Missouri state auditor Nicole Galloway, a Democrat running against incumbent Gov. Mike Parson (R), is one of those candidates who denounces dark money in order to look principled, but actually has no qualms about accepting it when it benefits her.
As The Washington Free Beacon reported, Galloway has claimed she “hate[s] dark money with a passion” and “absolutely think[s] it’s wrong,” yet now has accepted an endorsement from a dark money group. Galloway announced during a May 8 call with supporters that 314 Action had endorsed her and pledged to spend millions on her campaign. 314 Action, the Free Beacon noted, “does not disclose donors for its nonprofit arm.”
“I will point out that I am endorsed by 314 Action, which is one of the leading organizations promoting science and data in policymaking,” Galloway said on the call. “I am proud of that endorsement.”
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The group operates as a “hybrid PAC,” which allows it to contribute directly to candidates, as well as spend unlimited amounts on advertisements. While the PAC is required to disclose donors, the group also employs a nonprofit arm that can partake in political spending without making such disclosures. The group aims to become the “EMILY’s List for scientists”—a pro-abortion hybrid PAC and major Democratic donor—and plans to spend at least $10 million in 2020 to support Democratic candidates. Josh Morrow, 314 Action’s executive director, told Scientific American in 2018 that the group planned to use its nonprofit arm to buy political ads, saying, “It’s about leveling the playing field.”Galloway’s praise for 314 Action is not the first time that her campaign’s actions have been at odds with her anti-dark money rhetoric. The Democrat criticized Parson for benefiting from a “dark money group” in March, pointing to a Parson-aligned PAC called Uniting Missouri, which is required to disclose donors. Galloway is backed by a similar PAC, Keep Government Accountable, which held nearly $940,000 on hand as of April 14, according to state records.
Further, 314 Action takes corporate money, including six figures from a New York-based digital currency exchange, the outlet reported.
This is a different tone from Galloway’s 2018 state auditor reelection campaign, the Free Beacon reported, during which Galloway publicly said she had “taken a stand against dark money from the very beginning.”
“I don’t want anything to do with dark money,” Galloway said at the time. “I think it is wrong. I don’t care where it comes from, I don’t care what side it is from, I have taken a stand against dark money from the very beginning because I absolutely think it’s wrong.”
Galloway began her campaign by accusing incumbent governor Parson of taking dark money, yet she is now proud to accept an endorsement and dark money from 314 Action.
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