Democrats Embrace ‘Dark Money’

Democrats Decry ‘Big Special Interests’ Dark Money’ While Plotting ‘Behind Closed Doors’ With A Special Interest Group Whose ‘Funding Is Arguably Even More Opaque’
SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE (D-RI): “Now you see the confirmation process underway, and you see big special interests’ dark money already out, campaigning … Somebody spent nearly $18 million in political ads … We don’t know who that person was because of the dark money protections that are such a scourge in our democracy right now. That individual donor’s hand is hidden behind all of this dark money machinery …” (Sen Whitehouse, Congressional Record, S. 4996, 7/17/2018)

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): “One of the principal tools rich and powerful people use is dark money.  They have created an evasive enemy that slithers out of sight, with only a glimpse here or there.” (Sen. Warren, Press Release, 4/24/2018)

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)

• “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)

But Dems Gather ‘Behind Closed Doors’ And Rally With ‘Dark Money’ Group On The Supreme Court
“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, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron, a veteran of confirmation battles since the 1980s.” (“Republicans Express Confidence About Trump’s Supreme Court Pick; Democrats Plot Plan To Sink Him,” The Washington Post, 7/10/2018)

“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)

• 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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