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May 27, 2021

This week in money-in-politics

GOP bill would codify IRS rule hiding ‘dark money’ donors

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is moving to protect “dark money” donors by supporting a bill that would continue concealing their identities from the Internal Revenue Service.

The “Don’t Weaponize the IRS Act,” introduced last week by Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), would prevent the IRS from mandating that 501(c)(4) nonprofits identify their top donors in filings to the agency, turning IRS guidance issued under former president Donald Trump into law.

McConnell, Braun and the 43 other Republican senators who signed on as co-sponsors say the measure would protect outside groups from discrimination by the IRS. The agency previously apologized for slow-walking conservative groups’ applications for nonprofit status and leaking nonprofit donors.

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New Mexico special election will be ‘big first test’ for Democrats

As the campaign to fill the New Mexico congressional seat vacated by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland enters its final days, Democratic candidate Melanie Stansbury has outraised her leading opponent by more than twice over. Stansbury raised more than $1.3 million as of May 12, and more than $152,000 since. On May 12, she had almost $525,000 on hand. The largest share of her warchest came from large individual contributions, which have continued to roll in just days before election day. PACs contributed a combined total of nearly $232,000, around 17 percent of her total fundraising.
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FEC complaint accuses Marjorie Taylor Greene of violating election law

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) may have violated campaign finance law by soliciting “soft-money” donations to Stop Socialism NOW, a super PAC, in a video ad. The ad is the subject of a new complaint to the Federal Elections Commission, filed Friday by nonprofit watchdog Common Cause. It alleges that Greene’s appearance in the video constitutes unlawful solicitation of unlimited contributions by a candidate on behalf of a super PAC. The ad in question, titled “Fight Back NOW,” targets Democratic Georgia Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
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DNC, RNC already breaking fundraising records ahead of 2022

The two largest political party committees are stockpiling record amounts of cash ahead of the 2022 midterms and laying the groundwork for an expensive 2024 clash. The Democratic National Committee raised $63.7 million through the first four months of 2021, more than twice as much as it raised over the same period after the 2016 election. The DNC had $56.3 million in the bank through April, six times its 2017 total. The Republican National Committee raised $57.6 million through April and ended the month with a whopping $90.5 million in the bank.
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OpenSecrets in the News

See our media citations from outlets around the nation this week:

Noem campaign takes fundraising to federal level (The Associated Press)
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has formed a federal political action committee, indicating her growing fundraising prowess and national ambitions.
Democrats’ plans to lower drug prices are sputtering (Bangor Daily News)
With control of Congress and the White House, Democrats have an opportunity to bring down prescription drug prices, addressing one of voters’ top concerns and finally fulfilling a campaign pledge.
Push to elect Black women to Senate turns to North Carolina and Florida (Roll Call)
Kamala Harris’ ascension to the vice presidency left the Senate without any Black women. To fill that void, activists are eyeing opportunities to elect Black female senators in North Carolina and Florida, two perennial battleground states.

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Spectrum News 1
Washington Monthly
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New Mexico special election will be ‘big first test’ for Democrats

FEC complaint accuses Marjorie Taylor Greene of violating election law

DNC, RNC already breaking fundraising records ahead of 2022

OpenSecrets in the News

See our media citations from outlets around the nation this week:

Noem campaign takes fundraising to federal level (The Associated Press) South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has formed a federal political action committee, indicating her growing fundraising prowess and national ambitions.

Democrats’ plans to lower drug prices are sputtering (Bangor Daily News) With control of Congress and the White House, Democrats have an opportunity to bring down prescription drug prices, addressing one of voters’ top concerns and finally fulfilling a campaign pledge.

See more here

Noem campaign takes fundraising to federal level (The Associated Press)
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has formed a federal political action committee, indicating her growing fundraising prowess and national ambitions.

Democrats’ plans to lower drug prices are sputtering (Bangor Daily News)
With control of Congress and the White House, Democrats have an opportunity to bring down prescription drug prices, addressing one of voters’ top concerns and finally fulfilling a campaign pledge.