VIRGINIA, USA — We're digging into the money behind the political ads you're seeing on TV, particularly in the 2nd Congressional District race between Representative Jen Kiggans and Missy Cotter Smasal.
The Cotter Smasal campaign sent out a fundraising email Monday that said in part: "Right now, dark-money groups are blanketing VA-02 in ads to prop up their MAGA rubber stamp and keep this district red."
So, is that true? Let's Verify.
Our source is the Virginia Public Access Project.
VPAP shows the two sides have spent close to $10 million on advertising for this one race in recent months.
Cotter Smasal has spent $1.2 million of her campaign money on ads, while Kiggans has spent about a million more.
But a closer look at the numbers shows most of the ad spending is not coming from the campaigns themselves, but rather, from various or political action committees (PACs).
And according to VPAP, there's another $6 million in "Independent Expenditures" flowing into Virginia's 2nd Congressional District.
VPAP defines that as outside money spent on ads without coordination with any campaign -- to advocate for the election or defeat of a specific candidate. These are often attack ads.
Some of the Pro-Cotter Smasal ads have been funded by the House Majority PAC, the League of Conservation Voters, and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network Action Fund.
On the other side, some of the Pro-Kiggans ads have been funded by the Congressional Leadership Fund, Americans for Prosperity, American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Separate Segregated Fund, National Association of Realtors, Better Access to Chiropractic PAC, and the National Rifle Association.
About $1 million in independent expenditures has been spent on pro-Kiggans ads, which is almost double the amount spent on pro-Cotter Smasal ads.
So, we can verify, yes, dark-money groups are blanketing VA-02 in ads. But that cash is benefitting both campaigns.
You can follow the money for yourself by researching this race on VPAP.
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