Dark money gets darker with less disclosure in the 2022 election

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May 19, 2022
Dark money gets darker with less disclosure in the 2022 election


Dark money is pouring into U.S. elections, but the vast majority of it is not being disclosed to the Federal Election Commission.

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A Message from OpenSecrets' Executive Director, Sheila Krumholz:

Dear Friend of OpenSecrets,

Our spring donor drive kicked off last week. With billions of dollars being raised and spent this midterm, you need responsible journalism backed by reliable data to cut through the noise and disinformation out there.

Whether you’ve been a long-time follower or just recently joined our newsletter, please consider making a gift during our spring drive ([link removed]) . Your contribution will go toward our state and federal data collection and our nonprofit newsroom's efforts to keep you informed on the money flowing through the midterms — and those elected accountable after they win.

With gratitude,
Sheila Krumholz

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Republican super PACs spent big against Madison Cawthorn before his loss in the North Carolina primary

Powerful political foes poured nearly $1.6 million into TV placement, digital ads and canvassing against the freshman congressman.

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A look at campaign money in the 2022 midterm elections’ most competitive congressional races

The 2022 midterm elections’ most competitive congressional district races are attracting big money.

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Gun rights groups set new lobbying spending record in 2021

With mass shootings becoming an increasingly common facet of American life, gun rights groups spent a record $15.8 million lobbying in 2021.

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Billionaire executives and out-of-state donors pour millions into pro-McCormick super PAC

Hedge fund executives from outside the Keystone State donated millions to Honor Pennsylvania ahead of Tuesday’s Senate GOP primary.

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Featured Dataset: Elon Musk's Donor Profile

Multibillionaire business magnate Elon Musk, claims he “would prefer to stay out of politics," but the Tesla and SpaceX founder is known for his politically provocative Twitter account and strong views. Musk, who has a long history of political giving poured more than $1 million into political contributions since 2002, giving about equally to Democrats and Republicans.

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OpenSecrets in the News

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



** G.O.P. Senate Candidate in North Carolina Thrives as 2 Key Backers Squabble (The New York Times) ([link removed])

The Club for Growth, an influential anti-tax group has spent $32 million on federal races this year. That amount is twice as much as that by any other outside group — and much of that spending has been against candidates Mr. Trump has endorsed, according to campaign finance data compiled by OpenSecrets.

** Healthcare corporations Pfizer and UnitedHealthcare are among the biggest financial backers of lawmakers behind state abortion bans (Business Insider) ([link removed])

"The health industry is one of the biggest campaign-finance donors in general," said Andrew Mayersohn, a researcher at the nonprofit, nonpartisan campaign-finance research organization OpenSecrets. "If you are a major player, then you tend to give to a wide variety of candidates from across the political spectrum."

** W.Va's ethics laws allow someone barred from lobbying to try to influence legislators anyway (The Register-Herald) ([link removed])

“Hiring someone for lobbying immediately after leaving office is somewhat similar to having a nonvoting public official as your lobbyist,” said Pete Quist, the deputy research director at the nonprofit OpenSecrets, which tracks money in politics. “It creates unequal access for members of the public.”
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