A few Dark Money Examples, Oh Yeah’s to sleep well with.

You don’t have to take my word for it. Most of us have already seen this — we just didn’t always know what we were looking at.

A Few “Oh Yeah” Examples of Dark Money at Work

You don’t need to follow these closely to get the point. Most of you already recognize the pattern.

1. Supreme Court Confirmation Campaigns

During multiple Supreme Court nominations over the last decade, tens of millions of dollars were spent by groups with neutral-sounding names, many of them structured as nonprofits that do not disclose donors.

The ads weren’t about law — they were about emotion, fear, and identity.
The funding sources? Largely invisible.

Oh yeah.

2. State Judicial Races

In several states, outside money has flooded judicial elections — races most voters barely notice — because judges decide issues like tort law, environmental regulation, and labor disputes.

Small states. Big money. Quiet races.

Oh yeah.

3. Local Ballot Initiatives with National Backers

Energy, mining, and real estate interests have repeatedly funded campaigns against local ballot initiatives — zoning rules, environmental protections, or tax measures — using PACs that make them look like grassroots efforts.

The campaign feels local.
The money often isn’t.

Oh yeah.

4. Education “Reform” Groups

School board races and education policy fights increasingly attract outside funding from ideological organizations on both the right and the left — often routed through nonprofits that don’t disclose donors.

Parents think it’s a local debate.
The funding strategy was written elsewhere.

Oh yeah.

5. Issue Ads That Aren’t Campaign Ads

Ever see ads that say things like:

• “Tell Senator X to protect freedom”

• “Call Representative Y and demand action”

These often come from groups legally classified as issue advocacy, not campaigns — which allows them to spend heavily without revealing who’s paying.

Same effect. Different label.

Oh yeah.

6. Small-State Disproportionate Spending

In lower-population states, a few million dollars can completely reshape a political conversation — making them attractive targets for national organizations seeking influence at a bargain price.

Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, West Virginia — none of them are accidental.

Oh yeah.