PHILADELPHIA, PA — It’s the second time in the past week that a dark money group is advertising in Pennsylvania on behalf of vulnerable incumbent Pat Toomey. Today the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that One Nation, a group that shields the identity of its billionaire donors, is spending $1 million to try to repair Toomey’s image. The ad campaign is an early signal of the lengths special interests will go to protect one of their most reliable allies in the Senate, and an indication that the private polls look as bad for Toomey as the public ones.
“Ironically, the reasons millions of dollars are being spent to help Pat Toomey get re-elected and why he’s so unpopular in Pennsylvania are the same: he caters to Washington and Wall Street special interests,” said Preston Maddock, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. “Most recently, Toomey has followed his party’s obstructionist position on filling the Supreme Court vacancy — despite his constituents overwhelmingly disagreeing with him. The influx in pro-Toomey dark money is reaction to voters learning that throughout his career, the priorities of Pennsylvanians have always been an afterthought to Pat Toomey.”
BACKGROUND ON DARK MONEY GROUP ONE NATION:
ONE NATION CONTROLLED BY DC POWER BROKERS
One Nation Was Tied To Karl Rove Super PAC American Crossroads. “The ads, which praise Sens. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Rob Portman of Ohio and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania for backing trade-promotion authority, are part of a $2 million ad buy from One Nation, an advocacy group tied to American Crossroads, a super PAC co-founded by Republican strategist Karl Rove.” [USA Today, 5/19/15]
One Nation’s President Was Former McConnell Aide Steven Law, Who Ran American Crossroads And Served As Executive Chairman Of Senate Leadership Fund. “Steven Law, president of One Nation, said, referring to his party’s takeover of the Senate in last year’s midterm elections. […] Law, a former McConnell top aide, sits at the center of the effort to help Republicans retain the Senate in 2016. He runs American Crossroads, a deep-pocketed super PAC, and serves as executive chairman of the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC launched this year that is devoted solely to retaining the Senate majority.” [USA Today, 5/19/15]
ONE NATION IS A DARK MONEY GROUP THAT ACCEPTS UNLIMITED SECRET DONATIONS
One Nation Was A 501(C)4 Group, Which Could Accept Unlimited Donations And Did Not Have To Disclose Donors.“American Crossroads, Senate Leadership Fund and One Nation all can accept unlimited contributions. As a non-profit advocacy group, One Nation does not have to disclose its donors’ identities.” [USA Today, 5/19/15]
One Nation Did Not Disclose Budget But Said It Would Spend “Multiples More” Than It Did With First Wave Of Advertising. “Law did not disclose a budget but said One Nation this year alone will spend ‘multiples more of what we are doing with this first wave’ of advertising. Last week, it ran ads on Medicare to boost Portman, Ayotte, Toomey and two other GOP incumbents, North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr and Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk.” [USA Today, 5/19/15]
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