Remember when Bernie Sanders was complaining about the impact of money on politics. Now he's built a very dubious political operation operating in a dark money area.
As a Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders put campaign finance reform at the center of his campaign agenda.
But a new organization formed by the Vermont independent to continue his political revolution across the country may be venturing into uncharted legal territory, according to campaign finance experts.
The group, called “Our Revolution,” will support progressive policy proposals and politicians across the country. According to its website, the group is operating as a 501(c)(4) organization, a tax status that will allow it to accept unlimited contributions without having to reveal its donors.
That's a very problematic formula and it only gets worse.
As a sitting senator, Sanders can’t ask donors to contribute more than $2,700 each to a campaign committee per election, or more than $5,000 to a Super PAC, which can raise unlimited amounts of money but are barred from coordinating with campaigns.
Our Revolution's connection to a federal officeholder could require the group to disclose its donors and cap the amount of money it can accept from contributors under the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, Ryan said.
“It’s a bit unusual,” Kenneth Gross, a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom who runs the firm’s political law practice, said of Sanders’ new organization. “I’ve not seen something constructed like this before. That doesn’t mean it’s impermissible.”
Gross, who said organizations typically pursue 501(c)(4) status to avoid disclosing their donors, said officials would have to review Our Revolution’s activities throughout the year to determine any violations.
A representative for Sanders and Our Revolution did not immediately respond to questions about whether the group plans to reveal its donors and cap contributions. Sources close to Sanders have said that the former presidential candidate wanted to keep as many options as possible open to him in the future.
This is a dark money machine and Sanders people are admitting as much. Bernie started out by complaining about the influence of money on politics. Then he built his very own dark money machine.