Alaska’s elections are under attack. This attack is not from hackers or foreign agents, but from powerful, well-funded out-of-state groups that are using dark money and “bundling” to drown out Alaskan voices. To steal our elections.

These groups twist facts, hide their donors, and dump unlimited money into our politics to buy influence and push their own agendas. If we don’t act soon, we risk losing control of our elections and our state.

The flood began with Citizens United in 2010, when the U.S. Supreme Court decided outside groups could spend unlimited money as long as they weren’t “coordinating” with candidates. That decision’s been weaponized by groups like Alaskans for Posterity and the 907 Initiative, who now flood Alaskans’ inboxes, mailboxes, and airwaves with misleading ads, all while keeping their funders hidden.

But it’s not just the spending, it’s the bundling. These groups collect massive donations from across the country through intermediaries, hiding where the money really comes from. Then they bundle it all together and pass it off like it’s coming from just one source. It’s political money laundering, plain and simple, and it’s happening right under our noses.

We saw some of this in the Patrick v. Interior Voters case. Three Alaskans challenged illegal contributions to groups supporting former Senator John Coghill. The Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) brushed it aside, claiming Citizens United had tied their hands. But Judge William Morse disagreed. He ruled that Alaska contribution limits were still valid and that APOC had both the authority and responsibility to enforce them. Former Attorney General Dan Sullivan backed that view back in 2010.

Unfortunately, the Alaska Supreme Court overturned that ruling in 2021, siding with the big spenders. That decision made a bad situation worse, and once again exposed the liberal activism that’s crept into parts of our judicial system. Since then, dark money groups have only grown bolder by using consultants, bundlers, and shell groups to dodge disclosure laws and mislead Alaskans. They create division where none existed, driving a wedge between neighbors when we should be working together.

We must stop this. Here’s how:

1. Year-Round Disclosure – Right now, these groups operate in the shadows when it’s not an official campaign season; trying to manipulate votes in the legislature by emotional rhetoric fanning the flames of citizens with often false or misleading information. That’s ridiculous. If you’re sending political messages, running ads, or pushing issues year-round, you should have to disclose who you are, who’s funding you, and how much you’re spending, every single time. And your statements should have to be true.

2. Trace the Original Source of the Money – We need to shine a light on every dollar. That means tracing donations through every layer, shell companies, bundlers, PACs, and nonprofits. If you’re influencing Alaskan elections, we deserve to know your name and your agenda.

3. Expose the Bundlers – If someone is bundling over $5,000 in contributions, they should have to register with APOC and disclose the names of the donors they’re bundling for. No more hiding behind consultants or creative accounting. If money is coming from out of state, that needs to be front and center in every communication to voters.

4. Real Consequences for Violators – Right now, the maximum fine for nondisclosure is $1,000 a day. That’s nothing to these big-money groups. We need stronger penalties, immediate cease-and-desist powers for APOC, and a real-time, searchable online database so Alaskans can track every dollar spent in our elections. If you’re playing fair, you shouldn’t be afraid of sunlight.

5. Crack Down on Misleading Messaging – Groups like Alaskans for Posterity have already been caught copying legitimate conservative organizations to confuse voters. The 907 Initiative spreads false claims all year long. Enough is enough. We need truth-in-advertising laws that allow for public corrections, fines, and mandatory disclosures of who is really behind these messages. Washington State already does this, Alaska should too.

6. Limit Out-of-State Influence – If a group gets more than 30% of its funding from out of state, that needs to be disclosed, clearly and prominently. And if any foreign money is making its way into our elections, directly or indirectly, it must be stopped immediately. Our elections are for Alaskans, not outsiders with an agenda.

7. Fund APOC and Protect Whistleblowers – APOC needs the tools and staff to do its job. Let’s give them the budget they need, and if necessary, set up an independent, bipartisan commission to oversee campaign finance enforcement and check the veracity of ads and campaigns published by wealth Independent Expenditure groups. We also need to protect whistleblowers, people who come forward with evidence of bundling or illegal donations should be protected, not punished.

The Bottom Line

We can’t overturn Citizens United from Juneau. But that ruling didn’t say we had to roll over. It said we can’t cap spending, but we can demand transparency. We can hold people accountable. We can call out the lies and mischaracterizations. And we can protect our elections from outside manipulation.

This isn’t about partisan politics at all, it’s about protecting the integrity of our elections and making sure Alaska’s future is decided by Alaskans, not anonymous donors or political operatives in Denver, L.A., D.C. or New York.

We deserve a system that’s honest, transparent, and accountable. We deserve clean elections. And we deserve a government that answers to us, not to moneyed interests hiding in the shadows.

It’s time to shine the light. It’s time to fight back. And it’s time to take our elections back from the shadows. Let’s get to work.

Originally published on Substack: https://kevinjmccabe.substack.com/p/protecting-alaska-from-dark-money