A mysterious dark money group that has poured millions of dollars into Democratic and independent super PACs has quietly begun lobbying on the Clarity Act, the cryptocurrency industry’s top legislative priority, according to a new disclosure.
Contours Inc., a 501(c)4 nonprofit that does not disclose its donors, registered on July 17 to conduct "advocacy around the Clarity Act as it relates to quorum rules for the SEC and CFTC over digital commodities," according to a disclosure filed on August 28.
The only lobbyist registered to work for Contours is Rob Robilliard, a senior policy advisor at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck who previously served as director of government affairs for the Crypto Council for Innovation (CCI), a major industry group whose members include Coinbase, Andreessen Horowitz, Circle, and Galaxy, the digital assets company founded by billionaire Mike Novogratz.
The lobbying registration does not say what position Contours is taking on the Clarity Act, and there is no public evidence that cryptocurrency companies or executives fund the nonprofit. But the document provides the first indications of Contours' policy interests since the organization emerged last year as a major source of secret money in Democratic politics.
When Sludge first reported on Contours in April, the seven-month-old nonprofit had virtually no public presence other than a bare-bones website saying it "educates voters and advocates for changes that give greater voice and choice to voters from coast to coast." Its only publicly identified officer at the time was Sarah Stremlau, a philanthropy consultant who previously headed fiscal sponsorship operations at Arabella Advisors, the firm that managed some of the Democratic Party's largest dark money organizations.
Contours' political spending has accelerated since then. Federal Election Commission records show that it has now contributed at least $7.5 million to seven PACs, including the Progressive Vet PAC, Working Class Heroes Fund, Common Defense Action Fund, and Government That Works PAC.
The group's newly revealed interest in cryptocurrency legislation brings into focus several overlaps between its political network and Novogratz. Independent Candidates Action, which has received $800,000 from Contours, only has ten known donors, including Novogratz, who gave it $200,000 in March. The group has supported independent candidates including Nebraska Senate candidate Dan Osborn through Working Class Heroes Fund. Contours has also given $300,000 directly to Fire House PAC, which is spending to support firefighter Nate Powell’s run in Washington’s Fifth Congressional District, while Independent Candidates Action gave another $400,000 to the super PAC.
Novogratz also gave $250,000 in March to The Bench, a Democratic political group that contributed $500,000 to Lone Star Rising, the primary super PAC backing James Talarico in his successful Texas Democratic Senate primary. Contours was already connected to that operation through Government That Works PAC, which received $2.9 million from Contours and subsequently contributed $3.75 million to Lone Star Rising, making it the super PAC's largest donor.
Novogratz and Galaxy have connections to the nonprofit infrastructure behind Contours as well.
Tax records show that Global Impact Social Welfare Foundation (GISWF), another 501(c)4 that does not disclose its donors, gave Contours $6.6 million in the fiscal year that ended June 2025 for "program support." GISWF describes itself as an organization that processes and distributes philanthropic funds, and says donors and other stakeholders can suggest organizations for it to support.
