{"id":3004,"date":"2026-08-26T09:38:43","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T09:38:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=3004"},"modified":"2026-08-26T09:38:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T09:38:43","slug":"how-corporate-pac-money-gets-to-democrats-who-swore-it-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=3004","title":{"rendered":"How Corporate PAC Money Gets to Democrats Who Swore It Off"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Democratic candidates\u2019 call to get money out of politics is a central theme in the 2026 midterms, with dozens of Democratic incumbents and candidates pledging to reject donations from corporate political action committees.<\/p>

Read more Democrats Embrace \u2018Redboxing\u2019 Loophole in Hot Congressional Races<\/a><\/p>

But there\u2019s a workaround that is enabling the flow of money from business interests into the campaign accounts of many Democrats who otherwise reject cash from corporate PACs.<\/p>\n

Candidates, particularly those in the most competitive races, are relying on contributions from Democratic leadership PACs \u2014 groups formed by federal lawmakers to boost their party\u2019s congressional candidates. And many of those leadership PACs receive significant donations from corporate PACs.<\/p>

Daniel Lobo-Lewis, a co-founder of the Political Integrity Project, which grades candidates based on their financial transparency and anti-corruption commitments, told NOTUS the practice is \u201can issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

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    \u201cNo American voter, if you ask them, \u2018Do you want corporations to be able to give money, have more power?\u2019 will say yes,\u201d Lobo-Lewis said. \u201cThat extends to leadership PACs in the same way\u201d as corporate PACs.<\/p>

    Political entities established by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar are among the committees that have donated to \u201cno corporate PAC money\u201d candidates while receiving donations from corporations such as banking giant Barclays, pharmacy chain CVS and insurance company UnitedHealthcare this year. Jeffries, Clark and Aguilar did not respond to requests for comment from NOTUS.<\/p>

    One Democratic political operative who has worked on campaigns that chose to reject corporate PAC money, and who requested anonymity to discuss the decision-making process, said it\u2019s actually relatively easy for Democratic challengers to reject corporate money.<\/p>

    \u201cVery few corporate PACs are going to want to give money to a Democrat running either against a Republican [incumbent] or in an open seat to begin with, so not taking corporate PAC money should be an easy choice for Democratic challengers in any cycle,\u201d the operative told NOTUS.<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s harder to forgo leadership PAC contributions, the operative said, which can help candidates build support within the Democratic caucus and get to know their potential future colleagues.<\/p>

    Cait Conley, who is challenging Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in a New York district the Cook Political Report has deemed a \u201ctoss-up,\u201d<\/u><\/span> is one of the candidates who pledged not to accept corporate PAC money.<\/p>

    But nearly half of the contributions that Conley received from federal PACs came from committees that took corporate PAC money. Conley received $5,000 from the Jobs, Education and Families First PAC (JEFF PAC), which is tied to Jeffries, and another $5,000 from the New Democrat Coalition Action Fund, for example.<\/p>

    Both of those committees took contributions from corporations, including from defense companies such as Honeywell International and Lockheed Martin. Conley, who spent 16 years as an active-duty Army officer and later worked for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, has made national security a major part of her campaign messaging.<\/p>

    Conley\u2019s campaign did not respond to a request for comment from NOTUS.<\/p>

    Rebecca Bennett, who is challenging Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-New Jersey) in another \u201ctoss-up\u201d district, has also vowed not to accept corporate donations.<\/p>\n

    Federal filings show Bennett nonetheless took $5,000 from JEFF PAC and another $1,000 from BEEPAC, along with other leadership PAC donations. Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, created BEEPAC and has accepted contributions from those defense companies and others such as RTX Corporation.<\/p>

    Bennett has similarly spotlighted her experience as a Navy veteran and has pledged to help improve the Defense Department\u2019s technology development to ensure service members \u201chave the equipment and capabilities they need\u201d if she is elected to Congress.<\/p>

    Bennett\u2019s campaign did not respond to a request for comment from NOTUS.<\/p>

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