Entities affiliated with President Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have been receiving millions of dollars in secretive donations for the 2024 elections, despite their public criticism of dark money in politics. This includes the primary super PAC supporting President Biden’s re-election, the Future Forward PAC, which received an $8 million contribution from its affiliated nonprofit arm, Future Forward USA Action. Future Forward USA Action does not disclose the identities of its donors, raising questions about the origin of the millions benefiting President Biden.
The Future Forward PAC has a history of passing dark money from its nonprofit to its super PAC, with much of the cash coming from groups overseen by the Arabella Advisors consulting firm, known for managing a billion-dollar dark money network. Another dark money group, the Impetus Fund, sent $55.8 million to Future Forward USA Action during the last presidential cycle. The Senate Majority PAC, aligned with Schumer, has also transferred secretive money between its affiliated nonprofit, Majority Forward, and the PAC that supports Democrat candidates nationwide, passing at least $15.75 million for the 2024 elections.
Despite Schumer’s public condemnation of dark money and his championing of legislation against it, the Senate Majority PAC has continued to benefit from hidden donations. Similarly, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ affiliated House Majority PAC, which supports Democrat candidates in the lower chamber of Congress, has received millions in dark money from its affiliated nonprofit, House Majority Forward. These Democrat leaders have faced criticism for decrying dark money while benefiting from it in their election efforts.
Republicans also benefit from hidden donations in their election activities, with the Senate Leadership Fund receiving at least $5.18 million from the dark money nonprofit One Nation for the 2024 elections. However, Democrats have received far more dark money than Republicans in recent election cycles, with 15 of the most active Democrat dark money nonprofits spending $1.5 billion during the 2020 elections, compared to $900 million spent by 15 of the most active Republican nonprofits during the same period.
Despite the public criticism of dark money by Democrat leaders like President Biden, Senator Schumer, and Representative Jeffries, their affiliated PACs continue to receive millions in hidden donations for the upcoming 2024 elections. These donations raise concerns about the influence of unknown donors in shaping the political landscape, especially as Democrats push for greater transparency in campaign finance laws. The disparity in dark money spending between Democrats and Republicans also highlights the complex relationship between money, politics, and public trust in the United States.
