By: Matt Klinman
Who Spent the Most Secret Money this Election Season and What They Should Have Spent it on Instead
This election season is projected to have cost nearly $4 billion, a new midterm election record! A lot of that money came from organizations that take secret, undisclosed donations ‘ donations the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision made possible. But is that secret money well spent? Could these shady sources have spent that secret cash on better secret things? Lets take a look.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Total Secret Money Spent: $35,464,243
Who They Are: A lobbying group that represents businesses and industry associations.
What They Secretly Spent That Money On: Attack ads on candidates that want to end ‘corporate inversions,” where American corporations dodge U.S. taxes by moving their headquarters to other countries.
What They Should Have Secretly Spent That Money On: Developing a chemical that, when inhaled, fools the human brain into thinking other countries are part of the United States.
American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS
Total Secret Money Spent: $26,015,174
Who They Are: A conservative Super PAC and 401 ‘(4) founded by Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie.
What They Secretly Spent That Money On: Candidates that support their platform of making sure Obama gets nothing done, ever.
What They Should Have Secretly Spent That Money On: Just straight up assassinating Obama.
National Association of Realtors
Total Secret Money Spent: $10,699,423
Who They Are: A trade organization that spends money to support real-estate agents and brokers. It is somewhat bipartisan but spent nearly double on Republicans this election.
What They Secretly Spent That Money On: Candidates that have pro ‘real-estate interests.
What They Should Have Secretly Spent That Money On: Houses, man. Tons of houses.
Patriot Majority USA
Total Secret Money Spent: $10,652,302
Who They Are: A liberal 501 ‘(4) founded in 2005.
What They Secretly Spent That Money On: Attack ads against Republican candidates.
What They Should Have Secretly Spent That Money On: Voter fraud.
National Rifle Association
Total Secret Money Spent: $10,584,795
Who They Are: A pro-gun lobbying group.
What They Secretly Spent That Money On: Ads endorsing pro-gun candidates and attacking anti-gun candidates.
What They Should Have Secretly Spent That Money On: A sick medium-budget gun-fu movie that will get us all excited to own guns again. Like Equilibrium 2.
All stats in this article are courtesy of the Center for Responsive Politics’ excellent website opensecrets.org
