Less than one year into a new administration, speculation is already in full swing for the 2024 presidential election. While no politician seems to have escaped the rumor mill, political spectators have honed in on two prominent state leaders who may be positioning themselves for a spot on the Republican ticket.   

“Dark money” is a term used to describe political spending by groups that are not required to disclose their donors. Most often it refers to groups designated by the IRS as 501(c) organizations — businesses, issue advocacy groups, unions, civic and trade organizations (including many nonprofits) which are not allowed to directly contribute to a candidate or campaign, but are allowed to spend money to educate or advocate about issues related to politics or to provide information about where candidates stand on certain issues. (Transparency USA is a 501(c)(3) organization because we provide information and education to the public concerning the money in politics.)

And these numbers may tell only part of the story. The totals don’t include any political donations these men and women have given to candidates in federal races, such as the O’Rourke vs. Cruz battle. Moreover, these numbers don’t reflect any donations given to 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) organizations. Courts have ruled that these groups do not have to divulge their donors in order to protect the donors’ rights to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.