Election 2018

Sheldon Adelson Opens the Floodgates

Aug 31, 2016

Mega-donors have already bankrolled the highest levels of outside political spending in recorded history. This weekend, another billionaire opened his wallet for Republicans. Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who with his wife contributed over $100 million to help Republican candidates in 2012, has made his first reported large donation of the year. Two Republican operatives told The Guardian that Adelson has donated $10 million to One Nation, a Republican dark money group.

In 2012, Adelson was active in the Republican presidential primaries, and his largesse single-handedly kept Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign afloat. This May, The New York Times reported that Adelson had pledged over $100 million to help Donald Trump. However, none of Adelson’s spending had been confirmed until this donation, and it remains unclear how he will split his cash between Trump and congressional Republicans.

Politico once called Adelson “the dominant pioneer of the Super PAC era.” In line with this evaluation, his 2012 donations helped Gingrich, Mitt Romney, and other Republican candidates via Super PACs – which are required to disclose their donors. However, as a “social welfare” nonprofit, One Nation is not required to similarly disclose its donors.

How much is Adelson spending in dark money? Until Congress passes comprehensive campaign finance reform requiring disclosure, we won’t know. And until the disastrous Citizens United decision is overturned, billionaires like him will be able to spend unlimited money to try to buy our elections.