Thread by @mjbeckel

More than $800M has been spent in elections by #darkmoney groups since #CitizensUnited per @OpenSecretsDC

Did you know that the top 15 groups account for 75% of this spending?

A new @IssueOneReform report examines these 15 major dark money groups

issueone.org/dark-money/

Fact: Most of the top #darkmoney groups are attack dogs. For 14 of the top 15 groups, more than 50% of their spending on ads overtly calling for the election or defeat of candidates from 2010 to 2016 was negative. For 6 groups, more than 90% was negative bit.ly/2QnsXFB

Top among these #darkmoney groups was the US Chamber of Commerce, which reported spending ~$130M on political ads to the #FEC between 2010 and 2016. That’s about $1 of every $6 spent on political ads by all dark money groups during this time. bit.ly/2QnsXFB

Pushing the envelope? 8 of the top 15 #darkmoney groups self-reported to the IRS that at least 25% of their spending during this time was election-focused. During certain years, such spending exceeded 40% — and even exceeded 50% — for some groups bit.ly/2QnsXFB

For instance, the VoteVets Action Fund self-reported to the IRS spikes in “direct or indirect political activities” during election years — exceeding 48 percent and 52 percent amid the 2010 and 2012 elections, respectively bit.ly/2p2LRVP

Over a year-long investigation @IssueOneReform was able to source about $1 of every $9 of the money flowing into the top 15 #darkmoney groups since #CitizensUnited — a total of more than $760 million bit.ly/2QnsXFB

All told, @IssueOneReform identified ~400 donors & donor organizations to #darkmoney groups since #CitizensUnited. We made these contributions searchable in a new, first-of-its-kind online database. ~1,200 records are all linked to primary source docs docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…

.@IssueOneReform's "Dark Money Illuminated" project also profiles the top 15 #darkmoney groups — including the American Action Network, Americans for Prosperity, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the VoteVets Action Fund & more issueone.org/dark-money/