Despite a history of decrying dark money, Harris is now reaping the rewards of big, secret political donations.
By Helen Santoro, The Lever
As a junior Democratic senator in 2019, Vice President Kamala Harris took direct aim at dark money, co-sponsoring election reforms that would have revealed the identities of the megadonors behind these secretive efforts to sway elections.

“It does not represent justice in America when dark money is fueling elections and when the few who have the greatest amount of wealth behind a veil without even presenting themselves or their names, manipulate and fuel the election process,” she said in a speech at the time. “We’ve got to take that money out of politics.”
But now, as her presidential campaign benefits from millions in contributions from secret donors — including a whopping $20 million donation from Democrat’s main dark-money group a week after she became the party’s presumed nominee — what is Harris saying about untraceable political spending?
So far this election cycle, not much.
During last week’s presidential debate, Harris and former President Donald Trump discussed hot-button topics including the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the war in Ukraine — but said nothing about the concealed political donations that have aided both presidential campaigns.
Behind the scenes, political committees supporting Democratic candidates have reported more than $100 million in dark-money contributions this election season, while committees supporting Republicans have reported similar amounts. According to OpenSecrets, which tracks campaign finance and lobbying data, dark-money groups are on track to contribute more money to this election than ever before.
Recent Posts
‘I’m Terrified I’ll Die’: Bernie Sanders Unveils Report On Healthcare Devastation Looming For American Families
October 9, 2025
Take Action Now The Sanders report concludes by not only vowing to reverse the Republican healthcare cuts, but to “work to end the international…
Can The Trump-Netanyahu Gaza Plan Deliver A Durable Political Settlement?
October 9, 2025
Take Action Now The Trump–Netanyahu Gaza Plan, presented on 29 September 2025, promises humanitarian relief, Israeli withdrawal, and Gaza’s…
The Corporate War On Free Speech, A Zero Hour Conversation With Jeff Cohen
October 8, 2025
Take Action Now Jeff Cohen discusses the way right-wing moguls from Larry Ellison to Mark Zuckerberg are reshaping both traditional and social media,…
Are You Being Lied To? Is Portland “War-Ravaged”?
October 8, 2025
Take Action Now At one point, Trump himself questioned what was going on, asking, “Am I watching things on television that are different from what’s…