Discussion for article #221875
And that’s exactly the problem with dark money. You just don’t know.
Wealthy donors or corporate interests hire PR firm/lobbyists like Fontaine to set up coordinated 501©(4) front groups on single issues in dozens of battleground states. Each one has a slightly different name that suggests it is a local grassroots entity concerned with that issue – Arizona Citizens for Just Taxes, Idaho Independents for Fair Government, Ohioans for Responsible Governance, etc. (I made those ones up.)
They find a few local citizens willing to put their names on the organizational documents. But in fact it’s a coordinated ad-buying campaign staffed and directed from that lobbyist’s office in DC or wherever.
Because they aren’t actual local and are unaffiliated with any official campaign, there are none of the usual restraints on civil behavior or honesty. They say anything they please, because they know it will be years before anyone can trace back the money to its source.
Their track record on swaying votes is uneven, but what they always succeed at is poisoning local elections and citizen referendums with lies, half-lies and hatred. Ugh. Democracy is messy.