Democrats’ ‘Mysterious’ Money

Senate Democrats Continue To Complain Of ‘Dark Money,’ While ‘Mysterious’ Money Flows From Their Super PACs
SEN. CLAIRE McCASKILL (D-MO), on her Supreme Court nomination vote: It’s based “on his positions on several key issues, most importantly the avalanche of dark, anonymous money that is crushing our democracy.” (Springfield [MO] News-Leader, 9/19/2018)

‘Mysterious’ Super PACs Spending Millions On Senate Races Are Funded By ‘Super PAC[s] Aligned With Senate Democrats’
ARIZONA: “A mysterious super PAC that spent $1.7 million attacking Republican Rep. Martha McSally during the Arizona Senate primary was funded entirely by Senate Majority PAC, a super PAC aligned with Senate Democrats, new campaign finance disclosures show.” (“Mystery super PAC that attacked McSally was funded by Senate Democrats,” Politico, 9/20/2018)

• “The new disclosure shows that Senate Majority PAC, the main super PAC aligned with Senate Democrats, seeded Red and Gold with $1.7 million as it started attacking McSally in early August.”< (“Mystery super PAC that attacked McSally was funded by Senate Democrats,” Politico, 9/20/2018)
• “Super PACs are by law supposed to disclose their donors before primary elections. But Red and Gold … chang[ed] its filing schedule with the Federal Election Commission — switching from quarterly to monthly filing deadlines at a strategic moment — which allowed it to avoid having to file disclosures on certain dates before the primary.” (“Mystery super PAC that attacked McSally was funded by Senate Democrats,” Politico, 9/20/2018)

ALABAMA: “A mystery super PAC backing Democrat Doug Jones in Alabama is controlled by a pair of groups closely aligned with the national Democratic Party, even as the candidate strives to dissociate himself from Washington interests. Highway 31, which dropped more than $4.1 million in support of Jones … is a joint project of two of the largest national Democratic super PACs — Senate Majority PAC and Priorities USA Action — along with a group of Alabama Democrats, multiple senior officials familiar with the arrangement told POLITICO.” (“Secret Super PAC Backing Jones In Alabama Exposed,” Politico, 12/11/2017)

• “The group’s backing has remained secret until now because federal laws do not require it to disclose its donors until after the election. Jones' camp has kept its distance from the group, and no information has surfaced until now about its background.” (“Secret Super PAC Backing Jones In Alabama Exposed,” Politico, 12/11/2017)
• “Chris Hayden, spokesman for the Senate Majority PAC, said Tuesday that the group was the primary backer of the PAC called Highway 31, which spent more than $4 million on hard-hitting advertising and mailings … Because of reporting and payment schedules, Highway 31 didn't disclose its donors during the campaign despite its heavy spending.” (The Associated Press, 12/27/2017)

Senate Dems Attack ‘A Flood Of Unlimited, Dark Money’ Keeping ‘The Identity Of Big Donors A Deep, Dark Secret’
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “[T]he Roberts Court … unleashed a flood of unlimited, dark money in our politics …” (Sen. Schumer, Congressional Record, S. 4466, 6/27/2018)

SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE (D-RI): “Who pays millions of dollars for that, and what their expectations are is a deep, dark secret. These groups also fund Republican election campaigns with dark money and keep the identity of big donors a deep, dark secret.” (U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing, 9/04/2018)

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ): “I’ve only been here five years and I’ve seen the culture of Washington change because of the obscene amount of dark money pouring into our political process … rigging the system.” (U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing, 9/04/2018)

And Yet Dems Gather ‘Behind Closed Doors’ And Rally With ‘Dark Money’ Group Demand Justice On The Supreme Court
LEFT-WING ‘DARK MONEY’ GROUP DEMAND JUSTICE: “We’re LIVE on the steps of the Supreme Court with U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Edward J. Markey and U.S. Senator Kamala Harris demanding Democrats in the Senate #DitchtheList of Trump’s SCOTUS nominees.” (Demand Justice, Facebook, 6/28/2018)

“The executive director of Demand Justice is Brian Fallon, a former top aide to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who later advised Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2016.” (“Millions From Anonymous Donors To Influence Kavanaugh Fight,” The Associated Press, 7/12/2018)

“[Sen. Chuck] Schumer [D-NY], [Sen. Bernie] Sanders [I-VT], and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, gathered behind closed doors inside the Capitol Tuesday afternoon with leaders of a vast constellation of liberal activist groups to strategize over the court battle. Among the attendees were Fallon …”< (“Republicans Express Confidence About Trump’s Supreme Court Pick; Democrats Plot Plan To Sink Him,” The Washington Post, 7/10/2018)

Liberal ‘Dark Money’ Group Demand Justice Hides Behind ‘An Additional Layer Of Secrecy’
“Millions of dollars from anonymous donors are helping shape the fight over President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee … The liberal Demand Justice has spelled out plans for a $5 million effort to oppose Kavanaugh … While the groups’ positions on Kavanaugh are clear, their sources of cash aren’t.” (“Millions From Anonymous Donors To Influence Kavanaugh Fight,” The Associated Press, 7/12/2018)

“Demand Justice was formed just a few months ago and is structured in such a way that it doesn’t have to file annual tax returns. That’s because it’s ‘fiscally sponsored’ by a tax-exempt social welfare organization called the Sixteen Thirty Fund. The Sixteen Thirty Fund files federal tax returns but doesn’t have to disclose the identities of its donors.” (“Millions From Anonymous Donors To Influence Kavanaugh Fight,” The Associated Press, 7/12/2018)

• HUFFINGTON POST: “Demand Justice’s legal setup, first reported by OpenSecrets, is more complex: the group is sponsored by the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a 501(c)(4) that has agreed to provide a legal home for the group. That means Demand Justice won’t be required to file its own 990 tax returns with the IRS, and donors to the group will disclose giving money to the Sixteen Thirty Fund rather than Demand Justice. That adds an additional layer of secrecy to who is giving to the group.” (“Millions Of Dollars In Supreme Court Ads Are Coming And We Won’t Know Who Paid For Them,” Huffington Post, 7/23/2018)
• WASHINGTON POST EDITORS: “Demand Justice, a relatively new organization working against Trump judicial nominees, has promised to spend $5 million. The group is set up such that its funding is arguably even more opaque than the nonprofits against which it competes.” (Editorial, “Who Is Paying For The Next Supreme Court Justice?,” The Washington Post, 7/15/2018)

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