Trump and Democratic politicians keep coordinating with super PACs and other supposedly independent groups, study finds

The campaigns of Republican and Democratic politicians frequently have worked in tandem with super PACs and other big-money organizations that are legally required to be independent from the candidates, says a report released Tuesday by nonpartisan reform group Issue One.

“We’ve seen a proliferation of political operatives, on both sides of the aisle, trying to outsource traditional campaign activities to super PACs and dark-money groups that can accept unlimited contributions from individuals, labor unions and corporations,” said Michael Beckel, Issue One’s research director.

“Our country’s anti-corruption laws are left in shambles when big money flows into super PACs and dark-money groups that find ways to evade the anti-coordination rules on the books,” he added.

A super PAC is an independent political action committee that aims to influence an election but isn’t supposed to contribute directly to a candidate or coordinate with him or her. Dark money refers to election-related spending by groups that don’t disclose their donors, and it has become a growing force following the 2010 Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that struck down a ban on political spending by corporations.