A leftist nonprofit organization was reportedly involved in efforts to fund deceptive ad campaigns aimed at suppressing Republican voters by persuading them not to use mail-in voting.
The Global Impact Social Welfare Fund purports to support “philanthropic fund processing and distribution for social impact” by “building partnerships and delivering resources for education and advocacy, addressing public policy issues,” according to its website.
The organization is reportedly a “dark money” outfit that funds and supports various left-leaning causes and politicians, The Washington Free Beacon reported.
Global Impact Social Welfare Fund, a little-known dark money group, gave $50,000 to PA Values on June 14, according to Federal Election Commission records. Two days after the donation, PA Values paid $48,000 for an ad that urges "MAGA PATRIOTS" to "stand strong WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP" against mail-in voting. Trump was skeptical of mail-in and absentee voting in the 2020 election, but has since encouraged supporters to vote by those methods in order to "beat the Democrats."
The ad has stoked blowback, as well as speculation about the origin of the cash behind it. PA Values received contributions several years ago from labor unions and the law firm of Sen. Bob Casey’s (D., Pa.) brother. But it entered this election cycle with an empty bank account, up until the donation from Global Impact Social Welfare Fund. The Trump campaign accused PA Values of election interference over the advertisement, and called for law enforcement to investigate the matter. A liberal election law professor writing at Slate called the ad "borderline criminal" and castigated PA Values for its "trickery and voter suppression."
The Global Impact Social Welfare Fund’s involvement could stoke further outrage from the left, given the group’s lofty mission statement to "empower social impact" in areas such as the environment, justice reform, racial and gender equity, and "voter rights." The organization is a subsidiary of Global Impact, a "philanthropy adviser" that operates the website Charity.org.
The organization focuses on issues such as climate, justice reform, voting rights, and racial and gender equality.
The group conceals the identity of its donors. Its 501(c)(4) status allows its donors to receive tax breaks.
The financial shell game means the donor whose money went into the Pennsylvania ad may have enjoyed a tax break. That’s because contributions to Global Impact, a 501(c)(3), are tax deductible while contributions to Global Impact Social Welfare Fund, a 501(c)(4), are not.
Global Impact Social Welfare Fund is most likely aware of how its contribution was used by PA Values. The group says in its tax filings that it requires grantees to sign an agreement "that outlines the amount, purpose, and type of support" for each grant. A spokesman for Global Impact Social Welfare Fund said the organization "boosts the philanthropic sector’s power to play its part in addressing today’s humanitarian crises." The spokesman declined to identify its donor for the PA Values ad.
The Global Impact Social Welfare Fund has donated to many different progressive advocacy organizations over the years, including Open Democracy PAC. Marc Elias, the attorney who commissioned the Steele dossier for the Clinton campaign in 2016, is an advisory board member for the group.
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