President Joe Biden and Democrats are outraising former President Donald Trump and Republicans in the 2024 elections so far, according to campaign finance reports. But Biden and Democrats have an even bigger advantage when it comes to "dark money," which can't be traced to any particular donor. Biden swamped Trump in dark money four years ago, and a new book shows how Democrats are continuing that trend this year.
Democrats are raising billions through a non-profit organization called Arabella Advisors, which bills itself as a charitable consulting company. "It's funded by every billionaire on the left you've heard of, and several that you haven't, and it works through a whole network of nonprofits, which in turn create hundreds of little fake groups," says Scott Walter, president of the Capital Research Center and author of the new book, "Arabella: The Dark Money Network of Leftist Billionaires Secretly Transforming America."
Arabella has proven to be a huge cash cow for Democrats in recent elections, raising $2.4 billion in 2020, and $3 billion in 2022---more than either major political party or their campaign arms. The key in raising all of this money without scrutiny is Arabella's nonprofit status. "Nonprofits don't have to report their donors, period, the way that a political party does or a PAC has to," says Walter. "And it doesn't matter if they're a nonprofit engaged in political activity or not."
Of course, Arabella and its shady networks are targeting Donald Trump and GOP House and Senate candidates, but the effort goes even deeper. "(Arabella) also has its fingers in almost every issue area, it has its fingers in efforts by the left to manipulate the administration of elections in local election offices," Walter tells KTRH. "There is virtually no limit to what Arabella tries to do in any given cycle."
As for what can be done to rein in groups like Arabella, the House Ways and Means Committee is now investigating the influence of nonprofit dark money being used to push left-wing causes, including the anti-Israel protests taking place on college campuses around the country. In the meantime, Walter believes simply exposing what is happening and educating the public will go a long way. "Fake groups only work if you believe their Wizard of Oz act," he says. "The Wizard of Oz was scary until you see it's just a guy with a microphone...Arabella is effectively the same thing."
Photo: SULLIVAN, JON (uploader)