Mysterious group with Elias ties funnels $2M to pro-Biden PAC

A mysterious and newly formed advocacy group linked to Democratic superlawyer Marc Elias funneled more than $2 million to the main super PAC supporting President Joe Biden‘s reelection in 2024, according to campaign finance disclosures.

The records were released on Monday and reveal that a nonprofit organization called Bright Future Fund gave the funds in April to Future Forward, a super PAC that is staffed by ex-White House officials and is spending large sums on advertisements to boost Biden ahead of his rematch against former President Donald Trump. Bright Future Fund was quietly incorporated in December of last year by partner Katherine LaBeau at Elias Law Firm under a section of the IRS code, 501(c)(4), that allows it to engage in political advocacy while not paying taxes and shielding its donors from the IRS, Washington, D.C., corporate records show

That Future Forward is being backed by a little-known entity such as Bright Future Fund is not an anomaly as far as political spending, though it underscores how anonymous donors are deeply fueling Biden’s reelection bid despite the president often criticizing so-called dark money. Biden has said dark money “erodes public trust.”

Future Forward receives most of its cash from the PAC’s affiliated 501(c)(4) nonprofit group, which is also under no obligation to report its donors to the IRS. The pro-Biden group has notably faced recent scrutiny from some legal experts over parts of its financial disclosures that appeared to be filed incorrectly.

It also appears, however, that Bright Future Fund is connected to a separate financial disclosure mishap.

According to a Federal Election Commission filing, a contributor listed under Bright Future Fund in February directed $2.6 million to Forward Majority Action, a PAC supporting Democratic candidates. However, the FEC filing listed Bright Future Fund as having an address corresponding to a Kansas City, Missouri-based 501(c)(3) charity called Bright Futures Fund that is affiliated with the Catholic Diocese, a Washington Examiner review of state records found.

Charities registered under that section of the IRS code, 501(c)(3), are required to be nonpartisan and cannot donate to political campaigns. Barb Deane, the Kansas City-based charity’s director of development, was unaware of the FEC filing discrepancy upon being reached by the Washington Examiner.

“We do not contribute to political organizations of any kind,” Deane said.

In a statement to the Washington Examiner, FEC spokeswoman Judith Ingram said committees, not the FEC, are responsible for obtaining and reporting the correct information on filings.

“They can always file an amended report to correct erroneous information,” Ingram said.

The Washington Examiner reached out for comment to Elias Law Firm and Forward Majority Action.

Beyond what is listed in corporate records filed in Washington, D.C., which says LaBeau incorporated Bright Future Fund, it is unclear who else is leading or funding the organization. No financial disclosures are available for Bright Future Fund, which listed its address at an office in the district that helps people form corporations.

A separate super PAC called Bright Future Fund is listed in FEC records with a mailing address in Maryland, but this organization confirmed to the Washington Examiner it is not the group that funded Future Forward.

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“We have no relationship and have made no contributions to Future Forward or really any other entity or organization,” Daniel Rubio, the treasurer for the Maryland-based group, told the Washington Examiner.

Future Forward did not return a request for comment.