๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐โ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ, ๐๐ต๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ต๐ถ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐?
- Stand Up Blue Valley
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
When you see a social media post or ad, or get a text or mailer spreading negative information about a candidate or an issueโฆ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ. (Youโll find that on the โPaid for byโ or โsponsored byโ statement or even the return address on a mailer.)
If the source is an organization, ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ถ๐ ๐ณ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด that organization? What are their ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐? What do they have to gain by making these claims?
If the source is one candidate saying something good about themselves, or negative about another candidate, thatโs clear. If itโs a political party, thatโs also clear. PACs (like Stand Up Blue Valley) file regular reports listing donors and expenditures. None of this is Dark Money.
But ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ณ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ, and how much money they spend. THAT is Dark Money.
๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ is the classic example of a Dark Money group with (apparently) deep pockets. In the current Republican primary for KS Governor, AFP has endorsed Ty Masterson - and is relentlessly ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ป๐, KS Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt. (Schmidt is endorsed by SUBV.)
Weโve recently seen Facebook ads from a new organization calling themselves โ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐โ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ด๐๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ, ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ป. ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ. (Holscher is endorsed by SUBV.)ย
๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐๐๐จ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ค๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฉ? ๐๐ค๐๐ค๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ๐จ.ย
Dark money-funded organizations can (and do) spread misinformation. They often provide incomplete facts, and it's hard to hold them accountable. They donโt disclose whoโs funding them or what their agenda is.ย
Weโve seen people ask โBut if what theyโre saying is the truth, does it really matter if their funders are secret?โย
Yes, it matters. ๐ฉ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ - ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฝ - ๐ถ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐บ๐. This is especially true because itโs easy to present an incomplete or distorted picture of any candidateโs views or voting record. If a voter knows who - or what - is behind any communication, thatโs important information in evaluating the claimโs validity.
This Dark Money influence in our elections is totally legal. Thereโs nothing we can do right now to stop it. But YOU can stop many of the annoying texts, mailers, emails, and phone calls (from Dark Money and other sources) by VOTING EARLY NOW.ย
Did you know that if you VOTE EARLY, your name will quickly drop off most political lists? Then youโll have a better chance of enjoying peace and quiet - and mailbox space - sooner rather than later.ย
Vote in advance: 9 AM - 7 PM Mondays through Saturdays through Aug. 1. See our Voting Guide at the link in comments for more info, along with our endorsements in this critical election.
Our Voting Guide:ย
Read more about Heartland Priorities:
Why we endorsed Cindy Holscher in the Democratic primary for Governor:
Why we endorsed Vicki Schmidt in the Republican primary for Governor:
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