You’ve probably heard of Mothership Strategies, the Democratic digital firm notorious for running “scam PACs” that rake in millions from small-dollar grassroots donors while funneling nearly all of the money to consultants. What’s less widely known is how deeply the operation remains entwined with top Democratic Party leaders. Even after years of damning reporting on the group, senior lawmakers, including House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, continue to channel money toward Mothership.
Aguilar, the third-highest ranking House Democrat, has routed $262,000 from his campaign committee to Mothership since the 2022 cycle, according to FEC records. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ CHC BOLD PAC, where Aguilar was formerly a leader and still plays a key role, has paid the group $7.4 million over the same period for list rentals, texting, and other digital services.
He has also lent credibility to some of Mothership’s top PAC affiliates. Aguilar provided a testimonial for Save Democracy PAC, prominently displayed on the group’s website, even though the PAC funnels most of its money to Mothership consultants. In the 2023–24 cycle, Save Democracy raised $6.6 million, mostly from small, unitemized donations, and paid $3.4 million to Mothership for fundraising services. Aguilar has also been a featured speaker at rallies hosted by the Progressive Turnout Project, Mothership’s largest client, which paid the firm $12.3 million in 2023–24.
Another longtime Democratic leader, the 86-year-old Steny Hoyer, has directed $4.5 million from his AmeriPAC leadership committee to Mothership Strategies consultants since January 2023. Though Hoyer stepped out of the leadership ranks after spending decades as a top-ranking party official, his PAC spending shows how embedded Mothership remains with senior party figures.
