A Dim Milestone for Dark Money in Politics
Unprecedented levels of secrecy.
For the first time in modern presidential fundraising history, a nominee’s largest funder is a black box designed to mask the identities of its donors.
The largest contributor to Kamala Harris this election cycle is Future Forward USA Action, a nonprofit that has given more than $136 million to her super PACs since the beginning of 2023, according to Federal Election Commission data. The group is an affiliate of the Harris campaign’s premier super PAC, Future Forward, that allows it to shield political donors’ identities while still legally engaging in politics.
Super PACs have only filed their donors through October 16, so it’s possible–though highly unlikely–that another donor could overtake Future Forward USA Action or that the Trump campaign could suddenly have a new major dark money funder during the final stretch of the contest. As of October 16, the next highest contributors this cycle to super PACs that have made independent expenditures for Harris are two other “dark money” groups, AB Foundation (about $32 million) and League of Conservation Voters Inc. (about $42 million), and Trump’s largest dark money funder, Building America’s Future, has contributed just over $25 million.
