A tactic used by outside spending groups to keep their donors secret while spending big in 2022 primaries
Dear Friend of OpenSecrets,
Spend now. Disclose later.
That’s the mantra of so-called “pop-up” Super PACs that purposefully wait to launch until right before an election takes place. This way, these groups are able to spend millions of dollars blanketing airwaves with advertisements, all without having to disclose who funded them until after the election has ended — if at all.
Functionally, it allows these Super PACs to skirt disclosure regulations, and makes the source of their funding invisible to the very same voters they are attempting to sway.
One group, the Conservative Americans PAC, spent more than $2.4 million in Republican primary races for seats in Missouri, Tennessee and Arizona from July 19th to 29th. But since the super PAC only filed with the Federal Election Commission on July 11th, it wasn’t required to disclose its donors until August 20th — weeks after voters cast their ballots in all three states’ primaries.
And in the recent New Hampshire primary, White Mountain PAC was registered on August 30th — just two weeks before the state’s primary.
Having only reported $14,000 spent on media production, the newly created super PAC poured $4.6 million into state contests, instantly making it the largest outside spending group so far in New Hampshire’s 2022 election.
This undisclosed money in our politics undermines a voter’s right to know who is funding the attack ads they see online and on TV. Without a reliable watchdog there to report on these election spending schemes, the public may never learn where the money is coming from.
You can help us bring these stories to light before voters head to the polls, and join with thousands of others who are dedicated to upholding the public’s right to a transparent election.
