{"id":116646,"date":"2016-01-15T13:06:47","date_gmt":"2016-01-15T20:06:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=116646"},"modified":"2016-01-15T13:06:47","modified_gmt":"2016-01-15T20:06:47","slug":"groups-decrying-dark-money-use-shadowy-money-themselves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2016\/01\/groups-decrying-dark-money-use-shadowy-money-themselves\/","title":{"rendered":"Groups decrying ‘dark money’ use shadowy money themselves"},"content":{"rendered":"

Groups that complain about \u201cdark money<\/a>\u201d in politics may need to look into the darkness that shrouds their own pots of money.<\/p>\n

A number of groups that advocate against anonymous donations in politics are themselves responsible for putting money into elections that cannot be traced, often hidden under layers of opaque networks.<\/p>\n

\"Money\"<\/a>

Pictures of Money \/ Creative Commons<\/p>

The Center for Public Integrity found 21 groups, vocal about so-called dark money, that put money into politics but do not fully disclose their donors. (photo cc info<\/a>)<\/p><\/div>\n

The\u00a0Center for Public Integrity<\/a>\u00a0found\u00a021\u00a0groups<\/a>, vocal about so-called dark money, that put money into politics but do not fully disclose their donors. The groups either gave to ballot measure campaigns, paid for messages about candidates or gave to political action committees.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re going to jump into the arena of combating dark money, it\u2019s far better to shed light on your own money,\u201d said\u00a0Norm Ornstein<\/a>, a disclosure proponent at the American Enterprise Institute, a right-leaning think tank. \u201cYou need a pretty powerful rationale for not doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n

But many of the groups identified by the Center for Public Integrity\u00a0said that they already exceed what the law requires by disclosing at least some of their donors. Some relied on an argument that opponents of disclosure raise regularly: Their donors could face hostility or mistreatment if the public knew the donors\u2019 identities.<\/p>\n

Dark money groups fighting dark money<\/h3>\n

In Maine, groups advocating for clean elections\u00a0helped pass<\/a>\u00a0a\u00a0ballot measure<\/a>\u00a0in November that, among other things, will require election advertisements to display their top three funders. The groups emphasized the state\u2019s need for transparency in their appeals to voters.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen politicians rely on money from wealthy special interests, they end up ignoring our priorities,\u201d one of the groups, Mainers for Accountable Elections,\u00a0said in\u00a0TV ads<\/a>. \u201cWe need accountability and transparency to keep politicians honest.\u201d<\/p>\n