SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pro-Palestinian Jewish American demonstrators rally outside the Manhattan headquarters of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on February 22, 2024 in New York City.
(Photo: Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
'Very Bad Sign for Democracy': AIPAC Has Spent Over $100 Million on 2024 Elections
AIPAC's billionaire-funded super PAC has helped defeat two of the most vocal opponents of Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip.
Aug 28, 2024
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a powerful lobbying group widely known as AIPAC, has officially spent more than $100 million in the 2024 election cycle so far, pouring staggering sums into Democratic primary races in an effort to unseat progressive opponents of Israel's war on the Gaza Strip.
Citing new Federal Election Commission filings, Sludge reported Tuesday that AIPAC's political action committee had spent $44.8 million as of the end of last month, mostly on donations to political campaigns and party organizations. The United Democracy Project (UDP), AIPAC's super PAC, has spent $55.4 million so far, bringing AIPAC's total spending this cycle to just over $100 million—surpassing its reported spending target for 2024 races.
AIPAC money has already made a significant impact, helping a pair of pro-Israel Democrats defeat progressive Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.)—two of Congress' most vocal critics of Israel's assault on Gaza—in recent primary contests.
"Supporting Palestinian rights is becoming so popular among American voters that pro-genocide groups have to spend over $100 million to hold on."
Sludge noted that UDP's financial support for Bowman's primary opponent, George Latimer, "set a record for spending by an outside group on a House election."
"A very bad sign for democracy that MAGA billionaires are spending this much money to shape our politics," the youth-led Sunrise Movementwrote in response to the new spending figures, referring to the Republican megadonors who have fueled spending by AIPAC-aligned groups.
Politico reported in June that AIPAC has been "the biggest source of Republican money flowing into competitive Democratic primaries this year."
Sludge pointed out Tuesday that billionaire Jan Koum, the former WhatsApp CEO who helped bankroll Nikki Haley's failed presidential bid, is the top donor to AIPAC's super PAC.
"Other UDP donors in recent months have included the following: David Messer, CEO of Freepoint Commodities, who gave another $250,000 on July 1; Martin Geller, CEO of financial firm Geller & Company, who gave an additional $268,000 on June 25; and Frank Blair, equity portfolio manager at Capital Group, who gave an additional $200,000 in May," Sludge reported.
While lamenting the outsized influence that UDP and other billionaire-funded groups are able to wield in the U.S. political system, some observers have argued that AIPAC's aggressive spending is a sign of desperation in the face of growing public opposition to Israel's mass atrocities in Gaza. A majority of Democratic voters view Israel's war on Gaza as genocide, according to one recent survey.
"Supporting Palestinian rights is becoming so popular among American voters that pro-genocide groups have to spend over $100 million to hold on," said Beth Miller, policy director at Jewish Voice for Peace.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a powerful lobbying group widely known as AIPAC, has officially spent more than $100 million in the 2024 election cycle so far, pouring staggering sums into Democratic primary races in an effort to unseat progressive opponents of Israel's war on the Gaza Strip.
Citing new Federal Election Commission filings, Sludge reported Tuesday that AIPAC's political action committee had spent $44.8 million as of the end of last month, mostly on donations to political campaigns and party organizations. The United Democracy Project (UDP), AIPAC's super PAC, has spent $55.4 million so far, bringing AIPAC's total spending this cycle to just over $100 million—surpassing its reported spending target for 2024 races.
AIPAC money has already made a significant impact, helping a pair of pro-Israel Democrats defeat progressive Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.)—two of Congress' most vocal critics of Israel's assault on Gaza—in recent primary contests.
"Supporting Palestinian rights is becoming so popular among American voters that pro-genocide groups have to spend over $100 million to hold on."
Sludge noted that UDP's financial support for Bowman's primary opponent, George Latimer, "set a record for spending by an outside group on a House election."
"A very bad sign for democracy that MAGA billionaires are spending this much money to shape our politics," the youth-led Sunrise Movementwrote in response to the new spending figures, referring to the Republican megadonors who have fueled spending by AIPAC-aligned groups.
Politico reported in June that AIPAC has been "the biggest source of Republican money flowing into competitive Democratic primaries this year."
Sludge pointed out Tuesday that billionaire Jan Koum, the former WhatsApp CEO who helped bankroll Nikki Haley's failed presidential bid, is the top donor to AIPAC's super PAC.
"Other UDP donors in recent months have included the following: David Messer, CEO of Freepoint Commodities, who gave another $250,000 on July 1; Martin Geller, CEO of financial firm Geller & Company, who gave an additional $268,000 on June 25; and Frank Blair, equity portfolio manager at Capital Group, who gave an additional $200,000 in May," Sludge reported.
While lamenting the outsized influence that UDP and other billionaire-funded groups are able to wield in the U.S. political system, some observers have argued that AIPAC's aggressive spending is a sign of desperation in the face of growing public opposition to Israel's mass atrocities in Gaza. A majority of Democratic voters view Israel's war on Gaza as genocide, according to one recent survey.
"Supporting Palestinian rights is becoming so popular among American voters that pro-genocide groups have to spend over $100 million to hold on," said Beth Miller, policy director at Jewish Voice for Peace.
From Your Site Articles
- US Election Sabotage Fears Grow After Ballot Boxes Set Aflame | Common Dreams ›
- Sanders Cheers New DNC Push to Curb Dark Money in Democratic Presidential Primaries | Common Dreams ›
- Progressive Group Supports Angela Gonzales-Torres' Primary Challenge to AIPAC-Backed Jimmy Gomez | Common Dreams ›
- 'Wow': Observers Surprised After Dem Moderate Rejects AIPAC Cash | Common Dreams ›
- Opinion | While Distancing from AIPAC, Most 2028 Democratic Hopefuls Are Still Embracing Israel | Common Dreams ›
- DNC Panel Rejects Resolution Condemning AIPAC's Spending on Elections | Common Dreams ›
- Opinion | AIPAC Is Wasting Its Money on Democrats (And That's a Good Thing) | Common Dreams ›
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a powerful lobbying group widely known as AIPAC, has officially spent more than $100 million in the 2024 election cycle so far, pouring staggering sums into Democratic primary races in an effort to unseat progressive opponents of Israel's war on the Gaza Strip.
Citing new Federal Election Commission filings, Sludge reported Tuesday that AIPAC's political action committee had spent $44.8 million as of the end of last month, mostly on donations to political campaigns and party organizations. The United Democracy Project (UDP), AIPAC's super PAC, has spent $55.4 million so far, bringing AIPAC's total spending this cycle to just over $100 million—surpassing its reported spending target for 2024 races.
AIPAC money has already made a significant impact, helping a pair of pro-Israel Democrats defeat progressive Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.)—two of Congress' most vocal critics of Israel's assault on Gaza—in recent primary contests.
"Supporting Palestinian rights is becoming so popular among American voters that pro-genocide groups have to spend over $100 million to hold on."
Sludge noted that UDP's financial support for Bowman's primary opponent, George Latimer, "set a record for spending by an outside group on a House election."
"A very bad sign for democracy that MAGA billionaires are spending this much money to shape our politics," the youth-led Sunrise Movementwrote in response to the new spending figures, referring to the Republican megadonors who have fueled spending by AIPAC-aligned groups.
Politico reported in June that AIPAC has been "the biggest source of Republican money flowing into competitive Democratic primaries this year."
Sludge pointed out Tuesday that billionaire Jan Koum, the former WhatsApp CEO who helped bankroll Nikki Haley's failed presidential bid, is the top donor to AIPAC's super PAC.
"Other UDP donors in recent months have included the following: David Messer, CEO of Freepoint Commodities, who gave another $250,000 on July 1; Martin Geller, CEO of financial firm Geller & Company, who gave an additional $268,000 on June 25; and Frank Blair, equity portfolio manager at Capital Group, who gave an additional $200,000 in May," Sludge reported.
While lamenting the outsized influence that UDP and other billionaire-funded groups are able to wield in the U.S. political system, some observers have argued that AIPAC's aggressive spending is a sign of desperation in the face of growing public opposition to Israel's mass atrocities in Gaza. A majority of Democratic voters view Israel's war on Gaza as genocide, according to one recent survey.
"Supporting Palestinian rights is becoming so popular among American voters that pro-genocide groups have to spend over $100 million to hold on," said Beth Miller, policy director at Jewish Voice for Peace.
From Your Site Articles
- US Election Sabotage Fears Grow After Ballot Boxes Set Aflame | Common Dreams ›
- Sanders Cheers New DNC Push to Curb Dark Money in Democratic Presidential Primaries | Common Dreams ›
- Progressive Group Supports Angela Gonzales-Torres' Primary Challenge to AIPAC-Backed Jimmy Gomez | Common Dreams ›
- 'Wow': Observers Surprised After Dem Moderate Rejects AIPAC Cash | Common Dreams ›
- Opinion | While Distancing from AIPAC, Most 2028 Democratic Hopefuls Are Still Embracing Israel | Common Dreams ›
- DNC Panel Rejects Resolution Condemning AIPAC's Spending on Elections | Common Dreams ›
- Opinion | AIPAC Is Wasting Its Money on Democrats (And That's a Good Thing) | Common Dreams ›
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.