Will the Revolution Be Monetized? Bernie Sanders' 'Dark Money' Org

[lapucelle]

2. Bernie Sanders's new political group won't have to disclose its donors

Our Revolution’s launch has been rocky. The New York Times reported that eight of the initial staff of 15 have resigned following the appointment of Jeff Weaver, who was in charge of Sanders’ presidential campaign, to run the group. The former organizing director, Claire Sandberg, specifically cited her fear that the group would “betray its core purpose by accepting money from billionaires and not remaining grassroots-funded and plowing that billionaire cash into TV instead of investing it in building a genuine movement.”

Weaver has pushed back against concerns that they would rely on wealthy donors, telling The Washington Post, “There’s no reaching out to the Koch Brothers or ExxonMobil. The truth of the matter is we’re going to rely primarily on small donations.”

But without releasing the identities of contributors, it’s hard for the public to know whether that really is true. A group that decries the influence of money in politics should know that donor disclosure matters. Even as a 501(c)(4), Our Revolution could set an example for other nonprofits that spend on elections and choose to reveal this crucial information. Without doing that, it’s just another dark money group.

https://sunlightfoundation.com/2016/08/26/bernie-sanderss-new-political-group-wont-have-to-disclose-its-donors/