With the 2020 election season in full swing, the top Democratic committees are raking in millions of dollars in so-called dark money. This marks a significant increase from the last few election cycles in which dark money had a smaller presence.
Dark money refers to political donations that are virtually untraceable. It can also be referred to as “shadow money,” and it is typically used to influence elections without being publicly disclosed. In the United States, dark money is problematic because it is virtually impossible to determine the source of the donations.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) are among the committees that are receiving large sums of dark money in the current election cycle. Overall, these committees raised more than $18 million in the first quarter of 2020—an increase of more than $7 million from the same timeframe during the previous election cycle.
These committees are not the only recipients of dark money; Super PACs, political organizations, and other political actors are also receiving large amounts of untraceable donations. In the first quarter of 2020, Super PACs alone raised more than $178 million in unaccountable funds.
It is not only Democrats who are benefiting from this influx of dark money. Republican committees that have embraced dark money are also seeing increases in their total contributions. The Republican National Committee, for example, raised more than $20.3 million in dark money in the first quarter of 2020—a significant increase from the $5.8 million that it received during the same time period in the last election cycle.
The increased reliance on dark money by both parties is concerning. It is an indication that our political system has become more reliant on unaccountable money, and it highlights the urgent need for transparency in our political process.
To ensure that our democracy is not poisoned by dark money, lawmakers need to pass reforms that limit the influence of unaccountable funds in our elections. Furthermore, the public should demand greater government transparency and accountability. Unless we can regain control of our broken campaign finance system, dark money will continue to plague elections for years to come.