Dark money: A new analysis shows it helped boost Joe Biden cnn.com/2020/11/27/pol…
Democrats have denounced anonymous money in politics for years, but 2020 brought a tidal wave of it into the election to benefit their party.
More than $320 million of so-called "dark money" helped boost Democrats in the White House and congressional races -- more than double the anonymous dollars that aided Republicans in this year's federal elections, a new analysis shows.
A top beneficiary: President-elect Joe Biden. Nearly $132 million in anonymous money backed his White House bid, compared to nearly $22 million to aid President Donald Trump, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics.
The analysis by the center defines dark money as donations and spending by nonprofits that do not disclose the sources of the money. It also includes money flowing into politics from limited liability corporations operating as shell companies.
Three liberal groups, led by a little-known organization called the Sixteen Thirty Fund, account for a third of the dark money donations that have benefited Democrats, the analysis shows.
It also helped Democratic donors send money to other dark money groups that popped up during the 2020 election cycle to target vulnerable Republican senators.
For instance, nearly $4 million went to a nonprofit dubbed, Maine Momentum, that pummeled Republican Sen. Susan Collins with early attack ads. In the end, Collins prevailed over her Democratic challenger Sara Gideon.
The Fund also directed $300K to @ProjectLincoln super PAC, run by former GOP operatives known for plagiarizing Twitter content, spending 💰 from donations on salaries & personal bills & for inciting its followers to harass & threaten Trump lawyers, many who now need 24/7 security
In all, the Sixteen Thirty Fund took in more than $137 MILLION from anonymous donors in 2019, according to its most recent tax return, first reported by Politico. That included a $33 MILLION contribution from a SINGLE UNNAMED DONOR.
The Sixteen Thirty Fund did the same in 2018.
“Documents reveal massive 'dark-money' group boosted Democrats in 2018
A little-known nonprofit called The Sixteen Thirty Fund pumped $140 million into Democratic and left-leaning causes.” google.com/amp/s/www.poli…
“Documents reveal massive 'dark-money' group boosted Democrats in 2018
A little-known nonprofit called The Sixteen Thirty Fund pumped $140 million into Democratic and left-leaning causes.” google.com/amp/s/www.poli…
Years later, the Sixteen Thirty Fund is still “little known.”
The Sixteen Thirty Fund is administered by Arabella Advisors, a Washington, D.C.-based philanthropy consulting firm that caters to left-leaning clients.
According to its founding documents, the Sixteen Thirty Fund was created with seed funding from Americans United for Change (AUFC), ACORN, USAction, the Sierra Club, and Working America.
Budget (2016):
Revenue: $21,258,592
Expenses: $19,660,860
Assets: $7,840,711
Formation: 2009
Type: Funding and Fiscal Sponsorship Nonprofit
Revenue: $21,258,592
Expenses: $19,660,860
Assets: $7,840,711
Formation: 2009
Type: Funding and Fiscal Sponsorship Nonprofit
President of Sixteen Thirty Fund: Eric Kessler
Eric Kessler is a former Clinton administration environmental policy staffer who also serves as principal of liberal philanthropic and investment strategy firm Arabella Advisors.
Eric Kessler is a former Clinton administration environmental policy staffer who also serves as principal of liberal philanthropic and investment strategy firm Arabella Advisors.
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