Exclusive: Big money funds attack ads in D.C. mayor's race

• Both frontrunners — Lewis George as a democratic socialist, Kenyan McDuffie as a more moderate democrat — are getting a boost from outside groups in D.C.'s most competitive mayoral contest in over a decade.

State of play: Here comes the dark money.

• A new group called A United DC Research Council is spending six figures on a TV and digital ad attacking Lewis George for floating a new business tax that would help fund child care coverage.
• "Tell Janeese Lewis George, stop making life more expensive," the commercial says.
• "Our interests are reinvigorating the District's economy," Aaron Carr, a D.C. political operative who serves as the group's chairman, tells Axios. "Our supporters come from all walks of life. We are not funded by any particular groups or industries."

Between the lines: The newly formed advocacy group doesn't have to publicly disclose its donors. Such nonprofit entities can act as passthroughs to fund super PACs, hiding the source of money that fuels political messaging.

• Carr says the group is on track to raise at least $1 million.

The other side: The left is firing up their own super PACs — labor unions just launched Safe & Affordable DC.

• It delivered mailers last week touting Lewis George's union backing: "We need a new approach to lower costs, keep us safe and stand up to Trump."

• Safe & Affordable DC says its top funders include national labor groups, like the "Workers Vote" super PAC, which spent over $3 million since last year.

What's ahead: Even though the District tried to squeeze out the influence of big money in politics (see: the advent of small-donor, publicly financed campaigns) super PACs are proliferating — and can take checks from anyone, no limits.

• Pro-business organization Opportunity D.C. likewise has a dark-money arm and a super PAC entity — and observers expect it to oppose Lewis George's candidacy.

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