Co-founder @Sludge / member of Flaming Hydra coop / participatory politics / davidrussellmoore.52 on Signal
Brooklyn, NY
Joined December 2009
- Tweets46.4K
- Following8.4K
- Followers9.8K
- Likes22.2K
AIPAC is ending its earmarked PAC contributions—and telling its donors to give directly to candidates (while continuing pouring money via super PAC).
Sludge covers the AIPAC donors behind its lobbying agenda, pushing for billions in unconditional aid to Israel. We followed it:
This work—of identifying trends in AIPAC donor giving in FEC data, of finding new donation portals without AIPAC's branding, of tracking its vendors—is supported by our readers, who subscribe with $100 a year.
Help keep us covering AIPAC's contributions:
readsludge.com/membership/
New Dems (@NewDemCoalition) are grabbing corporate cash, and having staffers fly to meetings with companies like Amazon and Oracle, through fundraiser Helen Milby's network. Wonder who they'll be listening to next year.
readsludge.com/2026/10/21/th…
David Moore retweeted
AIPAC announced Wednesday it will shutter its PAC and shift to a less transparent way of steering money to Congress.
Its members will no longer route contributions through AIPAC PAC, which disclosed AIPAC as the conduit to the FEC, and are being urged to give directly instead.
AIPAC will send $9 million to Republican Rep. Mike Rogers' super PAC in #MISen, per just-out NYT.
Democratic Party pollsters John Anzalone @JohnAnzo, Global Strategy Group @GSG, and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner @GQRResearch get paid by AIPAC's super PAC.
readsludge.com/2026/10/12/th…
AIPAC's PAC will no longer make endorsements or earmark direct contributions to candidates, per just-out Jewish Insider article.
Its PAC had funneled millions in hard dollars to the lawmakers who voted for tens of billions in unconditional aid to Israel:
readsludge.com/2026/08/22/he…
AIPAC's super PAC will still spend in elections, per Jewish Insider.
UDP was by far the top spender in Dem federal primaries this cycle, putting tens of millions into races on that side of the aisle. The #MISen primary set records for super PAC spending.
readsludge.com/2026/08/03/ai…
Robert Rubin, in a NYT op-ed, worries that Trump might have federal agents interfere even further with the midterm elections.
Not a problem for the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus @ProbSolveCaucus, backed by No Labels! They kept six election objectors:
thebrick.house/election-deni…
Corporate PACs are stuffing the campaigns of the business-favoring New Dems—and getting face-time through fundraiser Helen Milby's nonprofits.
They'll be voting on tech, AI, and data center regulations over the next two years. Are they listening to you?
readsludge.com/2026/10/21/th…
What's going to happen in the next House on AI regulation, tech platforms, data centers?
Through New Democrat fundraiser Helen Milby, large corporations have direct access to business-favoring Democrats.
Report on how she links Amazon etc. w/ lawmakers:
readsludge.com/2026/10/21/th…
If you wonder why House Dems don't challenge corporate power, look to Helen Milby's fundraising for @NewDemCoalition.
She's also an adviser to tech industry lobby Chamber of Progress @ProgressChamber.
In 2021, New Dems balked on tech antitrust bills:
readsludge.com/2021/06/29/bi…
Do Dems support the party's signature drug pricing reforms? Not necessarily, if they're New Dems!
In September 2021, three New Dems—Reps. Kathleen Rice, Scott Peters, and Kurt Schrader—voted against the major H.R. 3 in House Energy & Commerce Committee.
readsludge.com/2021/09/28/de…
Big Tech lobby ITI, @ITI_TechTweets, put out a release on Sept. 30 cheering permitting reform.
ITI flew congressional aides, including those on House Dems' AI task force, to Austin for pretty-fancy meetings with tech executives. Must have been appealing!
readsludge.com/2026/06/10/st…
Kleiner Perkins chair John Doerr, who has pushed against tough AI regulations, formed a nonprofit to donate millions to Schumer and Jeffries' dark money groups. His firm then announced a $3.5 billion fund expanding investment in AI firms and startups.
readsludge.com/2026/10/20/te…
Mainstream Democrats also uses the Bonner Group for fundraising, as does DMFI. It was seeded by billionaire Reid Hoffman.
Its top donors are Deborah Simon (billionaire pro-Israel donor) and the Schusterman family (oil & gas fortune, pro-Israel donor).
readsludge.com/2026/10/12/th…
Dem prez hopefuls could be asked about the issues of concern to the Mandels.
-Should congressional Dems support AI legislation that preempts state laws?
-Should Democratic primaries be flooded with dark money networks from billionaires & corporations?
theconnector.substack.com/p/…
Maybe Reps. Tom Suozzi @RepTomSuozzi and Brian Fitzpatrick @RepBrianFitz, co-chairs of the Problem Solvers Caucus @ProbSolveCaucus, could ask Rep. Dave Joyce @RepDaveJoyce (R, #OH14)—
If he has anything to say about Vivek Ramaswamy's attack ad using Amy Acton's estranged mother.
For decades, the corporate Dem wing has showered dark money on centrists and moderates who block efforts to take on corporate power:
-Third Way, funded by financiers
-No Labels, funded by financiers & GOP billionaires
-Fix the Debt, tied to corporations
readsludge.com/2021/09/28/de…
Rep. Grace Napolitano @gracenapolitano of #CA31 should send a text of congrats to her former legislative assistant Roger Murry, at Akin Gump @akin_gump—he now lobbies for SpaceX on space launches and AI!
He's a DCCC and Rep. Don Davis donor too, so maybe some Musk dough coming??
Some news in here: VC billionaire John Doerr's nonprofit gave $1 million last year to American Opportunity Action, a new Dem dark money hub formed by Gov. Kathy Hochul's campaign manager, Preston Elliott.
Doerr's lobby TechNet is pushing data centers; Hochul signed 1-year pause.
Doerr's nonprofit also gave to a dark money group of the DGA @DemGovs.
So who knows if the billionaire AI investor gave Hochul's groups millions in 2025.
American Opportunity Action's spokesperson Christina Reynolds did not respond to our inquiry.
readsludge.com/2026/10/20/te…
What are Dems thinking on AI next Congress?
Rep. Ted Lieu is a co-chair of House Dems' AI task force, involved in bipartisan bills on regulation.
His legislative director took a junket to Austin in May, paid for by industry lobby ITI @ITI_TechTweets.
readsludge.com/2026/06/10/st…