https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_money
Proponents of dark money maintain it is protected under the First Amendment, while critics complain recipients of dark money (as with any contribution) are beholden to their funders, while voters are kept in the dark about connections between donor and politician when favors are paid back. [3]
https://www.opensecrets.org/dark-money/basics
Dark Money refers to political spending meant to influence the decision of a voter, where the donor is not disclosed and the source of the money is unknown. Depending on the circumstances, Dark Money can refer to funds spent by a political nonprofit or a super PAC.
https://www.brennancenter.org/topics/money-politics/influence-big-money/dark-money
May 7, 2025 · Dark money continues to seep into executive, legislative, and even judicial elections, threatening the impartiality of state supreme courts across the country. Without transparency, voters don’t know who is trying to influence them, making it harder for them to reach informed decisions.
https://www.law.columbia.edu/news/archive/what-dark-money-5-questions-answered
Oct 30, 2019 · Remember: Some dark money spending is reported to the Federal Election Commission without disclosing donors and some dark money spending isn’t reported at all. The campaign finance watchdog Center for Responsive Politics found that dark money groups reported spending US$181 million in the 2016 federal elections.
https://theconversation.com/what-is-dark-money-political-spending-and-how-does-it-affect-us-politics-236294
Sep 25, 2024 · Donors often try to conceal their involvement in politics, and campaigns try to hide what they spend their money on.
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/20/texas-senate-dark-money-superpacs-talarico-hunt-crockett-paxton-cornyn/
Feb 20, 2026 · The latest campaign finance reports show big-money interests are heavily invested in the Texas primaries — but unwilling to reveal their identities at a critical juncture of the race.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/03/us/politics/dark-money-nonprofits-explainer.html
Apr 3, 2026 · The left is creating new, obscure nonprofits to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars into politics and advocacy.
https://www.tpr.org/podcast/the-source/2026-07-29/dark-money-becomes-a-formidable-force-in-american-elections
6 days ago · What's known as "dark money" in U.S. elections reached a record-shattering $1.9 billion in recent federal election cycles, nearly doubling the previous record. This surge traces back to the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision. Now dark money has grown into a mysterious massive force, as billionaires and organizations exploit loopholes in campaign finance disclosure laws.
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/dark-money-hit-record-high-19-billion-2024-federal-races
May 7, 2025 · Dark money groups, nonprofits and shell companies that spend on elections without revealing their donors, plowed more than $1.9 billion into last year’s election cycle, a dramatic increase from the prior record of $1 billion in 2020.
https://www.opensecrets.org/dark-money
Learn more about the outside influence of "dark money" groups, which spend millions of dollars on elections without revealing where their money comes from. Get the full picture of who is lobbying government officials. Search by client, firm, industry, or issue to see who is spending to shape policy ...
