According to the good governance group Issue One, groups that do not disclose their donors–mainly 501(c)(4) groups– have spent $996 million since the 2010 Citizens United ruling, with $33 million being spent so far this cycle. This also only accounts for direct spending reported to the FEC, so it does not include the spending outside of the electioneering window that is not deemed as "political spending". An estimate of total dark money spending towards the elections, including what is not disclosed to the FEC, estimates it closer to $182 million this cycle. While Democrats outspent conservative dark money groups for the first time in 2018, spending by groups aligned with either party is very evenly matched so far this cycle.
This cycle there have also been many "pop-up" Super PACs which are created just before the election (primaries so far) so that they do not have to disclose donors until after that election is over. This happened most notably in the case of Elizabeth Warren, famous for her pledge to not receive any help from Super PACs earlier in the primary. Persist PAC, formed in early 2020, formed at a time so that it would not have to disclose its donors until after Super Tuesday. While Warren asked for them to disclose their donors before Super Tuesday, the PAC refused to do so.
More on the spending in the Politico Newsletter here and Warren Super PAC here.
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