By Andrew Kerr
Senate Democrats released a 54-page report on Wednesday criticizing the role conservative dark money groups have played in confirming President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees, but the report failed to mention the Democratic Party’s own ties to dark money.
The report, which was prepared by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sens. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, railed against conservative dark money groups, including the Federalist Society, which have pumped at least $250 million into funding “Republicans’ court capture machine.”
“The Senate has confirmed 200 new life-tenured federal judges, most of whom were chosen not for their qualifications or experience — which are often lacking — but for their allegiance to Republican political goals,” the Senate Democrats’ report stated.
It added: “This court capture has been perpetuated through a complex network of anonymously-funded groups like the Federalist Society and spearheaded by right-wing activists like Leonard Leo.”
Former Republican Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt told Fox News that the Senate Democrats’ report “shows the height of hypocrisy,” noting that the Democratic Party is propped up by its own dark money juggernauts such as Arabella Advisors, which operates a network of left-leaning organizations that raised a combined $582 million in 2017 alone from mostly anonymous donors.
One of Arabella’s most notable groups is Demand Justice, which was a leading liberal group that advocated against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination in 2018.
Over the last 3 years instead of focusing on legislation to help Americans:
Sen. McConnell & Pres. Trump have dedicated almost every ounce of energy to packing the courts with right-wing ideologues who they know will do their bidding#CapturedCourtshttps://t.co/XRfnuAGBch
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) May 27, 2020
“This latest report is an unhinged attack on Republicans for using ‘dark money,’ without mentioning that the authors of the report and the Democratic party are the biggest beneficiaries from massive organizations like Arabella Advisors,” Laxalt, who now serves as outside counsel for the watchdog group Americans for Public Trust, said in a statement.
“Unless Sen. Schumer and his colleagues want to continue to deceive and manipulate the American people, they need to be frank and upfront about their own ‘dark money’ practices,” Laxalt said.
In fact, 54% of all dark money spent during the 2018 midterm elections was from liberal dark money groups while conservative groups only accounted for 31% of dark money spending, according to Issue One.
Schumer is tied to Majority Forward, a 501(c)(4) dark money group whose president is Schumer’s ally J.B. Poersch. Majority Forward shares what OpenSecrets called a “ridiculously cozy” relationship with the Schumer-affiliated Senate Majority PAC.
Majority Forward spent $46 million supporting Democrats during the 2018 midterm elections, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
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Bernie retains his owned advertising agency which directs funds, and pays his family a percentage . Pelosi and hubby have deep ties to the fishing industry, which on last account wasn’t paying workers $15 per hour. Wake up Vermonters! Organize and remove these bloodsuckers from the statehouse
Interesting that the Dems have accused the Republicans of dark money. Reminds me of an old saying, “the pot calling the kettle black.” Just another hiprocy. So what else is new?
Vermonters should be the first
TAX – PORN – PAC’S – LOBBYISTS
Truth is rinos, NWO Pimps, Socialists, some democrats all love this money, they clamor about it all them time, do you ever see the majority vote against it? Write up a bill? Tax it?
See Vermont Democrats could stop “Republican dark money” in Vermont today, yesterday and next session with their super majority,. They will never do, because it’s their life line.
These stories are such garbage. Come on Mitzi, Come on Zuckerman, Come on Ashe…..put a stop to the dark money in Vermont! They will NEVER do it.
Time for kind hearted conservatives and American loving democrats to Free Vermont of the dark money influence. it’s why we can’t get anything done.
And I mean tax!
80%…….
Tell us how ya really feel NJ lol
Neil, the more I read your proposal, the more I like it! We need to get the money out of politics on both sides, and what better way than closing the biggest tax “loophole” there is (the revolving TAXPAYER money that pays to elect crooks).