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What is dark money and how much does it run the US government?

GoogleAI Mode: “”Dark money” is spending by undisclosed donors to influence political outcomes, primarily through politically active nonprofit organizations and shell companies that give to Super PACs. It has a significant effect on the US government, with record-breaking spending of at least $1.9 billion during the 2024 federal election cycle. 

How dark money influences US elections: 

Politically active nonprofits: Groups like 501(c)(4) “social welfare” organizations can engage in political activity without disclosing their donors. They can accept unlimited amounts of money from individuals, corporations, and unions.

Shell companies: These companies are created to hide the true source of political contributions. They can be used to funnel money to super PACs, which are legally required to disclose their donors but often list a shell company, leaving the original source anonymous.

Super PACs: While technically required to disclose donors, these committees can receive unlimited contributions from dark money groups, effectively masking the original donor. Many super PACs work closely with affiliated dark money groups.

Timing of spending: Dark money groups can run “issue ads” that avoid express advocacy for or against a candidate outside of specific disclosure windows, further obscuring their spending.

Online advertising: Much like TV ads, online political ads can be timed and worded to avoid FEC disclosure requirements, making it difficult to track their full extent. 

The scale of dark money: 

Record-breaking spending: In the 2024 election cycle, dark money reached a record high of at least $1.9 billion in federal races, representing a substantial increase over previous years.

Funding super PACs: The most significant portion of 2024 dark money spending came from contributions to super PACs, which received $1.3 billion from shell companies and undisclosed nonprofit groups.

Influence by party: In 2024, Democrats benefited from more dark money ($1.2 billion) than Republicans ($664 million), though both parties receive large amounts of secret funding.

Underreported figures: The $1.9 billion figure is likely an underestimate, as some forms of dark money spending, such as payments to social media influencers, are difficult or impossible to track. 

How dark money runs the government
The pervasive influence of dark money undermines public trust and can corrupt the political process. When voters are unaware of who is funding political ads and campaigns, they cannot assess the credibility and motives of those seeking to influence elections. This can lead to politicians becoming beholden to the wealthy special interests that secretly finance their elections. For example, the pharmaceutical industry uses dark money to lobby for favorable legislation, and elected officials have been found to seek advice from dark money group leaders on legislative strategies. The trend toward increasing dark money spending makes it more difficult for the public to hold elected officials accountable.”

Who are the top government officials with the most dark money support?

GoogleAI Mode: “It is difficult to precisely track which government officials receive the most dark money support, as the system is specifically designed to obscure the original sources of funding. However, by tracking the spending of dark money groups on specific election contests, we can identify the government officials whose races attracted the most outside (including dark money) spending in the 2024 federal election cycle. 

The officials associated with the highest amounts of dark money-influenced spending were primarily those in the high-stakes presidential and contested Senate races: 

Kamala Harris (D-PRES): The presidential contest had the most outside spending overall. Dark money groups and their affiliated super PACs supporting the Democratic presidential ticket (initially Biden, then Harris) saw massive spending, with over $1.3 billion in support of her candidacy or opposition to her opponents. Future Forward USA Action, the main dark money group, funneled over $304 million alone.

Donald Trump (R-PRES): Groups supporting or opposing his rivals accounted for over $423 million in total outside spending. Pro-Trump dark money groups like Securing American Greatness and Building America’s Future were major contributors, receiving funds from donors like Elon Musk.

Bernie Moreno (R-OH S1): Outside groups spent over $155 million in total on the Ohio Senate race. The Republican-aligned Senate Leadership Fund, partially funded by the dark money group One Nation, was a major force in his support.

Sherrod Brown (D-OH S1): The incumbent in the Ohio Senate race saw over $140 million in total outside spending. The Democratic-aligned super PAC WinSenate, funded entirely by the dark money group Majority Forward, provided significant support.

Bob Casey (D-PA S2): The Pennsylvania Senate race attracted over $130 million in total outside spending, with substantial dark money influence from affiliated Democratic groups. 

The funds do not go directly to the candidates’ campaign committees, but are spent by independent outside groups, particularly super PACs that receive large contributions from non-disclosing nonprofits, which allows the sources to remain secret.”