The Federal Election Commission requires candidates for office to reveal who paid for their ads. But “dark money” offers a sneaky way around this, letting donors secretly influence elections by funneling money to nonprofit groups with vague names and motives.
A proposal before the Pennsylvania Senate comes too late to affect dark-money ads now airing about the state’s budget impasse, but it would keep shadow donors from exercising untoward influence again.
The Internal Revenue Service exempts nonprofit groups called 501(c)(4)s from revealing their donors, so long as they do not “expressly advocate” for a candidate or political party. They can, however, advance ideas and issues, even when doing so supports a candidate or party.
As such, a group of Democrats, called America Works USA, buys ads backing Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed budget and the severance tax he wants to impose on shale-gas drillers. Meanwhile, Citizens to Protect PA Jobs rails against the gas tax and advocates pension reform. That group is linked to the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, but you wouldn’t know it from its ads — nor can you find out who contributes to the group or how much.
This would change under a bill from Sen. Dominic Pileggi, R-Delaware County. If passed, these groups would have to report spending of more than $1,000 and the names of anyone who donates at least $100. It would also require ads to give a website address where viewers can learn more about the organization.
Pennsylvanians deserve to know who is behind all efforts to influence their votes. Right now, they don’t: The state earned an “F” in a report on disclosure requirements done by the National Institute on Money in State Politics. Mr. Pileggi’s bill seeks to clear some of the fog and should be swiftly enacted.
First Published: September 24, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
