Throughout this election cycle, big-money super PACs, like AIPAC affiliate United Democracy Project and Democratic Majority for Israel, have laundered their political spending by transferring millions of dollars to other PACs that run independent expenditure ads in primaries. This way, voters see support for candidates from neutral-sounding groups, often on totally unrelated topics, rather than pro-Israel organizations that have become toxic to Democratic voters.
Those secondary PACs have other priorities, of course. BOLD America, which has taken $1.55 million from United Democracy Project this cycle, supports Hispanic candidates. Women Vote, the super PAC affiliated with EMILYs List that has received $650,000 from Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) this cycle, backs pro-choice Democratic women. 3.14 Action, which ran into controversy in 2024 as a pass-through for AIPAC donors to support Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-OR), was set up to uplift Democratic scientists and doctors.
There is a particular problem when candidates who might oppose unconditional military aid for Israel are also benefiting from outside spending from PACs that have partnered with pro-Israel PACs in the past. The impact of that partnership can taint the reputation of those PACs.
Something like this is happening in Minnesota’s Second Congressional District, which has its primary tomorrow. There is a clear favored candidate for pro-Israel groups in the race—Dr. Matt Klein—and he’s getting millions of dollars in funding to try to snag the seat. But super PACs spending for another candidate have past ties to pro-Israel groups in their own right, and a third candidate is trying to capitalize on that vulnerability.
There are three main Democratic candidates in this open seat to replace Rep. Angie Craig, who is running tomorrow in the primary for U.S. Senate. Matt Little is a progressive state senator who earned the critical endorsement of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party; he’s also endorsed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC). Kaela Berg is a union flight attendant, Minnesota House member, and is also pretty progressive, running as a working-class candidate who understands those struggles. Klein is also a state senator with a fair number of labor endorsements, who also co-founded the Blue Dog caucus in the state legislature.
There hasn’t been much outside polling, and none since late May, but Little has led, even in Klein’s internal poll. However, that was before the big money came in.
Berg is getting outside support from super PACs, including over $550,000 from Women Vote, $415,000 from Pro-Choice Majority Action, and $100,000 from Elect Democratic Women, which is affiliated with Pro-Choice Majority Action. Women Vote, as noted above, received funding from DMFI, and Elect Democratic Women has received $1.35 million from United Democracy Project and $137,000 from DMFI this year.
But Berg is an unlikely plant for pro-Israel groups. Her campaign pointed me to the issues page on her website, where she endorses an end to weapons sales to Israel and calls the war in Gaza a genocide. Referring to Gaza and Iran, Berg says that “the Trump Administration’s continued support for and active participation in these wars have undermined American values, caused untold death and destruction, and threatened the global economy.” She supports ending Israeli settlements in the West Bank, immediate humanitarian aid to Gaza, and ultimately a two-state solution.
3.14 Action Fund has not formally received any disbursements from United Democracy Project or DMFI this cycle, at least not as of the most recent Federal Election Commission disclosures through June 30. But 3.14 has endorsed Klein, and he is also a DMFI endorsee. And 3.14 has spent an unusually large amount on ads for Klein: over $2.4 million, as of last Thursday.
Federal election disclosures also show that Klein is benefiting from bundled donations from AIPAC donors going directly to his campaign. Klein has sent at least $11,000 in fees this year to Democracy Engine, a service used to process donations for AIPAC and 3.14 Action. There is evidence that the Pro-Israel Network, which runs online fundraisers for candidates, has been raising money for Klein.
3.14 Action did not respond to a request for comment, but told other media outlets that none of the funding they’re using came from pro-Israel groups. When asked about 3.14’s involvement by Drop Site News, Klein’s campaign copied 3.14 on their email response, an odd choice considering that campaigns and outside groups are not supposed to coordinate at all.
So pro-Israel groups appear to be pushing support to Klein, while labor leader and likely future CPC member Berg is getting what at first glance looks to be genuine support from groups that support female Democrats. But it’s undeniable that those groups have partnered with pro-Israel PACs in the past.
Indeed, Little has a page on his website detailing those links, describing the spending from outside groups for his opponents as “supported directly or indirectly by AIPAC.”
Berg released a video on social media where she accused Little of lying about her, said “I don’t take AIPAC money, I never have and I never will,” and reiterated her opposition to all weapons sales to Israel and the genocide in Gaza.
As Drop Site News speculated, it could be that Elect Democratic Women and other groups are trying to weaken Little’s grip on the progressive lane of the race by supporting Berg, while other pro-Israel groups help Klein. There have been instances this year of pro-Israel groups boosting progressive candidates to try to stop other progressives.
Often, money transferred to PACs like Women Vote are earmarked for particular candidates. But Women Vote and the PACs they receive money from won’t disclose which candidates were intended to get the support, forcing everyone to guess. A source familiar with the Women Vote spending told the Prospect, “Women Vote works with a variety of partners to elect Democratic pro-choice women and build winning coalitions. The donation referenced was for a program in a different race and has nothing to do with Kaela Berg or this race.”
Women Vote has only supported three candidates since receiving funds from Democratic Majority for Israel, and the other two candidates were DMFI endorsees: Shannon Bird in Colorado (who lost her primary) and Marni von Wilpert in California (who won hers). Still, it’s impossible to say who that DMFI money laundered through Women Vote is ultimately supporting.
DMFI did not respond to a request for comment about which candidate the money they gave to Women Vote supported.
Berg, of course, has no control over which outside groups endorse her, and certainly no control over what deals they make to accept funds from pro-Israel groups. But she’s taking the hit for it.
Little campaign manager Bob Groven told the Prospect, “If Kaela Berg believes strongly that the war in Gaza is a genocide and the U.S. must not send weapons to Netanyahu, then why hasn’t she renounced support from super PACs that have taken massive amounts of money from AIPAC, and asked them to stop running TV ads for her?” Groven noted that his candidate was more out front on Gaza and that Berg only added an Israel policy section to her website in the past few months.
It’s not the first time this year that a candidate has been attacked for associations with pro-Israel groups, even though their stance on U.S.-Israel policy would not make AIPAC happy. Connie Chan, who is running for the seat vacated by Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco, was hit during the primary for her support from Pro-Choice Majority Action, given its ties to pro-Israel groups. But Chan recently pledged to support an arms embargo on Israel and received the endorsement of pro-Palestine organizations.
Elect Democratic Women did not respond to a request for comment.
In the Minnesota race, outside PACs are supporting Matt Little’s opponents over Little by 9-to-1. Still, he’s getting some support from the CPC PAC ($150,000), National Nurses United ($60,000), and Pramila Jayapal’s leadership PAC, known as Medicare for All ($200,000). American Priorities, a PAC established to counter AIPAC spending in primaries, has a $118,000 digital advertising campaign supporting Little and progressive Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan.
Little does have a “red box” on his website offering positive messages about his campaign. Red boxes are how candidates coordinate with super PACs. “We reject and will not accept dark money because we believe it corrupts American democracy and prevents voters from making informed choices. We accept funding only from organizations and individuals who align with our values, and we have been transparent about our funding sources,” Groven, Little’s campaign manager, said.
Despite the funding disparity, Little’s DFL endorsement could be the most important one, given the party’s organizing muscle.
A broad overview of the race shows it to be the case of two relatively progressive candidates who could split the field and allow a more centrist candidate to win. (The seat is seen as likely Democratic in November.) But it also reveals the toxic nature of pro-Israel super PAC spending, and how this attempt to transfer cash to hide the spending has spread that toxicity even to races where liberal women’s groups are just trying to get a liberal woman elected.
