{"id":2556569,"date":"2026-01-29T05:23:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T10:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wisconsin-group-running-ad-campaign-alleged-arm-of-liberal-dark-money-giant\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T05:26:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T10:26:14","slug":"wisconsin-group-running-ad-campaign-alleged-arm-of-liberal-dark-money-giant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wisconsin-group-running-ad-campaign-alleged-arm-of-liberal-dark-money-giant\/","title":{"rendered":"Wisconsin group running ad campaign alleged arm of liberal dark money giant"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwisconsin-group-running-ad-campaign-alleged-arm-of-liberal-dark-money-giant%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2556569&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Chance Wisconsin is running a seven-figure ad campaign in Wisconsin to unseat Reps. bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden, but corporate records show the group is a trade name for the North Fund, a Washington, D.C.\u2013based, Democrat-aligned dark\u2011money institution. Operating as a trade name under the North Fund lets Opportunity Wisconsin avoid separate tax filings and obscures its donors and spending; the North Fund itself holds tens of millions in assets from undisclosed sources. the North Fund and related groups trace back to the Arabella Advisors network, which critics have accused of creating local \u201cfront\u201d groups that mask centralized funding and management; a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ocasio-cortez-requests-earmarks-for-two-hospitals-that-perform-abortions\/\" title=\"Ocasio-Cortez Requests Earmarks For Two Hospitals That Perform Abortions\">public benefit corporation<\/a>, Sunflower Services, later took over much of Arabella\u2019s back\u2011office work. <\/p>\n<p>One ad features Kenosha firefighter Joseph \u201cJoey\u201d Sielski complaining about grocery prices, but local reporting questioned Sielski\u2019s financial hardship based on his <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >social\u2011media posts showing recreational amenities<\/a> and family travel. Another ad attacks Steil over Medicaid and work\u2011requirement issues; Steil called the effort \u201cout\u2011of\u2011state, dark money\u201d spreading misinformation and defended work requirements and protections for children and vulnerable populations. Opportunity Wisconsin has not filed independant\u2011expenditure reports with the FEC, further obscuring its activity, and both Opportunity Wisconsin and the North Fund declined to comment.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Wisconsin group running ad campaign alleged arm of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/liberal-dark-money-behemoth-faces-irs-complaint-over-alleged-bait-and-switch-scheme\/\" title=\"Liberal dark money giant faces IRS complaint for alleged bait-and-switch.\">liberal dark money giant<\/a><\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2162510\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>An organization called Opportunity Wisconsin is running a seven-figure ad campaign to unseat Reps. Bryan Steil (R-WI) and Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) in November. While the group <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/OpportunityWI\">maintains <\/a>that it is a &ldquo;coalition of Wisconsin residents,&rdquo; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/01\/localimages\/Screenshot-2026-01-28-130351.png\">corporate records<\/a> show that it is a trade name for the North Fund, a massive Democrat-aligned dark money group based in the nation&rsquo;s capital.<\/p>\n<p>A trade name is an alias <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/advisor\/business\/trade-name-vs-business-name\/\">adopted and used<\/a> by an entity that differs from its legal name, but under which it can still conduct business. &ldquo;Opportunity Wisconsin,&rdquo; thus, is one of the aliases under which the North Fund can operate.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4436220\/minnesota-democrats-obstructing-i\/\">Minnesota Democrats, including elected officials, lead ICE obstruction operations<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4435956\/democrats-raising-money-off-minneapolis-deaths-alex-pretti-renee-good\/\">Democrats use deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good to fundraise<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4431290\/minnesota-trump-iowa-immigration-agenda\/\">Minnesota madness upstages Trump&rsquo;s Iowa affordability pitch<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s disappointing, but not surprising, that out-of-state, dark money groups are again trying to mislead Wisconsin families,&rdquo; Steil told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The North Fund was previously part of a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4050359\/fluctuating-left-wing-premier-dark-money-network\/\">network of nonprofit organizations<\/a> linked to the now-defunct consulting firm Arabella Advisors. After Arabella Advisors folded, a public benefit corporation called Sunflower Services took over much of its operations, primarily providing &ldquo;back office services,&rdquo; according to a spokesperson.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Arabella&rsquo;s nonprofit organizations had attracted criticism over the years for operating what some deemed as &ldquo;front&rdquo; groups, organizations that claimed to represent people from a given location or&nbsp;identity group when, in reality, they were just a new name slapped on an established dark money group.<\/p>\n<p>Opportunity Wisconsin&rsquo;s continued affiliation with the North Fund and its continued spending in Wisconsin signal that the organizations that had previously been under the Arabella banner are not shuttering their local front operations.<\/p>\n<p>Through its complex organizational structure, Opportunity Wisconsin can hide from the public to whom it provides funding and who it pays for services.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bryan Steil (R-WI), chairman of the House Administration Committee, arrives for a hearing about noncitizen voting on Capitol Hill, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo\/John McDonnell)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Opportunity Wisconsin, for example, does not file its own tax returns, meaning that its disbursements and general finances are not publicly disclosed. Further, operating under the North Fund makes it impossible to track who is funding the group and its expensive ad buys. The DC-based North Fund, with its <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/projects.propublica.org\/nonprofits\/organizations\/834011547\/202543159349306199\/full\">tens of millions in assets<\/a> from undisclosed donors, could very well be footing the bill.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/opportunity-wisconsin\/people\/\">Five <\/a>individuals affiliated with the organization have public LinkedIn profiles indicating that they are located in Wisconsin.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Part of Opportunity Wisconsin&rsquo;s recent ad campaign has attracted some local criticism.<\/p>\n<p>The group recruited Kenosha Fire Department Lieutenant Joseph &ldquo;Joey&rdquo; Sielski to vent his frustrations at Steil for allegedly raising grocery prices through his support for tariffs. In the ad featuring Sielski, he claims he struggles to afford groceries.<\/p>\n<p>Kevin Mathewson, writing for a local <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Kenosha publication,&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/kenoshacountyeye.com\/2025\/12\/29\/kenosha-firefighter-lieutenant-joseph-joey-sielskis-political-ad-misled-viewers-and-insulted-kenoshas-intelligence-opinion\/\">pointed out&nbsp;<\/a>that Sielski had posted images on<\/span> his personal Facebook page showing that he had installed a custom basketball, pickleball, and field hockey court in his backyard. Mathewson pointed out that Sielski probably earns a comfortable salary owing to his position in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-president-trump-gives-pardons-to-73-individuals-and-commutes-another-70-sentences-steve-bannon-is-included\/\" title=\"BREAKING: President Trump Gives Pardons to 73 Individuals and Commutes Another 70 Sentences \u2013 Steve Bannon Is Included\">local fire department<\/a> and that his wife, a nurse, is likely a high earner as well. Also present on Sielski&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-move-to-force-conspiracy-theorist-marjorie-taylor-greene-off-her-committee-assignments-report\/\" title=\"Democrats Move To Force Conspiracy Theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene Off Her Committee Assignments: Report\">social media pages<\/a> are posts about his family&rsquo;s vacations and his children&rsquo;s travel hockey, neither of which comes cheap.<\/p>\n<p>All of this, in Mathewson&rsquo;s view, calls into question whether Sielski is suffering from a funding shortage caused by trade policy changes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The most recent ad, targeting Steil, hones in on his support for changes to state medical care access, accusing him of fighting to cut Medicaid to fund tax breaks.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In Wisconsin, work requirements for able-bodied, childless adults of working age help protect programs for those they were designed for, pregnant women, children, and disabled Americans,&rdquo; Steil told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;Eligible children in Wisconsin will continue to receive full access to the health coverage they need. These shadowy groups are spreading misinformation because they believe able-bodied, childless adults should be able to collect taxpayer-funded benefits without working &mdash; something 80% of Wisconsin families oppose.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4050359\/fluctuating-left-wing-premier-dark-money-network\/\"><strong>THE FALL AND RISE OF THE LEFT&rsquo;S PREMIER DARK MONEY NETWORK<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Oddly, Opportunity Wisconsin <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/independent-expenditures\/?data_type=processed&amp;most_recent=true&amp;is_notice=true&amp;candidate_id=H8WI01156&amp;candidate_id=H0WI03175&amp;support_oppose_indicator=O\">has not<\/a> been filing independent expenditure reports with the Federal Election Commission, further obscuring the scope of its activities and who it&rsquo;s paying to commission the ads.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Individuals, groups, corporations, and labor organizations that make independent expenditures must disclose them quarterly on Form 5 and also as required on 24-hour and 48-hour reports,&rdquo; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/help-candidates-and-committees\/making-independent-expenditures\/\">according <\/a>to the FEC.<\/p>\n<p>Opportunity Wisconsin and the North Fund did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wisconsin ad group tied to liberal dark-money giant<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":894,"featured_media":2556570,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP23285097829938-e1768241158978.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[34575,33926,51516,72167,4124],"class_list":["post-2556569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-ad-campaign","tag-campaign-finance","tag-dark-money-2","tag-political-nonprofit","tag-wisconsin"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP23285097829938-e1768241158978.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2556569","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/894"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2556569"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2556569\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2556573,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2556569\/revisions\/2556573"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2556570"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2556569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2556569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2556569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}