24 DAILY NEWS – The Michigan Senate primary intensified earlier this month when a shadowy group, the Center for Democratic Priorities, invested $5 million in television ads supporting Haley Stevens, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) favored candidate in the Democratic race.
The organization, which lacks a history in Michigan politics and was incorporated in Delaware just seven months ago, quickly drew scrutiny from online investigators. These sleuths revealed that the group had retained the same consulting firm used by the super PAC associated with AIPAC for its ad purchases. This spurred speculation about the potential involvement of the pro-Israel lobby or its affiliated super PAC, despite AIPAC’s denial of financing the advertisements. Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulations mean that Michigan voters may remain unaware of the funding source for these ads for several months.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, special interest groups have increasingly exploited legal loopholes to inject undisclosed financial resources into elections. Super
