keating mused.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Federal statutes governing campaign finance disclosure were written in the 1970s and need updating to address the loophole allowing some super PACs and other political committees to hide their donors until after Election Day, said Brett Kappel, an election law attorney and&nbsp;partner at law firm Akerman LLP.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Republican groups are also using this donor disclosure loophole to keep their funders secret for now.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">And Ryan Alsayegh of the Philadelphia-based PAC Second Generation, which formed on Oct. 24, said it has no donors and doesn’t plan to fundraise until 2019. The group wants to encourage immigrant communities to be politically engaged.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But, by law, if someone wants to form a super PAC and spend unlimited amounts of “<a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2016/01/20/19156/what-political-dark-money-and-it-bad" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">dark money</a>” between now and Election Day 2018, it has four days left to do so.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Take Scottsdale, Arizona-based super PAC Restore Our Healthcare Inc. It formed on Halloween, the same day it reported spending almost $46,250 on radio and digital ads, as well as an “air banner” supporting Republican Rep. Martha McSally, who is running for Arizona’s U.S. Senate seat.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Restore Our Healthcare Inc.’s treasurer is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/randy-pullen-b594296/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">Randy Pullen</a>, the former chairman of the Arizona Republican Party and former treasurer of the Republican National Committee.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The amount of PAC and super PAC money flowing through this legal loophole is significantly more than in previous election cycles.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">At least 28 pop-up PACs formed in the final days of the 2016 presidential election. Together, they spent $220,000 in money whose donors weren’t disclosed until after the election, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2016/11/pacs-pop-up-just-in-time-to-avoid-reporting-donors/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">Center for Responsive Politics</a>analysis.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The largest-spending pop-up PAC that cycle, Truth PAC,&nbsp;<a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/150/201611059037127150/201611059037127150.pdf" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">dropped $92,000</a>&nbsp;on anti-Donald Trump ads.</span>&nbsp;One ad overlaid Russian nesting dolls on the faces of Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. At least 27 pop-up PACs materialized in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/10/21/15989/super-pacs-exploit-disclosure-loophole" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">final days of the 2014 election</a>, spending relatively little.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PACs and super PACs that formed earlier in the year, but waited until late October to actually spend money in elections, also are allowed to hide their donors until after Tuesday’s midterm election.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Alexandria-based super PAC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.americanpotentialfund.com/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">American Potential Fund</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00688788/1265079/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">created Oct. 3</a>, waited until after Oct. 17 to spend $186,000 on&nbsp;<a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00688788/1288044/se" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">digital ads</a>&nbsp;opposing incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., in his U.S. Senate race against Republican Gov. Rick Scott.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Throughout the 2017-2018 election cycle, political groups, especially on the Democratic side, have been creatively filing their registration and campaign finance disclosure paperwork with federal regulators, allowing them to temporarily delay revealing who funds them.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In all, 63 committees this cycle together&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.propublica.org/itemizer/hidden-money" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">spent more than $22 million</a>&nbsp;on politicking before they were required to reveal who was bankrolling their activities, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/the-hidden-money-funding-the-midterms" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">ProPublica and&nbsp;<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;">Politico</em>&nbsp;analysis</a>&nbsp;of Federal Election Commission filings from the beginning of 2017 through Oct. 17, 2018. This is in addition to the PACs and super PACs that have formed since Oct. 17.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Not all PACs and super PACs that pop up days before Election Day are doing so with the intention of hiding their donors until after the 2018 midterms are complete.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">At least six such groups told the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.publicintegrity.org/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">Center for Public Integrity</a>&nbsp;that they don’t plan on spending money until the 2020 election — or that they were unaware they could keep their donors a secret until December.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Kelly Werder, a hospitality law professor and administrator at Florida Gulf Coast University, formed a new political action committee, called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00690206/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">5050 by 2020 Committee</a>, on Oct. 23.</font></p><p class="hang-punc-medium" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; text-indent: -0.4em; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“We’re just some pretty frustrated women in a post-[Brett] Kavanaugh world, and that’s pretty much it,” Werder said.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Werder shared her “very exciting donor list including me, friends from college, and my mom!” with the Center for Public Integrity. She collected about $500, as well as spending almost $300 herself on a post office box, web hosting and graphics.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The group is mostly boosting&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ads/archive/?active_status=all&ad_type=political_and_issue_ads&country=US&q=5050%20by%202020" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">social media posts</a>&nbsp;and hopes to start a podcast on female politicians. It has endorsed female candidates from both parties.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Matthew Resh, the treasurer of a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00690339/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">Houston-based super PAC</a>&nbsp;called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.centerforrealnews.com/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">Center for Real News</a>, said he hasn’t received any money yet.</font></p><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/dark-money/top-donors">https://www.opensecrets.org/dark-money/top-donors</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">dark $ open sec crp</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total Grants to Political Groups since 2008:&nbsp;<strong style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;">$1,154,917,601</strong></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;" /></b><span style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: lighter;">(Includes grants to politically active nonprofits, their affiliates and pass-through groups that have been uncovered by the Center for Responsive Politics)</span></font></p><div class="table-wrap u-mt2" tabindex="0" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" overflow-x="overflow-x" auto="auto" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 2em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; outline: none;"><div id="DataTables_Table_0_wrapper" class="dataTables_wrapper no-footer" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; outline: none;"><table class="DataTable dataTable no-footer" data-order="[[ 2, " desc="desc" data-page-length="10" data-paging="true" data-info="true" id="DataTables_Table_0" role="grid" aria-describedby="DataTables_Table_0_info" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-spacing: 0px; width: 688px;"><thead style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><tr role="row" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="DataTables_Table_0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Organization: activate to sort column ascending" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg="arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg" background-repeat="background-repeat" no-repeat="no-repeat" background-position="background-position" right="right" px="px" center="center" border-bottom="border-bottom" solid="solid" rgb="rgb" text-align="text-align" left="left" width="width" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0.58824rem 0px 0px; vertical-align: middle; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-image: url("");"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Organization</font></th><th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="DataTables_Table_0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Parent: activate to sort column ascending" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg="arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg" background-repeat="background-repeat" no-repeat="no-repeat" background-position="background-position" right="right" px="px" center="center" border-bottom="border-bottom" solid="solid" rgb="rgb" text-align="text-align" left="left" width="width" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0.58824rem 0px 0px; vertical-align: middle; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-image: url("");"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Parent</font></th><th class="sorting_desc" tabindex="0" aria-controls="DataTables_Table_0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-sort="descending" aria-label="Total: activate to sort column ascending" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-down-c35fc70ce261cf0e584639338fa14da4399dcce7ee611a17741976a4ee241cc7.svg="arrow-down-c35fc70ce261cf0e584639338fa14da4399dcce7ee611a17741976a4ee241cc7.svg" border-bottom="border-bottom" px="px" solid="solid" rgb="rgb" text-align="text-align" left="left" width="width" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0.58824rem 0px 0px; vertical-align: middle; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: right 5px center; background-image: url("");"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total</font></th><th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="DataTables_Table_0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Type: activate to sort column ascending" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg="arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg" background-repeat="background-repeat" no-repeat="no-repeat" background-position="background-position" right="right" px="px" center="center" border-bottom="border-bottom" solid="solid" rgb="rgb" text-align="text-align" left="left" width="width" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0.58824rem 0px 0px; vertical-align: middle; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-image: url("");"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Type</font></th><th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="DataTables_Table_0" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Period: activate to sort column ascending" assets="assets" icons="icons" arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg="arrow-both-dd5f374084489add793555a117dcadfdeb32f5f601fd37781811813305d0665f.svg" background-repeat="background-repeat" no-repeat="no-repeat" background-position="background-position" right="right" px="px" center="center" border-bottom="border-bottom" solid="solid" rgb="rgb" text-align="text-align" left="left" width="width" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0.58824rem 0px 0px; vertical-align: middle; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-image: url("");"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Period</font></th></tr></thead><tbody style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><tr role="row" class="odd" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=453732750" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);" /><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$323,936,500</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Nov 2011 - Dec 2014</font></td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=264683543" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Center to Protect Patient Rights</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);" /><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$169,148,666</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jan 2009 - Dec 2012</font></td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=272753378" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Crossroads GPS</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Crossroads GPS/American Crossroads</font></td><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$64,200,000</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jun 2010 - Dec 2014</font></td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=204952986" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Sea Change Foundation</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);" /><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$62,219,482</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">3</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Aug 2009 - Jul 2011</font></td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=262303259" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">ClimateWorks</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);" /><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$51,500,000</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">3</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jan 2010 - Dec 2010</font></td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=367519719" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">TC4 Trust</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);" /><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$47,505,300</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Aug 2009 - Jun 2012</font></td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=208293674" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Atlantic Advocacy Fund</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);" /><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$42,692,000</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jan 2008 - Dec 2012</font></td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=522062978" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Americans for Job Security</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);" /><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$24,645,750</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Nov 2011 - Oct 2012</font></td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=943153687" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Advocacy Fund</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);" /><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$24,307,616</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jan 2008 - Dec 2012</font></td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=262046485" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Wellspring</span>&nbsp;Cmte</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);" /><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$24,167,552</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Feb 2008 - Dec 2015</font></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div><div><table class="DataTable dataTable no-footer" data-order="[[ 2, " desc="desc" data-page-length="10" data-paging="true" data-info="true" id="DataTables_Table_0" role="grid" aria-describedby="DataTables_Table_0_info" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-spacing: 0px; width: 688px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><tbody style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><tr role="row" class="odd" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=137029285" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; outline: 0px; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Open Society Institute</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);" /><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$19,571,403</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">3</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jan 2008 - Dec 2012</font></td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=270730508" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">American Action Network</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);" /><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$18,380,907</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jul 2010 - Jun 2015</font></td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=521733698" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">League of Conservation Voters</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);" /><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$17,545,757</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jan 2008 - Dec 2014</font></td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=530241211" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);" /><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$15,475,250</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jan 2008 - Dec 2014</font></td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=263390444" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Green Tech Action Fund</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);" /><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$15,179,988</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Aug 2008 - Dec 2012</font></td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=263753801" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Foundation to Promote Open Society</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Open Society Foundation</font></td><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$14,615,521</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">3</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jan 2009 - Dec 2012</font></td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=522166327" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Donors Trust</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);" /><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$14,133,103</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">3</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jan 2010 - Dec 2011</font></td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=581493949" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">National Christian Charitable Foundation</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);" /><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$12,663,215</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">3</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jan 2010 - Dec 2012</font></td></tr><tr role="row" class="odd" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=521347628" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Cellular Telecom & Internet Assn</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);" /><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$12,278,567</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jan 2008 - Dec 2012</font></td></tr><tr role="row" class="even" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;"><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/political-nonprofits/summary?id=260620554" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">American Future Fund</font></a></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);" /><td class="sorting_1" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$8,720,400</font></td><td style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4</font></td><td nowrap="" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.88235rem 1.76471rem 0.88235rem 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jan 2010 - Dec 2014</font></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div></div><div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/strategies-let-super-pacs-delay-revealing-their-donors-until-after-elections-are-gaining-popularity">https://www.alternet.org/strategies-let-super-pacs-delay-revealing-their-donors-until-after-elections-are-gaining-popularity</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">NEW</font></div><div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Strategies That Let Super PACs Delay Revealing Their Donors Until After Elections Are Gaining Popularity — With Both Parties</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In total, super PACs have spent at least $21.6 million this cycle in 78 congressional races before disclosing who donated that money — $15.7 million of it during primary races. In many cases, that disclosure came after voters had gone to the polls.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ProPublica October 10, 2018, 2:21 AM GMT</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">&nbsp;no many lnx</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Allies of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell used a blind spot in campaign finance laws to undercut a candidate from their own party this year — and their fingerprints remained hidden until the primary was already over.</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Super PACs, which can raise and spend unlimited sums of money in elections, are supposed to regularly disclose their funders. But in the case of Mountain Families PAC, Republicans managed to spend $1.3 million against Don Blankenship, a mustachioed former coal baron who was a wild-card candidate for a must-win West Virginia Senate seat, in May without revealing who was supplying the cash.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The move worked like this: Start a new super PAC after a deadline for reporting donors and expenses, then raise and spend money before the next report is due. Timed right, a super PAC might get a month or more undercover before being required to reveal its donors. And if a super PAC launches right before the election, voters won’t know who’s funding it until after they go to the polls.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The strategy — which is legal — is proving increasingly popular among Democrats and Republicans. The amount of super PAC spending during the 2016 congressional primaries in which the first donor disclosure occurred after the primary election totaled $9 million. That figure increased to $15.6 million during the 2018 congressional primaries and special elections.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Backers of Mountain Families PAC didn’t respond to a request for comment. It is one of 63 super PACs this election cycle that have managed to spend money to influence races and postpone telling voters who funded them, according to an analysis by Politico and ProPublica of Federal Election Commission data.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Voters bear much of the cost when they head to the polls without information on who funded a PAC that tried to sway their votes, said Meredith McGehee, executive director at the nonpartisan watchdog group Issue One.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“The whole idea behind disclosure is that one of the factors that voters can, and understandably should, take into account in judging the message is who the messenger is,” McGehee said.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>In total, super PACs have spent at least $21.6 million this cycle in 78 congressional races before disclosing who donated that money — $15.7 million of it during primary races. In many cases, that disclosure came after voters had gone to the polls.</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Super PACs were created after the Supreme Court in the Citizens United decision ruled that people and corporations had the right to spend unlimited amounts of money on independent expenditures such as funding ads or mailers, but that they couldn’t hide that spending from the public.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But while they can’t keep donors secret forever, super PACs are increasingly figuring out methods of temporarily masking donor identities that are either legal or fall into gray areas that rarely attract regulators’ attention.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">One tactic is the one Mountain Families PAC used, which is likely to be replicated for the general election. A new super PAC that starts between Oct. 18 and Nov. 6 could spend money right before Election Day without having to disclose its donors until after the midterm results are tallied. (There are 11 super PACs that together have spent at least $5.8 million since the primaries but should begin disclosing their donors on Oct. 15, when the next FEC filing is due.)</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Another involves going into debt to pay for advertising and other campaign-related activities, and fundraising later to pay off those debts. A super PAC that does this would not have to disclose donors until well after the money is spent.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In the case of Mountain Families PAC, Blankenship was increasingly popular among the state’s anti-Washington set. So D.C. Republicans behind the PAC avoided disclosing they were behind ads attacking Blankenship — “Isn’t there enough toxic sludge in Washington?” asked one of them — until after the primary.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Then they revealed their identity and dissolved the super PAC entirely.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Here are more examples of PACs that have delayed disclosing their donors this cycle — and how they did it:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>
</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>As Republican Martha McSally battled two opponents in the Arizona Senate primary, a super PAC called Red and Gold spent $1.7 million attacking McSally, airing television ads that said McSally had supported an “age tax” on older people’s health insurance.</b>&nbsp;But shortly after filing its initial paperwork with the FEC, Red and Gold notified the commission it was going to file on a monthly basis, which meant its first disclosure wasn’t due until Sept. 20, three weeks after the primary election.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">When Red and Gold finally disclosed its funders, it was revealed that Senate Majority PAC, which is aligned with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, was the main funder of Red and Gold and had meddled in the primary in an attempt to hurt McSally’s chances of victory and boost a weaker Republican. Chris Hayden, spokesman for Senate Majority PAC, said that “Senate Majority PAC and Red and Gold have followed the FEC reporting schedule and follow the law governing super PACs.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A super PAC called Ohio First PAC has been in operation since the start of April and has spent $774,822 helping Republican Jim Renacci in the Ohio Senate race. But it has only disclosed raising $79,200 from donors. Instead of disclosing donations, Ohio First’s filings with the FEC show the committee has hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt to vendors for advertising and mailers, and almost no fundraising yet. The PAC did not respond to a request for comment.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The FEC has sent the PAC twoletters about possible late filings for some of its spending; the committee said in correspondence in August that it is working to resolve any issues.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">During the week leading up to a seven-way Democratic primary in Illinois in March, a super PAC called SunshinePAC blitzed the battleground 6th Congressional District with $130,000 in mailers and phone calls. Because it started spending money so late in the race, SunshinePAC didn’t have to reveal its donors before the primary.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But nearly a month after the election, SunshinePAC revealed its lone funder: Tom Casten, the father of primary contender Sean Casten — raising questions about whether the super PAC was really independent from the campaign. By then, Sean Casten had eked out a victory in the primary by 2,177 votes.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tom Casten said in an interview that “there was no effort or conversation about reporting in the delayed form” when he gave to SunshinePAC, and that “I certainly didn’t ask for it.” Greg Bales, campaign manager for Casten for Congress, said in an email that “as with any outside group, there was no coordination between Sean or the campaign and that group on their spending or disclosure practices.” SunshinePAC did not respond to a request for comment.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Filed under:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Politics</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for their newsletter.</font></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.propublica.org/nerds/shedding-some-light-on-dark-money-political-donors">https://www.propublica.org/nerds/shedding-some-light-on-dark-money-political-donors</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">pro publ</font></div><div><p tiempos="Tiempos" text="Text" serif="serif" vertical-align="vertical-align" baseline="baseline" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Wednesday we added details to our FEC Itemizer database on&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.propublica.org/itemizer/dark-money" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgba(33, 124, 227, 0); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: all 0.2s ease 0s; text-decoration-line: none;">nearly $763 million in contributions</a>&nbsp;to the political nonprofit organizations — also known as 501(c)(4) groups — that have spent the most money on federal elections during the past eight years. The data is courtesy of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.issueone.org/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgba(33, 124, 227, 0); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: all 0.2s ease 0s; text-decoration-line: none;">Issue One</a>, a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization that is dedicated to political reform and government ethics.</font></p><p tiempos="Tiempos" text="Text" serif="serif" vertical-align="vertical-align" baseline="baseline" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">These contributions often are called “dark money” because political nonprofits are not required to disclose their donors and can spend money supporting or opposing political candidates. By using government records and other publicly available sources, Issue One has compiled the most comprehensive accounting of such contributions to date.</font></p><p tiempos="Tiempos" text="Text" serif="serif" vertical-align="vertical-align" baseline="baseline" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">To compile the data, Issue One identified the 15 political nonprofits that reported spending the most money in federal elections since the Supreme Court decision in&nbsp;<em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/2008/08-205" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgba(33, 124, 227, 0); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: all 0.2s ease 0s; text-decoration-line: none;">Citizens United v. FEC</a></em>&nbsp;in early 2010. It then found contributions using corporate filings, nonprofit reports and documents from the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor and Federal Election Commission. One of the top-spending political nonprofits, the National Association of Realtors, is almost entirely funded by its membership and has no records in this data.</font></p><p tiempos="Tiempos" text="Text" serif="serif" vertical-align="vertical-align" baseline="baseline" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">For each contribution, you can see the source document detailing the transaction in FEC Itemizer.</font></p><p tiempos="Tiempos" text="Text" serif="serif" vertical-align="vertical-align" baseline="baseline" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The recipients are a who’s who of national political groups: Americans for Prosperity, the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Planned Parenthood Action Fund Inc. account for more than half of the $763 million in contributions in the data. There’s also American Encore, formerly the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/the-dark-money-man-how-sean-noble-moved-the-kochs-cash-into-politics-and-ma" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgba(33, 124, 227, 0); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: all 0.2s ease 0s; text-decoration-line: none;">Center to Protect Patient Rights</a>, one of the main conduits for the conservative financial network created by Charles and David Koch.</font></p><p tiempos="Tiempos" text="Text" serif="serif" vertical-align="vertical-align" baseline="baseline" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The largest donor is the Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, a Koch-organized business association that has contributed at least $181 million to the leading political nonprofits. Other donors include the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, which has given at least $25 million to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and major labor unions like the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME, which has given at least $2.8 million to Democratic political nonprofit organizations.</font></p><p tiempos="Tiempos" text="Text" serif="serif" vertical-align="vertical-align" baseline="baseline" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Also among the donors are major corporations like Dow Chemical (mostly giving to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce), gun manufacturers (to the NRA), 501(c)(3) charities and individuals.</font></p><p tiempos="Tiempos" text="Text" serif="serif" vertical-align="vertical-align" baseline="baseline" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">You can read&nbsp;<a href="https://www.issueone.org/dark-money/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgba(33, 124, 227, 0); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: all 0.2s ease 0s; text-decoration-line: none;">Issue One’s report</a>&nbsp;on its work as well as its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.issueone.org/dark-money-methodology/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgba(33, 124, 227, 0); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: all 0.2s ease 0s; text-decoration-line: none;">methodology</a>&nbsp;for discovering the contribution records. Because many of the sources are documents that are filed annually, this data won’t be updated the same way that FEC Itemizer is for campaign finance filings, but it represents the most comprehensive collection of dark money contributions to date.</font></p><aside class="promo large left" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.625rem 0px; padding: 1rem 120.188px; border-width: 1px 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(216, 214, 211); border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(216, 214, 211); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; float: none; clear: left; width: 808.125px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.3; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">See the Project</font></h3><div class="story-entry" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1rem 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="description" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 class="hed" tiempos="Tiempos" text="Text" serif="serif" vertical-align="vertical-align" baseline="baseline" text-indent="text-indent" inherit="inherit" text-transform="text-transform" letter-spacing="letter-spacing" color="color" rgb="rgb" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.3;"><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/itemizer/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgba(33, 124, 227, 0); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: all 0.2s ease 0s; text-decoration-line: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">FEC Itemizer: Browse Federal Campaign Finance Filings</font></a></h3><h4 class="dek" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.375rem 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: inherit; text-transform: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Itemizer allows you to browse electronic campaign finance filings from the Federal Election Commission and to see individual contributions and expenditures reported by committees raising money for federal elections.</font></h4></div></div></aside></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/citizens-united-just-15-groups-account-75-percent-dark-money-spent-us-elections">https://www.alternet.org/citizens-united-just-15-groups-account-75-percent-dark-money-spent-us-elections</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Just 15 groups were responsible for more than 75 percent of dark money political spending from 2010 to 2016, and together poured more than $600 million—out of a total of $800+ million—into campaigns in the wake of the landmark&nbsp;<em>Citizens United&nbsp;</em>case,</b>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.issueone.org/dark-money/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">according to</a>&nbsp;a new analysis from Issue One, a nonpartisan nonprofit that advocates for stricter campaign finance rules.</font></p><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Dark money groups hold enormous sway over what issues are, and are not, debated in Congress and on the campaign trail," the report explains. "But the donors behind these groups rarely discuss their motivations for bankrolling these efforts, leaving the public in the dark about who funds these increasingly prominent and potent organizations."</font></span><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In addition the new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.issueone.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Dark-Money-Illuminated-Report.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><em>Dark Money Illuminated</em></a>&nbsp;(pdf) report, which identifies about 400 donors and organizations bankrolling these 15 secretive groups, the researchers also developed profiles for each dark money group and an "<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vpImNT1tSNoBWpSIg7Hx_gqG85hcM70CJ_5DtPcIYBI/edit#gid=0" style="text-decoration-line: none;">extensive, first-of-its-kind database</a>&nbsp;containing nearly 1,200 transactions, each supported by primary source documents."</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Right now, the dark money groups and anonymous donors behind them that endlessly bombard Americans with television ads spouting half-truths and outright lies do a disservice to voters,"&nbsp;<a href="https://www.issueone.org/dark-money-press-release/#1536712140663-b2e26565-5d93" style="text-decoration-line: none;">said</a>&nbsp;Issue One CEO Nick Penniman. "In the internet age, every American should be able to know where the money is being spent and who is giving it in near real-time."</font></p><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-bottom: 20px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Of course, overall political spending since 2010 is in the many billions of dollars, but the Issue One report specifically focuses on groups that have been allowed to conceal their donor lists.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">While the groups examined by Issue One have supported both Democrat and Republican candidates at various levels of politics, the only ones to break $100 million primarily back the GOP.&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The&nbsp;<b>U.S. Chamber of Commerce</b>—which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.Chamber_of_Commerce" style="text-decoration-line: none;">gets substantial funding</a>&nbsp;from big banks, pharmaceutical companies, and polluting industries—spent $130 million, and&nbsp;<b>Crossroads GPS, co-founded by former White House strategist Karl Rove, spent $110 million.</b>&nbsp;The third highest spender was the right-wing billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/tag/koch-brothers" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Koch Brothers</a>' Americans for Prosperity.</span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Check out the full list:</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important;" /><div alt="" class="media-image"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img alt="" class="media-image" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.alternet.org/sites/default/files/styles/story_image/public/issue_one_dark_money_groups.png?itok=4CvuvjQp" style="border: none;" /></font></div><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Whether you're a conservative Republican or a progressive Democrat, policy ideas and candidates' positions should be promoted by organizations who are proud to be engaged in our public arena, not secretive front groups designed to deceive voters, hide donors, and deploy deceptive tactics," declared Tim Roemer, a former congressman and U.S. ambassador who co-chairs&nbsp;<a href="https://www.issueone.org/reformers/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Issue One's ReFormers Caucus</a>, a coalition of former politicians.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Emphasizing that "transparency and disclosure are the building blocks necessary to empower citizens with information to fully and accurately assess the source and credibility of the groups trying to influence their votes," the report includes&nbsp;<b>five recommendations for doing so:</b></font></p><ol><li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Increase donor disclosure, such as including the names of a dark money group's top donors on television, radio, print, or digital advertisements;</font></li><li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Pass the Honest Ads Act, legislation before Congress that would create new disclosure standards for paid online political advertising modeled on the nationwide requirements for paid ads that appear on television or radio;</font></li><li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Develop new, national reporting rules to prevent donors from hiding their identities while bankrolling election-related advertisements;</font></li><li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Encourage or even require groups to great CREATE? special accounts that are exclusively for political expenses; and</font></li><li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Restructure and strenthen "the feckless, and deadlocked-by-design," Federal Elections Commission (FEC) "to ensure there is an effective cop on the beat to stop groups from breaking the rules that already exist.</font></li></ol><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Other critics of political spending by wealthy Americans and corporations have argued for far more radical reforms, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/06/10/elizabeth-warren-democrats-will-keep-losing-until-entire-party-willing-take" style="text-decoration-line: none;">reversal</a>&nbsp;of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2010&nbsp;<em>Citizens United&nbsp;</em>ruling and a transition to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/08/03/topple-us-oligarchy-sanders-calls-publicly-financed-elections" style="text-decoration-line: none;">publicly-funded elections</a>.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On Tuesday, a federal appeals court ruled that a pair of dark money groups, including the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity, must disclose top donors to California's attorney general—though, as the&nbsp;<em>Los Angeles Times&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-koch-donors-9th-circuit-20180911-story.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;">noted</a>, state officials "are required to keep the information confidential unless ordered by a court."</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Last month, in a case that ethics watchdog<b>&nbsp;Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) brought against Crossroads GPS, a federal judge issued a ruling that invalidated an FEC regulation enabling dark money donors to avoid disclosure.&nbsp;</b>As&nbsp;<em>Common Dreams&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/08/05/major-victory-federal-judge-issues-game-changing-ruling-dark-money" style="text-decoration-line: none;">reported</a>, Center for Responsive Politics' Robert Maguire said that if the ruling stands, it "could fundamentally change the role dark money plays in elections (if it has a role at all)."</font></p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">---</font></div><div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;">=</span></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;">ranked:</span></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;">
</span></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><div>Americans for Prosperity 29 $154,654,879</div><div>National Rifle Association 37 $145,422,955</div><div>American Future Fund 27 $87,551,309</div><div>U.S. Chamber of Commerce 127 $85,647,005</div><div>Planned Parenthood Action Fund 32 $62,772,876</div><div>League of Conservation Voters 33 $49,951,741</div><div>60 Plus Association 29 $46,786,787</div><div>Americans for Tax Reform 23 $38,900,667</div><div>Americans for Job Security 80 $37,648,639</div><div>American Action Network 23 $22,082,250</div><div>VoteVets Action Fund 42 $15,412,320</div><div>Patriot Majority USA 20 $9,248,353</div><div>Crossroads GPS 10 $5,810,000</div><div>45Committee 3 $1,075,000</div><div>National Association of Realtors 0 $0</div><div>
</div><div><b>Grand Total 402 $762,964,780</b></div><div>
</div><div>Source: Issue One analysis of Fe</div></span></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"></span></font></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Understanding the tax code:</b></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><div><b>What is a 501(c)(4) vs. a 501(c)(6) vs. an LLC?</b></div><div><b>
</b></div><div>The main vehicles through which dark money enters elections are three groups that</div><div>are often identified by their corporate structure and/or associated section of the U.S.</div><div>tax code.</div><div><b>First, “social welfare” organizations, which are organized under Section 501(c)(4)</b>&nbsp;of the</div><div>tax code. By law, these organizations must be “operated exclusively for the promotion</div><div>of social welfare.”</div><div>
</div><div><b>Second, trade associations, which are organized under Section 501(c)(6) of the tax code.</b></div><div>This section encompasses business leagues, chambers of commerce, real estate boards,</div><div>boards of trade and professional football leagues.</div><div>
</div><div><b>Third, limited liability companies (LLCs) may also be a source of political dark money.</b></div><div>In most states, it’s easy to identify the actual human beings who are behind an LLC.</div><div>But in some states — most notably Delaware and Wyoming — public records need</div><div>not identify any living, breathing people associated with an LLC, making them</div><div>tantamount to black boxes.</div><div>These three types of organizations may buy political advertisements or donate to</div><div>other groups, such as super PACs, that may also buy political ads.&nbsp;</div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/08/report-secretive-nonprofits-remain-a-major-player-in-2018">https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/08/report-secretive-nonprofits-remain-a-major-player-in-2018</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><b>Dark money groups have accounted for more than half of all outside group spending on broadcast television ads this election cycle,&nbsp;</b>according to a&nbsp;</span><a href="http://mediaproject.wesleyan.edu/releases/aug-2018/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">new report</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;by the Wesleyan Media Project in partnership with the Center for Responsive Politics.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">The report published this week, along with another&nbsp;</span><a href="http://mediaproject.wesleyan.edu/releases/june-2018/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Wesleyan study</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;in June, shows that while FEC-reported spending by dark money groups appears to be down since 2014, dark money advertising may be on the rise.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><b style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Dark money breakdown</font></b></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">More than 1.5 million political ads have aired on TVs nationwide at this point in the election cycle, the study found. That’s an 86 percent jump from the same point in the 2014 cycle.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Since June 5, dark money groups have been behind about 77 percent of ads purchased by pro-Democrat outside spending organizations in House races, according to the study. In the full election cycle, roughly 68 percent of ads purchased in House races by pro-Democrat organizations have come from dark money groups. &nbsp;&nbsp;</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">About 62 percent of ads purchased by pro-GOP groups in House races this cycle came from non-disclosing sources, according to the study. That number dropped to roughly 53 percent since June 5.</font></span></p><h2 class="tablepress-table-name tablepress-table-name-id-128" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 2em 0px 0.2em; clear: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Outside Group Donor Disclosure in House Races</font></h2><div class="scroll-table" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; width: 760px; overflow: auto;"><div id="tablepress-128_wrapper" class="dataTables_wrapper no-footer" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; clear: both; margin-bottom: 1em; width: 760px; overflow: auto;"><table id="tablepress-128" class="tablepress tablepress-id-128 dataTable no-footer" role="grid" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; width: 760px; border: none; clear: both; margin: 0px !important;"><thead style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><tr class="row-1 odd" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><th class="column-1 sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tablepress-128" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Outside group: activate to sort column ascending" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px 20px 8px 8px; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(217, 237, 247); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; position: relative; cursor: pointer; outline: 0px; width: 78px; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Outside group</font></th><th class="column-2 sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tablepress-128" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Ads airings (full cycle): activate to sort column ascending" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px 20px 8px 8px; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(217, 237, 247); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; position: relative; cursor: pointer; outline: 0px; width: 117px; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Ads airings (full cycle)</font></th><th class="column-3 sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tablepress-128" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Ads airings (from 6/5) : activate to sort column ascending" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px 20px 8px 8px; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(217, 237, 247); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; position: relative; cursor: pointer; outline: 0px; width: 118px; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Ads airings (from 6/5)</font></th><th class="column-4 sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tablepress-128" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Percent of group (full cycle) : activate to sort column ascending" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px 20px 8px 8px; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(217, 237, 247); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; position: relative; cursor: pointer; outline: 0px; width: 153px; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Percent of group (full cycle)</font></th><th class="column-5 sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tablepress-128" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Percent of group (from 6/5): activate to sort column ascending" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px 20px 8px 8px; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(217, 237, 247); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; position: relative; cursor: pointer; outline: 0px; width: 154px; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Percent of group (from 6/5)</font></th></tr></thead><tbody class="row-hover" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><tr class="row-2 even" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 0px; border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Pro-Democrat</font></strong></td><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 0px; border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 0px; border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 0px; border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 0px; border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /></tr><tr class="row-3 odd" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">None</font></td><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">25,925</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6,662</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">68.1%</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">76.6%</font></td></tr><tr class="row-4 even" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Partial</font></td><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">3,938</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1,343</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">10.3%</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">15.4%</font></td></tr><tr class="row-5 odd" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Full</font></td><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">8,228</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">692</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">21.6%</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">8.0%</font></td></tr><tr class="row-6 even" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Pro-GOP</font></strong></td><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /></tr><tr class="row-7 odd" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">None</font></td><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">30,548</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">5,093</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">61.9%</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">52.6%</font></td></tr><tr class="row-8 even" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Partial</font></td><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">10,930</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2,444</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">22.1%</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">25.3%</font></td></tr><tr class="row-9 odd" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Full</font></td><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">7,912</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2,142</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">16.0%</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">22.1%</font></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><span class="tablepress-table-description tablepress-table-description-id-128" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; clear: both; display: block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Figures are from either January 1, 2017 through July 29, 2018 (full cycle) or June 5, 2018 through July 29, 2018. Numbers include broadcast television. “Full” means the outside group discloses its sources of funding to the FEC. (Kantar Media/CMAG with analysis by the Wesleyan Media Project)</font></span><h2 class="tablepress-table-name tablepress-table-name-id-129" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 2em 0px 0.2em; clear: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Outside Group Donor Disclosure in Senate Races</font></h2><div class="scroll-table" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; width: 760px; overflow: auto;"><div id="tablepress-129_wrapper" class="dataTables_wrapper no-footer" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; clear: both; margin-bottom: 1em; width: 760px; overflow: auto;"><table id="tablepress-129" class="tablepress tablepress-id-129 dataTable no-footer" role="grid" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; width: 760px; border: none; clear: both; margin: 0px !important;"><thead style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><tr class="row-1 odd" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><th class="column-1 sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tablepress-129" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Outside Group: activate to sort column ascending" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px 20px 8px 8px; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(217, 237, 247); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; position: relative; cursor: pointer; outline: 0px; width: 79px; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Outside Group</font></th><th class="column-2 sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tablepress-129" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Ads airings (full cycle): activate to sort column ascending" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px 20px 8px 8px; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(217, 237, 247); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; position: relative; cursor: pointer; outline: 0px; width: 117px; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Ads airings (full cycle)</font></th><th class="column-3 sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tablepress-129" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Ads airings (since 6/5): activate to sort column ascending" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px 20px 8px 8px; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(217, 237, 247); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; position: relative; cursor: pointer; outline: 0px; width: 119px; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Ads airings (since 6/5)</font></th><th class="column-4 sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tablepress-129" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Percent of group (full cycle) : activate to sort column ascending" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px 20px 8px 8px; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(217, 237, 247); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; position: relative; cursor: pointer; outline: 0px; width: 151px; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Percent of group (full cycle)</font></th><th class="column-5 sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tablepress-129" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Percent of group (since 6/5) : activate to sort column ascending" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px 20px 8px 8px; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(217, 237, 247); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; position: relative; cursor: pointer; outline: 0px; width: 154px; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Percent of group (since 6/5)</font></th></tr></thead><tbody class="row-hover" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><tr class="row-2 even" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 0px; border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Pro-Democrat</font></strong></td><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 0px; border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 0px; border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 0px; border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 0px; border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /></tr><tr class="row-3 odd" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">None</font></td><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">27,304</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2,962</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">37.6%</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">11.2%<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;" /></font></td></tr><tr class="row-4 even" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Partial</font></td><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">40,207</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">19,911</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">55.4%</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">75.0%<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;" /></font></td></tr><tr class="row-5 odd" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Full</font></td><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">5,090</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">3,665</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">7.0%</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">13.8%<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;" /></font></td></tr><tr class="row-6 even" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Pro-GOP</font></strong></td><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /></tr><tr class="row-7 odd" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">None</font></td><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">42,152</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">14,088</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">50.8%</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">55.7%</font></td></tr><tr class="row-8 even" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Partial</font></td><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2,596</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1,038</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">3.1%</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4.1%</font></td></tr><tr class="row-9 odd" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Full</font></td><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">38,186</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">10,153</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">46.0%</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">40.2%</font></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><span class="tablepress-table-description tablepress-table-description-id-129" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; clear: both; display: block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Figures are from either January 1, 2017 through July 29, 2018 (full cycle) or June 5, 2018 through July 29, 2018. Numbers include broadcast television. “Full” means the outside group discloses its sources of funding to the FEC. (Kantar Media/CMAG with analysis by the Wesleyan Media Project)</font></span><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In Senate races, non-disclosing organizations accounted for about 51 percent of ads purchased by pro-GOP groups this cycle. About 38 percent of the ads purchased by pro-Democrat organizations in Senate races this cycle have come from non-disclosing groups, according to the study.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The Senate Majority PAC, a super PAC that supports Democratic candidates running for Senate seats, was the top ad spender in House, Senate and gubernatorial races</b>&nbsp;since June 5, the study found. SMP, which has accepted money from dark money groups this cycle, spent roughly $5.1 million on nearly 20,000 ads in races nationwide from June 5 to July 29.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Other top political ad spenders since June included the&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">conservative Florida Grown PC, which spent about $3.3 million on nearly 8,000 ads, and the conservative One Nation, a dark money nonprofit tied to Senate Republican leadership, which spent about $3 million on about 9,500 ads</span>.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Despite its considerable spending, One Nation has not reported any of its spending to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). This is because the group’s ads are framed as “educational” or “issue” ads — like&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ4QCTYaHYw" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">this one</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;that doesn’t tell viewers how to vote, but asks them to “Tell Senator Heller to keep fighting for us and to improve V.A. nursing homes.”</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Such ads only have to reported to the FEC 30 days before a primary election or 60 days before a general election. As OpenSecrets&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2014/11/as-fec-window-opened-subjects-of-dark-money-issue-ads-became-targets-for-defeat/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">has reported in the past</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">,<b>&nbsp;dark money groups use these reporting windows to flood TV stations with ads that won’t be reported to the FEC&nbsp;</b>so that the group can claim the expenditures as part of its&nbsp;<b>social welfare</b>&nbsp;function activities when it files its tax returns with the IRS.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">One Nation certainly isn’t alone. Liberal and conservative groups — like Majority Forward, which supports Senate Democrats, and the Koch-flagship group Americans for Prosperity — have spent millions of dollars on ads, while reporting almost none of it to the FEC.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">As more groups take advantage of this loophole, less spending by dark money groups is actually reported to the FEC. In the 2018 cycle, dark money groups have reported $39.5 million to the FEC compared to $44.1 million at this point in 2014. However, as the WMP/CRP&nbsp;</span><a href="http://mediaproject.wesleyan.edu/releases/june-2018/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">report showed in June</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">&nbsp;— when the same trend was evident — dark money spending was up both in terms of volume and percentage of overall ads run by outside groups. &nbsp;</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><b style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Candidates outspend outside groups</font></b></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In the last two months, candidates have outspent outside groups on ads in House, Senate and gubernatorial races.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Candidates have sponsored more than 83 percent of all ads in gubernatorial races, 70 percent of ads in House races and 53 percent of ads in Senate races, according to the study.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">And ad spending in gubernatorial races is vastly outpacing spending in House and Senate races.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">More than half of the roughly 400,000 political ads that have aired since June 5 have broadcast in gubernatorial races. Candidates, outside groups and political parties have spent more than $93 million on ads in gubernatorial races, according to the study. The top races by ads aired were in Florida, Tennessee and Michigan.<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;" /></font></span></p><h2 class="tablepress-table-name tablepress-table-name-id-130" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 2em 0px 0.2em; clear: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Federal Ad Airings and Cost Since June 5</font></h2><div class="scroll-table" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; width: 760px; overflow: auto;"><div id="tablepress-130_wrapper" class="dataTables_wrapper no-footer" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; clear: both; margin-bottom: 1em; width: 760px; overflow: auto;"><table id="tablepress-130" class="tablepress tablepress-id-130 dataTable no-footer" role="grid" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; width: 760px; border: none; clear: both; margin: 0px !important;"><thead style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><tr class="row-1 odd" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><th class="column-1 sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tablepress-130" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="&nbsp;: activate to sort column ascending" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px 20px 8px 8px; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(217, 237, 247); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; position: relative; cursor: pointer; outline: 0px; width: 81px; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></th><th class="column-2 sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tablepress-130" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Sponsor: activate to sort column ascending" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px 20px 8px 8px; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(217, 237, 247); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; position: relative; cursor: pointer; outline: 0px; width: 109px; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Sponsor</font></th><th class="column-3 sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tablepress-130" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Ads aired: activate to sort column ascending" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px 20px 8px 8px; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(217, 237, 247); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; position: relative; cursor: pointer; outline: 0px; width: 95px; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Ads aired</font></th><th class="column-4 sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tablepress-130" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="Est. Cost (in Millions): activate to sort column ascending" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px 20px 8px 8px; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(217, 237, 247); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; position: relative; cursor: pointer; outline: 0px; width: 202px; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Est. Cost (in Millions)</font></th><th class="column-5 sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="tablepress-130" rowspan="1" colspan="1" aria-label="% Sponsored: activate to sort column ascending" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px 20px 8px 8px; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(217, 237, 247); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; position: relative; cursor: pointer; outline: 0px; width: 133px; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">% Sponsored</font></th></tr></thead><tbody class="row-hover" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><tr class="row-2 even" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 0px; border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Governor</font></strong></td><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 0px; border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Candidate</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 0px; border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">216,613</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 0px; border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">76.9</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 0px; border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">83.2%<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;" /></font></td></tr><tr class="row-3 odd" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Group</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">41,698</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">16.1</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">16%<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;" /></font></td></tr><tr class="row-4 even" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Party</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2,003</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">0.88</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><1%</font></td></tr><tr class="row-5 odd" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">House</font></strong></td><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Candidate</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">48,429</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">16.5</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">69.7%<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;" /></font></td></tr><tr class="row-6 even" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Coordinated</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1,693</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">0.44</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2.4%</font></td></tr><tr class="row-7 odd" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Group</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">18,378</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">5.7</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">26.5%<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;" /></font></td></tr><tr class="row-8 even" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Party</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">950</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">0.42</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1.4%<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;" /></font></td></tr><tr class="row-9 odd" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Senate</font></strong></td><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Candidate</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">60,733</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">20.0</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">53.1%<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;" /></font></td></tr><tr class="row-10 even" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Coordinated</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">463</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">0.18</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><1%<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;" /></font></td></tr><tr class="row-11 odd" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Group</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">51,817</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">14.1</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(249, 249, 249); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">45.3%<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;" /></font></td></tr><tr class="row-12 even" role="row" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><td class="column-1" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;" /><td class="column-2" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Party</font></td><td class="column-3" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1,273</font></td><td class="column-4" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">0.18</font></td><td class="column-5" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 8px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right: none; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top; float: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1.1%<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;" /></font></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><span class="tablepress-table-description tablepress-table-description-id-130" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; clear: both; display: block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Figures are from June 5 through July 29, 2018. Numbers include broadcast television. (Kantar Media/CMAG with analysis by the Wesleyan Media Project)</font></span><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">Read the full report&nbsp;</span><a href="http://mediaproject.wesleyan.edu/releases/aug-2018/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">here</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">.</span></font></p><div class="related-box" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; width: 760px; padding: 8px 0px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span class="txt" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; float: left; line-height: 28px; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: -0.03em; margin-right: 15px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">RELATED TOPICS</font></span><ul class="related-list" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px -5px; padding: 0px; list-style: none;"><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/dark-money/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">dark money</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/one-nation/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">One Nation</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/senate-majority-pac/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Senate Majority PAC</font></a></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/wesleyan-media-project/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background: rgb(236, 238, 242); text-decoration-line: none; display: block; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 3px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Wesleyan Media Project</font></a></li></ul></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><a href="https://scholars.org/sites/scholars/files/torres-spelliscy_what_do_corporations_have_to_hide-glimpses_of_dark_money.pdf"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://scholars.org/sites/scholars/files/torres-spelliscy_what_do_corporations_have_to_hide-glimpses_of_dark_money.pdf</font></a></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>What do Corporations Have to Hide? Glimpses of Dark Money May 31, 2016</b>&nbsp;</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Ciara Torres-Spelliscy Introduction&nbsp;</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda told the graduates of the University of Pennsylvania, “[e]very story you choose to tell, by necessity, omits others from the larger narrative.”1 This is true. But American elections are missing a key part of the story: exactly who is funding political ads. Between 2010 and 2014, there was $600 million of dark money spent in federal elections alone. But now that corporate money is allowed in politics through perfectly legal independent expenditures, the open question remains, why is corporate money going dark? Post-Citizens United, the press has shown a renewed interest in hidden corporate political spending.2 They have reported on inadvertent and court ordered disclosures by corporations. These reports provide an admittedly limited glimpse into what corporations are doing on the down low and allows us to start to explore what exactly are corporate political spenders hiding and why. Because of the brevity of this piece a definitive account of all that is hidden in the realm of corporate political spending is not possible. But this piece can offer a starting point for both discussion and further research. Defining the Modern Dark Money Problem Here “dark money” does not refer to the excellent book by Jane Mayer of the same title, but rather, it refers to untraceable political spending.3 Dark money is money that has been routed through an opaque nonprofit — thus concealing its true source from voters and investors alike. The source of dark money could be from individuals, unions, associations, nonprofits or for profit</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;1 Lin-Manuel Miranda, Full Transcript: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Commencement Speech at UPenn, HEARST (May 16, 2016 5:23 pm), https://heatst.com/entertainment/full-transcript-lin-manuel-mirandas-commencent-speech-at-upenn/. 2 Kathy Kiely, Former IRS Official Sees Dark Money Scandal Brewing As demonstrators continue weeklong protest on Capitol Hill, an expert talks about the toll Citizens United is taking, MOYERS & CO (Apr. 12, 2016), http://billmoyers.com/story/former-irsofficial-sees-dark-money-scandal-brewing/; Michael Isikoff, Secret $1.5 million donation from Wisconsin billionaire uncovered in Scott Walker dark-money probe, YAHOO NEWS (Mar. 23, 2015); Karoli Kuns, How Dark Money Shields Political Donors, NEWS WEEK (June 30, 2015), http://www.newsweek.com/how-dark-money-shields-political-donors-348852; Most expensive midterms EVER: The power of Citizens United and anonymous 'dark money' revealed as spending nears $4billion, AP & REUTERS (Nov. 4, 2014), http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2819897/Most-expensive-midterms-power-Citizens-United-anonymous-darkmoney-revealed-spending-nears-4billion.html#ixzz48kE7j11f. --Discussion Draft--Not for citation-- 2 businesses.&nbsp;</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Here I will focus on dark money from for profit businesses.4 Dark money is also used to shape policy between elections. Corporations do not have a constitutional right to spend money darkly. If anything, corporations have no right to privacy at all.5 But corporations have been clever at exploiting the gaps in regulation between the IRS and elections regulators, which make dark money possible.6 As I explain in my new book Corporate Citizen?, corporate dark money was a problem that predated Citizens United v. FEC (2010).7 Arguably, corporate dark money was the original sin in Watergate.8 The reason for keeping the corporate money raised by the 1972 reelection campaign of Richard Nixon secret was easy enough to discern. (1) There was a gap in the law which failed to require disclosure for months in early 1972; 9 thus Nixon’s fundraisers thought they could get away with hiding it. And (2) corporate contributions to the campaign were illegal.10 S</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Leaks&nbsp;</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Dark money can be spent in state or federal elections. Most leaks have dealt with spending at the state level. For instance, the Alabama House Republican Caucus, which is a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, inadvertently provided their Form 990 Schedule B to reporters, which listed 16 contributor names and their contribution amounts. 23 The companies on the list included, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, and Alabama Power as well as FedEx Corp.’s PAC.24&nbsp;</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Republican Governors Association (RGA) is a 527, which reports its donors to the IRS.25 But the RGA made more of its funding opaque by creating dark nonprofit affiliates like the Republican Governors Association Public Policy Committee.26 In 2014 a there was a leak of a document from the Republican Governors Association Public Policy Committee which showed what corporations were giving money to it and at which level.27 Included in this leak were records of bankroll politically active nonprofits in recent years are “energy giant Exelon Corp., health insurer WellPoint Inc. and technology titan Microsoft Corp.” …&nbsp;</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“As part of the investigation, the center created an interactive database with information about each of the donor companies and how much they gave. It can be found at https://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/01/16/14121/pulling-back-veil-corporate-contributions”). 23 Michael Beckel, Documents reveal GOP group’s secret donors, CTR. FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY (Mar. 12, 2014), https://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/03/12/14413/documents-reveal-gop-groups-secret-donors (stating that Rachel Adams, the communications director for Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard, accidentally provided journalists with the Alabama House Republican Caucus a version of the group’s Form 990 that the IRS usually only sees. The form is available at http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1005383-alabama-house-republican-conference-inc-2012- irs.html). 24 Id. 25 Andy Kroll, The Republicans' Dark-Money-Moving Machine Inside the GOP group that skirts election rules by shuffling millions across state lines and then "wiping the fingerprints off the money.", MOTHER JONES (Jan./Feb. 2012), http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/01/republican-governors-association-perry-michigan. 26 Paul Abowd, Governors’ groups rely increasingly on 'dark money' affiliates shift to nonprofits obscures donors, CTR. FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY (May 19, 2014), https://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/04/04/12431/governors-groupsrely-increasingly-dark-money-affiliates. 27 Jonathan Weisman, G.O.P. Error Reveals Donors and the Price of Access, N.Y. TIMES (Sept. 24, 2014), http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/25/us/republicans-corporate-donors-governors.html?r=0 (“Such an error by the Republican Governors Association recently resulted in the disclosure of exactly the kind of information that political committees given tax-exempt status usually keep secret, namely their corporate donors and the size of their checks.”).&nbsp;</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">--Discussion Draft--Not for citation--&nbsp;</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6 privately held corporations and their trade associations that gave at least $250,000 to the&nbsp;<b>RGA&nbsp;</b>including: American Beverage Association, Health Care Service Corporation, Koch Companies Public Sector, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, Ryan Industries, and USAA. The RGA leak also showed publicly traded companies giving at the $250,000 “Statesmen” level including: Aetna, Inc., Centene Corporation, Coca-Cola, Corrections Corporation of America, ExxonMobil, Microsoft, Motorola, Pfizer, Pike Electric, Inc., Range Resources Corporation, Reynolds American, Sanofi, United Health Group, WalMart, WellCare Health Plans Inc., and WellPoint, Inc.28 In the same year (2014), the IRS provided additional inadvertent disclosures for this RGA group to the Center for Public Integrity, which included a page of the “Schedule B” list of donors, which the IRS does not require to be made public. The corporate donors included in this IRS disclosure were HCA Inc. ($89,000), and Healthsouth Corp. ($10,500). 29 This secretive funding of the RGA’s Policy Committee is significant because the RGA is typically one of the largest political spenders in state elections across the nation.30 And they are wildly successful at electing governors as there are 34 Republicans in governors’ mansions across the land.3</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=
negative ads 2018

</font><table id="tablepress-116" class="tablepress tablepress-id-116 dataTable no-footer" role="grid"><tbody class="row-hover"><tr class="row-2 even" role="row"><td class="column-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">American Action Network</font></td><td class="column-2"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">16,056</font></td><td class="column-3"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$4.6</font></td><td class="column-4"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">R</font></td><td class="column-5"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">House (CA-10, CA-21, CA-25, CA49, CO-06, FL-18, FL-26, IA-01, IA-02, ID-01, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17, KS-03, ME-02, MN-01, MN-07, MN-08, NC-11, NE-02, NV-03, NY-21, NY-22, NY-23, NY-24, NY-27, OH-10, PA-16, PA-17, TX-23, VA-10, WI-01, WI-03)</font></td></tr><tr class="row-3 odd" role="row"><td class="column-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Americans For Prosperity</font></td><td class="column-2"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">15,100</font></td><td class="column-3"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$5.4</font></td><td class="column-4"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">R</font></td><td class="column-5"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Senate (IN, MO, MT, ND, VA, WI); Governor (VA, WI)</font></td></tr><tr class="row-4 even" role="row"><td class="column-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Senate Majority PAC</font></td><td class="column-2"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">9,968</font></td><td class="column-3"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$3.6</font></td><td class="column-4"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">D</font></td><td class="column-5"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Senate (IN, MO, MT, ND, WV, WI)</font></td></tr><tr class="row-5 odd" role="row"><td class="column-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Senate Leadership Fund</font></td><td class="column-2"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">9,903</font></td><td class="column-3"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$2.5</font></td><td class="column-4"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">R</font></td><td class="column-5"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Senate (AL)</font></td></tr><tr class="row-6 even" role="row"><td class="column-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Congressional Leadership Fund</font></td><td class="column-2"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">8,457</font></td><td class="column-3"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$4.6</font></td><td class="column-4"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">R</font></td><td class="column-5"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">House (GA-06, MT-01, PA-18)</font></td></tr><tr class="row-7 odd" role="row"><td class="column-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Save My Care</font></td><td class="column-2"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6,967</font></td><td class="column-3"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$2.2</font></td><td class="column-4"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">D</font></td><td class="column-5"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Senate (AZ, NV); Governor (CT); House (AK-01, AZ-02, CA-21, CA-49, ME-02, NV-02, NJ-03, OH-01, OH-12, OH-16)</font></td></tr><tr class="row-8 even" role="row"><td class="column-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Majority Forward</font></td><td class="column-2"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">5,726</font></td><td class="column-3"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$1.2</font></td><td class="column-4"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">D</font></td><td class="column-5"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Senate (AZ, IN, MT, ND, NV, WV)</font></td></tr><tr class="row-9 odd" role="row"><td class="column-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Restoration PAC</font></td><td class="column-2"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">5,579</font></td><td class="column-3"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$1.9</font></td><td class="column-4"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">R</font></td><td class="column-5"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Senate (MT,WV, WI)</font></td></tr><tr class="row-10 even" role="row"><td class="column-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">State Solutions, Inc.</font></td><td class="column-2"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4,823</font></td><td class="column-3"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$3.7</font></td><td class="column-4"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">R</font></td><td class="column-5"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Governor (IL)</font></td></tr><tr class="row-11 odd" role="row"><td class="column-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">All About Florida</font></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/03/big-revenues-for-group-providing-cover-for-gop-donors-too-embarrassed-to-publicly-support-trump-in-2016/"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/03/big-revenues-for-group-providing-cover-for-gop-donors-too-embarrassed-to-publicly-support-trump-in-2016/</font></a></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><div class="entry-content" style="margin: 5px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>billionaire-funded political organization operating&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4390422-45Committee-2017-Form-990.html#document/p1/a408723" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">out of a P.O. Box in Herndon</a>, Virginia, with no employees or volunteers doesn’t exactly scream “social welfare.” But that’s precisely what a pro-Trump group, called 45Committee, claims it exists to do.</b></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">New&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4390422-45Committee-2017-Form-990.html" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">tax documents obtained by OpenSecrets</a>&nbsp;show that the group spent $45 million from the run-up to the 2016 presidential election into the early days of President Trump’s administration.&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The money that fueled the spending was raised from just a handful of wealthy, anonymous donors —&nbsp;most of whom gave more than $1 million each.</span></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Groups like 45Committee are not political committees, and therefore don’t have to disclose their donors to the public. They’re also not supposed to have politics as their primary purpose, but the IRS and Federal Election Commission have proven to be woefully ill-equipped at policing nonprofit political activity. As a result, these “dark money” groups have become the vehicle of choice for wealthy corporate and individual donors who want to spend heavily in elections without the public knowing who is filling their war chest.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The filing, which was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.citizensforethics.org/pro-trump-dark-money-group-primarily-funded-seven-figure-checks/" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">first reported by CREW</a>, shows that&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">$30 million of the $46.3 million raised by 45Committee came from just four anonymous donors&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4390422-45Committee-2017-Form-990.html#document/p16/a408424" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">who gave $7.5</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4390422-45Committee-2017-Form-990.html#document/p17/a408426" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">million each</a>.</span></font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Reluctant Trump embrace</font></strong></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C90016478&cycle=2016" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">45Committee</a>&nbsp;and its sister super PAC,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C00574533&cycle=2016" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Future45</a>, were formed in October 2015 with an aim to destroy Hillary Clinton’s nascent presidential campaign.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The groups were backed by hedge-fund billionaires like Ken Griffin and Paul Singer, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/prominent-gop-donors-launch-new-groups-to-take-aim-at-hillary-clinton-1445984161" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">news reports</a>, and by early “Never Trumpers”-turned-Trump supporters, Joe and Marlene Ricketts, the owners of the Chicago Cubs.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The Rickettses had been early backers of Gov. Scott Walker’s (R-Wis.) short-lived presidential campaign, giving $5 million to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C00576108&cycle=2016" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Unintimidated PAC</a>, a pro-Walker super PAC. Early in 2016, Marlene Ricketts also gave $4 million to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C00603621" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Our Principles PAC</a>, a super PAC for wealthy “Never Trump” donors.</font></p><p style="padding: 5px 0px; margin: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>When the news came out that Ricketts was fueling the group, Trump launched a threatening tweet, saying the “Rickets [sic] family … better be careful, they have a lot to hide!” ...If the IRS were to look at this activity, it may decide that the 45Committee provided excessive benefit to a single person&nbsp;— a big no-no for nonprofits. That person of course is Donald Trump. But for the IRS to rule on something like this, it would have to audit the 45Committee and conduct a “facts and circumstances” analysis of the groups activities, which is a longshot: The IRS only audits seven out of every 1,000 returns it receives from nonprofits every year.</b></font></p></div><footer class="entry-meta" style="line-height: 15px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
<strong>Categories</strong>:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/category/outside-money/501c-groups/" rel="category tag" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">501(c) groups</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/category/outside-money/" rel="category tag" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Outside Money</a>

<strong>Tags</strong>:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/45-cmte/" rel="tag" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">45 Cmte</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/45committee/" rel="tag" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">45Committee</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/501c4/" rel="tag" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">501(c)(4)</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/501c_/" rel="tag" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">501c</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/501c49737/" rel="tag" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">501c4</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/dark-money/" rel="tag" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">dark money</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/donald-trump/" rel="tag" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Donald Trump</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/fec/" rel="tag" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">fec</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/irs/" rel="tag" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">irs</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/joe-ricketts/" rel="tag" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Joe Ricketts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/ken-griffin/" rel="tag" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Ken Griffin</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/marlene-ricketts/" rel="tag" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">marlene ricketts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/paul-singer/" rel="tag" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Paul Singer</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/robert-maguire/" rel="tag" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Robert Maguire</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/shadow-money-trail/" rel="tag" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Shadow Money Trail</a></font></footer><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">=</font></p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">==</font></div></div></div>