Dark Money Drama: Democrats Decry It, Yet Cash In Millions!

This comes despite the party's own acceptance of tens of millions of dollars from sources that align with their definition of dark money.

According to the Conservative Daily News, the Democrats' platform warns of the potential for "foreign entities" to exploit "dark money loopholes" to sway American elections. The party points to 501(c)(4) nonprofits as a significant conduit for anonymously sourced dark money entering races. Yet, Future Forward Action, a 501(c)(4) group akin to those criticized in the Democratic platform, has funneled tens of millions of dollars into Future Forward PAC. This committee was President Joe Biden's primary super PAC in 2020 and has since shifted its support to Vice President Kamala Harris, the party's presumptive nominee.

The 2024 platform states, "Too much money flows in the shadows to influence our elections. Democrats will end 'dark money' by requiring full disclosure of contributors and ban 501(c)(4) organizations from spending on elections." This statement seems to have been drafted before Biden's withdrawal from the race.

However, Federal Election Commission records reveal that Future Forward Action has injected over $35.6 million into Future Forward PAC this election cycle. As a 501(c)(4) registered with the Internal Revenue Service, Future Forward Action is not obligated to disclose its donors.

August 21, 2024

In January, Future Forward PAC reserved $250 million in advertising space across battleground states, a move it claimed was the largest single ad purchase by a super PAC in American history, as reported by the New York Times. The PAC also allocated $50 million in July to buy ads supporting Harris in swing states ahead of this week's Democratic National Convention, according to the Associated Press.

The Washington Post reports that in addition to channeling money into Future Forward PAC, Future Forward USA Action has also spent tens of millions of dollars directly on advertising to promote the policies of the Biden-Harris administration.

The Democratic platform expresses concern that "advocacy groups can run ads on issues attacking or supporting a candidate right until Election Day without disclosing who's paying for that ad." It goes on to say, "Too often, powerful special interests use front groups to run these ads to win at any cost."

OpenSecrets data shows that Democrats have received increasing support from dark money groups in every election since 2018. The Sixteen Thirty Fund, one of the largest Democratic-aligned 501(c)(4) organizations, donated approximately $164 million to super PACs and other political organizations in 2020. Many of these funded groups worked to unseat then-President Donald Trump and to bolster the Democratic presence in Congress, as reported by Politico.

The Capital Research Center reveals that the Berger Action Fund, a nonprofit founded by Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss, contributed $143 million to the Sixteen Thirty Fund between 2019 and 2022. The Democratic platform vows to "crack down on foreign nationals who try to influence elections" and prohibit foreign entities from donating to advocacy groups.

Capital Research Center analyst Parker Thayer expressed concern to the Daily Caller News Foundation, stating, "Its deeply concerning that a man like Hansjorg Wyss accounts for such a large portion of the Sixteen Thirty Funds revenues. Federal law prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to PACs in the United States, and the Sixteen Thirty Fund contributes millions every year to Democrats-aligned PACs."

The Democratic National Committee and the Harris campaign have yet to respond to the DCNFs requests for comment. The Democrats are set to vote on whether to approve the platform as it stands on Monday night, as reported by the NYT. This situation raises questions about the party's commitment to transparency and the influence of foreign entities on American politics.