AIPAC, crypto and AI spend big in Illinois house races
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Large PACs spent more than $18 million on four Illinois congressional races last month, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
Why it matters: Spending by special interest groups dwarfs that of individual donors and underscores the nationalization of congressional elections, whose focus is drifting away from local issues.
Zoom in: Many of the PACs bear names like Elect Chicago Women or Think Big that don't reflect their backers, including the pro-Israel lobbying group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), crypto firms and artificial intelligence industry groups.
- While some PACs use their money to support candidates, others apply it to attack ads against candidates they deem unfriendly to their interests.
Of note: Axios left a message for Sean Mulka, listed as treasurer of Stronger Illinois, to inquire about its donors but did not hear back by press time.
Props to Chicago political consultant Frank Calabrese for crunching these numbers, which were double-checked against Federal Election Commission data by Axios.