How Arabella Advisors Created a “Dark Money” Network to Influence American Politics
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If you follow American politics, you may have heard of the term “dark money” - spending from undisclosed sources to influence political outcomes. Usually, this term is applied by left-leaning pundits to conservative groups that support causes such as tax cuts, deregulation, and pro-life policies. But did you know that there is a massive “dark money” network on the left side of the political spectrum, too?
Trump Wins New Hampshire Despite Dark Money Saboteurs
In a recent report by the Capital Research Center, a think tank that investigates the influence of money in politics, the authors expose and document a shadowy web of left-wing nonprofits that operate under the umbrella of a for-profit consultancy called Arabella Advisors. Arabella Advisors was founded in 2005 by Eric Kessler, a former Clinton administration staffer and environmental activist. The company provides philanthropy consulting services to major foundations, wealthy donors, and political influencers on the left.
Arabella Advisors manages four nonprofit entities: the New Venture Fund, Sixteen Thirty Fund, Windward Fund, and Hopewell Fund. Each of these funds shares an address and interlocking officers with Arabella. Between 2013 and 2017, these funds took in a staggering $1.6 billion in contributions, which they used to advance the political agendas of their donors through hundreds of “front” groups and “astroturf” initiatives. These groups appear to be independent grassroots organizations, but in reality they are projects or programs of Arabella’s funds, with no legal existence or financial disclosure of their own.
Some of the issues that Arabella’s network has supported include Obamacare, net neutrality, gun control, abortion, environmentalism, and opposition to President Trump and his judicial nominees. The network also engages in electoral politics, spending millions of dollars to shape elections and policy. For example, in the 2018 midterm election, Arabella’s Sixteen Thirty Fund spent some $724,000 supporting Democrats and attacking Republicans, according to the left-leaning Center for Responsive Politics.
The report by the Capital Research Center reveals the extent and complexity of Arabella’s “dark money” network, which rivals or surpasses that of the Koch-affiliated organizations. The report also raises questions about the transparency and accountability of the network, which operates under the guise of “philanthropy” and “strategic philanthropy”. The authors argue that before left-of-center politicians and activists demand laws to increase government disclosure of donors who fund campaigns and public policy advocacy, they should consider voluntarily disclosing their own donors.
If you are interested in learning more about Arabella’s network and its impact on American politics, you can read the full report here: