THE SCALE — 2024 DARK MONEY
Domestic: Brennan Center for Justice (May 2025). Foreign: APT report to House Ways & Means Committee (Feb 2026). Liberal groups outspent conservative groups nearly 2:1 in domestic dark money. Foreign money overwhelmingly flowed to left-leaning nonprofits.
Individual
501(c)(4) Fiscal Sponsor
Project of 501(c)(4) — Not a Separate Legal Entity
Super PACs
Public
Anonymous Mega-Donor
Individual
ACTION
Contributes $58.9M to the Sixteen Thirty Fund
WHAT HAPPENS
A single anonymous donor writes the largest check the Sixteen Thirty Fund received in 2024. As a 501(c)(4), the fund is not required to disclose its donors. Over 60% of the fund's $282 million in 2024 revenue came from just five donors writing eight-figure checks. This single contribution is larger than most Super PAC totals.
LEGAL BASIS
IRC §501(c)(4) organizations have no obligation to disclose donors; IRS Schedule B (Form 990) donor information is not publicly available
DISCLOSURE KEY
No public disclosure of donors or spending
Known only to the entity, not public
Some information disclosed, key details hidden
Only the sponsoring org name is shown
Voters cannot trace any part of the chain
KEY FINDING
In 2024, liberal dark money groups outspent conservative ones by nearly 2:1 ($1.2 billion vs. $664 million). The Sixteen Thirty Fund alone spent $311 million — more than any single conservative dark money group. Future Forward USA Action, the main pro-Harris dark money group, spent $304 million. But the domestic picture is only part of the story: six identified foreign entities funneled $2.65 billion to U.S. nonprofits through a legal pathway that neither FARA nor FECA covers — overwhelmingly to left-leaning organizations. The foreign money flowing through the nonprofit loophole exceeds total domestic dark money by 40%.
Sources: Brennan Center for Justice (May 2025); APT report to House Ways & Means Committee (Feb 2026); Politico (Nov 2025); CMD/ExposedbyCMD (Nov 2025); NYT (Dec 2025)
HOW TO USE THIS TOOL
Choose a Scenario
Select one of three real-world money flow patterns — liberal, conservative, or foreign. Note the scale difference.
Click Through Each Hop
Follow the money as it moves from entity to entity. Watch the disclosure level change at each step.
See What Voters See
At the end of each chain, compare the full money trail with what's actually visible to the public.
The Legal Mechanics
Understand the tax code, FECA thresholds, and enforcement gaps that make these flows legal.
Why Dark Money Is Legal →