Dark money group offers influencers cash to trash Illinois Democrat: report

A dark money group offered at least two social media influencers $1,500 apiece for a single negative social media post about progressive Illinois Democrat candidate Kat Abughazaleh.

Abughazaleh is running against 15 other Democrats in their primary for the chance to replace retiring Representative Jan Schakowsky in Illinois’s 9th congressional district.

MS Now reports TikTok and Instagram influencer Amanda Informed was among those approached with the offer. The dark money group, Democracy Unmuted, requested an anti-Abughazaleh post. She declined and reported the approach to the media.

The memo sent to Amanda from Democracy Unmuted asked influencers to “encourage voters to look past viral personalities and ask real questions about who is running and why.” They disparaged the candidate as being from a wealthy family who doesn’t know her district.

“Kat’s campaign appears designed for attention rather than impact,” it stated.

Amanda Informed said she turned it down because of the source’s anonymity.

“The money didn’t feel right coming from someone who’s not disclosing where the money is coming from,” Amanda Informed told MS NOW. “That’s not something that I want to be involved in. I want to make sure that it’s coming from a source that is not doing nefarious things like interfering with elections.”

However, others may not have turned down the bounty. A Missouri political influencer named Justin Kralemann, known as “The Woke Ginger” on social media, read Democracy Unmuted’s anti-Abughazaleh talking points word for word in a recent Instagram and TikTok post, MS Now reports.

He mispronounced Abughazaleh’s name, but later denied being paid for the video blast.

Democracy Unmuted just registered its website two weeks ago. It is reportedly a group of “individuals from the [Illinois] area who have served in the highest offices and been at top of their game in the media,” said Matt Anthes, founder of the digital political advocacy firm Advocators, to MS NOW.

Anthes was the facilitator of the dark money offer, but he refused to reveal details of just who is behind the group. “We don’t comment on or disclose the identity of our clients. What we can tell you is that all of our dealings and practices are fully compliant with FEC rules and regulations, including those at our creative agency partner, Upstart Factory.”

Abigail Bellows, senior policy director of anti-corruption at Common Cause, said weak campaign finance laws have made such social media attempts possible and completely legal.

“Dark money groups have grown to exercise tremendous influence.… With a lot of these competitive races, these groups can spring up overnight,” Bellows said to MS-NOW. “These dark money groups use these shadowy vehicles for political participation that really undercuts voters.… It just breeds distrust.”

Abughazaleh’s campaign has called the claims defamatory.

“We have become aware of a coordinated influencer campaign attacking Kat Abughazaleh that appears to be funded through opaque entities exploiting loopholes in federal election law. The materials being circulated are filled with false and defamatory claims about Kat’s background and campaign,” the campaign statement read. “At a minimum, this raises serious questions about transparency and whether voters in Illinois’ 9th District are being targeted by undisclosed money and potentially foreign-linked actors across social media platforms.”