dark money

[dahrk muhn-ee]

noun

1. money donated to politically active nonprofit organizations or anonymous corporate entities, which spend this money to influence political campaigns or other special interests but are not required to reveal their donors.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dark money¹

First recorded in 2010–15

Example Sentences

He pushed to make judicial elections in North Carolina — once a national leader in minimizing political influence on judges — explicitly partisan and to get rid of public financing, leaving candidates more dependent on dark money.

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Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision had cleared the way for so-called dark money groups, which don’t have to disclose their donors’ identities, to spend uncapped amounts to influence campaigns.

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Then, about $2 million of dark money flooded into the race in the closing stretch, according to campaign finance records and news reports.

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In 2013, the legislature did away with public financing for judicial candidates, making them reliant on private contributions and dark money groups.

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The races drew $10.4 million in outside dark money that favored Republicans over Democrats by about 2-1, according to an analysis by the Brennan Center.

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