'Dark money' groups fighting efforts to reign in Big Tech have tech industry ties

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June 24, 2021
This week in money-in-politics

DOJ-ordered foreign agent registrations boost China and Russia’s 2020 FARA spending


China, Qatar and Russia dominated the top 10 ranking of countries spending the most on foreign influence, lobbying and propaganda operations targeting the United States in 2020, according to OpenSecrets’ analysis of data from Foreign Agents Registration Act records. All three countries quickly rose to the top of the foreign spending ranks as none of the countries made the top 10 list in 2016.

However, just because China, Qatar and Russia are now at the top of foreign spending bunch, the ranking changes don’t necessarily mean the countries are spending substantially more than prior years. Rather, much of the spike in reported spending can be attributed to new registrations ordered by the Justice Department.

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** The long, costly battle over Obamacare might be over
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When the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to the Affordable Care Act last week, the third major challenge the Court heard since the law’s passage in 2010, the Court also ended the latest money fight in favor of, and against, the landmark legislation. The ACA — often referred to as “Obamacare” — overhauled the health insurance system by mandating individuals to enroll in health insurance.

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** Trump-backed Alaska Senate candidate lags behind Lisa Murkowski in fundraising
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Ahead of the 2022 Alaska primary for Senate, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) led Kelly Tshibaka, the former commissioner of the Alaska Department of Administration, in fundraising by roughly $150,000 in the first fiscal quarter of 2021. But Tshibaka’s recent endorsement from former President Donald Trump could boost her chances against Murkowski.

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** NYC’s mayoral primary was partly funded by public money. Here’s what that meant for candidates.
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New York City’s crowded Democratic mayoral primary ended Tuesday with tens of millions of dollars raised and spent in the race. But the candidates vying to be the city’s next mayor didn’t have to raise their money from just individual donations. Instead, many also relied on the city’s public funding program.

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Dark money groups battle bipartisan efforts to limit big-tech

Bipartisan congressional proposals taking aim at major technology companies have met fierce opposition from trade associations and “dark money” groups with ties to the industry they seek to regulate. A conservative coalition advocating against antitrust law has worked closely with tech giants, despite the fact that many GOP members of the House and Senate are in support of the newly introduced anti-trust legislation aiming to break up tech giants.

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SCOTUS ruling on NCAA could drive more lobbying on athlete pay

A recent Supreme Court decision could lead to college athletes being compensated, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association is spending big in the lobbying fight. The NCAA and its respective conferences spent more than $750,000 last year lobbying against direct compensation for college athletes. But this week’s landmark Supreme Court ruling against in Alston v. NCAA could open up the possibility for college athletes to be compensated.

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OpenSecrets in the News

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

** RNC paid Trump’s Mar-a-Lago over $175,000 for donor retreat (CNBC) ([link removed])

Data from OpenSecrets shows that from 2008 through the 2020 election, more than $25 million has gone to Trump properties. OpenSecrets data also shows that during the 2020 election cycle, the RNC paid Trump properties over $1 million to host political events.

** Biden Plans to Enact Trump Rule Allowing Drug Companies to Price Gouge on Life-Saving Treatments ([link removed])
** (Sludge) ([link removed])

The pharmaceutical industry has been a major backer of Biden. It kicked in more than $5 million to groups that made independent expenditures to boost his presidential campaign, according to OpenSecrets, and Pfizer made a $1 million donation to Biden’s inaugural committee. OpenSecrets, which assigns industry groupings to donors, says that PACs and individuals affiliated with “pharmaceuticals/health products” have donated more than $8.6 million to Biden’s campaigns since 1989.


** Top U.S. Officials Consulted With BlackRock as Markets Melted Down ([link removed])
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** (The New York Times) ([link removed])

In 2004, BlackRock Inc. registered two lobbyists and spent less than $200,000 on its efforts. By 2019 it had 20 lobbyists and spent nearly $2.5 million, though that declined slightly last year, based on OpenSecrets data. Campaign contributions tied to the firm also jumped, touching $1.7 million in 2020 (80 percent to Democrats, 20 percent to Republicans) from next to nothing as recently as 2004.
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