VA redistricting effort buoyed by flood of out-of-state dark money
A Washington examiner report describes how liberal dark-money groups are backing virginia Democrats’ plan to redraw the state’s congressional maps through a ballot initiative, significantly outspending their opponents. The effort, led by Virginians for Fair elections, has drawn more than $21.3 million in untraceable, out-of-state funds in a short period, according to campaign finance records.
Several national 501(c)(4) organizations are listed as major backers, including the League of Conservation voters, the Global Impact Social Welfare Fund, American Opportunity action, the Fairness project, and house Majority Forward. The donors are largely anonymous, though public tax records connect some contributions to the Open Society Policy center (soros family) and to the arabella Advisors and Tides networks, wich are known dark-money networks.
The groups behind the push include Virginians for Fair Elections, which has dominated airwave advertising in support of new maps, and Virginians for Fair Maps, which has trailed in fundraising but has seen recent large donations. gov. abigail Spanberger (D-VA) has endorsed the amendment, arguing that partisan redistricting is warranted in response to national moves, even though she previously criticized dark money. The article notes concerns about transparency, highlighting that much of the funding remains hidden from the public.
Liberal dark money boosts Democrats’ Virginia redistricting effort, massively outraising opponents
Liberal dark money has significantly boosted the effort by Virginia Democrats to redraw their state’s congressional maps using a ballot initiative this spring.
Virginians for Fair Elections, a committee seeking to give the Democratic Party a national advantage by implementing a harsh Democratic gerrymander in the Old Dominion, received over $21.3 million in untraceable out-of-state funds in less than a month, campaign finance records show.
Among the organizations that have cut large checks in support of the redistricting effort are the League of Conservation Voters, the Global Impact Social Welfare Fund, American Opportunity Action, the Fairness Project, and House Majority Forward — an advocacy group linked to House Democratic leadership. The five groups are registered as 501(c)(4)s in Washington, D.C., meaning they can spend considerable funds on elections across the country, all while keeping their donors secret from the public.
Virginians for Fair Maps, the committee formed to oppose the redistricting effort, has lagged far behind Virginians for Fair Elections financially, although large-dollar donations have rolled in at a considerably faster pace in recent days. Between March 2 and March 6, the committee reported bringing in roughly $2.8 million — virtually all of which came from dark money sources.
Neither the GOP-aligned Virginians for Fair Maps nor the Democrat-aligned Virginians for Fair Elections has reported their small-dollar donations, making the full financial picture of the referendum unclear.
While the individuals funding the 501(c)(4)s behind the push for new maps in Virginia are largely unknown, public tax records can be used to track down some of the original donors.
The Fairness Project, for instance, received $750,000 from the Soros family’s Open Society Policy Center between 2021 and 2023, according to nonprofit tax returns. House Majority Forward, the Fairness Project, and Global Impact Social Welfare Fund all received funding from the now-restructured Arabella Advisors network and the Tides network, two of the Left’s premier dark money outlets.
Virginians for Fair Elections has used its financial edge to saturate the state’s airwaves with ads backing new maps. The ads, which have millions of dollars behind them, highlight Republican efforts to redraw maps elsewhere in the country and cast Virginia’s redraw as a temporary response to what they characterize as a GOP attempt to stack the deck in Republicans’ favor.
Newly elected Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) has emerged as a champion of the partisan redistricting effort.
Spanberger said in a statement endorsing the referendum that although she supported the state’s bipartisan redistricting process in the past, she now supports a partisan redraw because Republicans in other states, such as Texas, have drawn themselves more favorable districts while President Donald Trump pushes for more. “Virginians have the opportunity to take action in response to this extraordinary moment in history,” Spanberger said. “That’s why, as a Virginia voter, I’m voting in favor of this amendment.”
Spanberger was a sharp critic of dark money during her time in Congress, but has so far been silent on the deluge of anonymous political contributions flooding Virginia under her watch.
“If dollars are flowing into a campaign, people should know where it’s coming from,” Spanberger said in 2019.
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