Election mystery money returns
WASHINGTON – Campaign money from shadowy sources is back this presidential election.
At least $4 million of it is flowing to outside groups helping White House hopefuls, making it difficult to trace who is behind the big bucks.
The contributions are a reminder of federal court decisions in recent years, like Citizens United, that loosened prior restrictions in campaign finance laws.
“Just wait until this year,” said billionaire Frank VanderSloot of Idaho. The Associated Press determined two of his obscure businesses gave a combined $175,000 to a “super” political committee helping Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio. “We’re going to send bucketloads. This was teaspoons.”
Meanwhile, Democratic-leaning American Bridge 21st Century reported more than $1.5 million from its affiliated nonprofit, which doesn’t have to name its donors. American Bridge, which said it used the money to pay for shared expenses like rent and staff, was founded by Hillary Clinton supporter David Brock.
The AP counted more than two dozen groups that each gave at least $50,000 to presidential-aligned super PACs during the last three months of 2015, piecing together property tax documents, public records and millions of digital campaign finance records. At least half of those were unrecognizable names.
Sheila Krumholz, the executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, said voters need to know the sources of political money so they can evaluate how candidates will behave in office.
“These public officials may be bringing IOUs with them to Washington,” Krumholz said. “Voters need to be able to consider the source and see whether there are hidden motives.”
Opaque contributions aren’t new: In 2011, a once-mysterious group gave $1 million to a super PAC supporting then-GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney. The group was formed by an executive at Romney’s old company.
But this time, no White House incumbent likely means more money to go around.
The largest, obfuscated super PAC donation was $500,000, which came from an unknown “IGX LLC” to the Rubio-aligned Conservative Solutions. The AP discovered the contribution came from self-described investor and IGX owner Andrew Duncan of Brooklyn, New York.
VanderSloot, who gave under companies like “TMCV #2 LLC,” also contributed $150,000 to Conservative Solutions. Those contributions have helped the group so far spend $14.8 million in ads this election, according to political ad-tracker Kantar Media.
TMCV #2 LLC owns a corporate development property in Utah, whose address is shared with the VanderSloot-owned Riverbend Ranch in Idaho Falls. NG Montana LLC also contributed $85,000 to Conservative Solutions.
In an interview, VanderSloot confirmed he was behind the contributions but said he was not trying to hide the source of the money. He said the super PAC called him in December requesting more donations and “that’s where we had cash at that moment.”