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Monday, November 7, 2016

New York Dark Money, Pro-Charter Group pours another $15,000 into Connecticut legislative races - Wait What?

New York Dark Money, Pro-Charter Group pours another $15,000 into Connecticut legislative races - Wait What?:

New York Dark Money, Pro-Charter Group pours another $15,000 into Connecticut legislative races

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Called the Real Reform Now Network, a New York based charter school front group, that won’t reveal the names of its donors, is expanding its effort to convince Connecticut voters to vote for pro-charter school candidates in this year’s general election.
Connected to the Northeast Charter School Network, the Real Reform Now Network pumped another $15,000 into Charters Care late last week.  Charters Care is a political action committee that is also tied to the Northeast Charter School Network.
In their latest filing, the PAC reports that their expenditures continue to be made in support of State Senator Steve Cassano (D-Manchester).
As noted in an earlier Wait, What? post, the Center for Responsive Politics defines Dark Money organizations in the following way;
Politically active nonprofits – principally 501(c) (4) s and 501(c) (6) s – have become a major force in federal elections over the last three cycles. The term “dark money” is often applied to this category of political spender because these groups do not have to disclose the sources of their funding – though a minority do disclose some or all of their donors, by choice or in response to specific circumstances.
These organizations can receive unlimited corporate, individual, or union contributions that they do not have to make public, and though their political activity is supposed to be limited, the IRS – which has jurisdiction over these groups – by and large has done little to enforce those limits.
New York Dark Money, Pro-Charter Group pours another $15,000 into Connecticut legislative races - Wait What?: