Sanders and Allies Urge Democrats to Reject Big Donor Influence in Primaries
Senator Bernie Sanders and seven Democratic senators are urging party leaders to ban super PAC and dark money spending in Democratic primaries, calling it a necessary step to restore voter trust and reduce the outsized influence of billionaires like Elon Musk. In a letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and DNC Chair Ken Martin, the group criticized the current system as corrupt and highlighted how right-wing super PACs have targeted and defeated progressive candidates such as Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush. They acknowledged that overturning the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision will be difficult while Democrats are in the minority but stressed the need for immediate party-led reforms.
The senators’ push aligns with Sanders’s broader “Fighting Oligarchy” campaign, which aims to build a populist, working-class movement to counter the influence of Trump and wealthy donors. Sanders remains a popular figure despite Democratic Party struggles and is actively recruiting candidates across the country, including in red states. The effort also reflects internal Democratic frustration with leadership, particularly after Schumer and others backed Republican spending bills. While some DNC leadership candidates support limiting super PACs in theory, they doubt the party’s current ability to enforce such a ban.
Original Article
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/06/17/sanders-democrats-billionaire-donors/
