From USAFacts · · 1m
Dark Money Definition
Dark money: political spending by groups that don't name donors but report ad spending to FEC.
In brief
Dark money: political spending by groups that don't name donors but report ad spending to FEC. Dark money is political advertising funded by nonprofits that don't disclose donors but report ad purchases to the FEC. Originally reported by USAFacts.
Dark money definition
Dark money refers to political spending by groups that disclose their election spending but not the sources of their funds.
Who spends dark money
Social welfare organizations (501(c)(4)), labor unions (501(c)(5)), and trade associations (501(c)(6)) can pay for political advertising without naming their donors.
How dark money works
Donors give money to nonprofits that buy ads without naming donors, then file FEC reports for ad purchases.
Dark money vs super PAC
Super PACs name donors and file public FEC reports; dark money groups do not name donors but report ad spending.
Dark money impact
Over 75% of 2024 election funds came from PACs and party committees that redistribute money to campaigns.
The big picture
Dark money is political advertising funded by nonprofits that don't disclose donors but report ad purchases to the FEC.
