A Pro-Biden group, operating under the blessing of the White House, plans to raise unlimited funds – and grant donors anonymity – as it prepares to promote and protect the president’s agenda from the outside.
Why it matters: By not hedging anonymous contributions, the group, called Building Back Together, will be able to fundraise more easily ahead of its expected launch next month to defend Biden’s policies, including its $ 1.9 trillion support package.
- “We will work with existing groups who are pursuing the same goals,” said a statement from the organization.
- “We also leave it to individual donors whether they release their donations publicly.”
- The group, which will be organized as a 501 (c) (4) nonprofit, will impose a number of fundraising limits: it will not accept contributions from corporations, registered lobbyists, or the oil and gas industry.
The big pictureThe external group is, in part, a facsimile of an earlier Democratic organization, The Common Purpose Project, which was founded by President Obama’s allies to coordinate the progressive movement early in Obama’s tenure.
- Building Back Together, however, differs from the Obama model in one crucial aspect: that group limits contributions to $ 50,000 and makes their names known.
- But President Trump’s allies did not adhere to those conventions when they founded their groups four years ago and raised unlimited money from anonymous donors.
- The Democrats took note.
- “We play by the rules of the current system and will adhere to the same standard as many other outside groups working to influence the direction of this country,” the statement said.
Go deeperThe White House has no operational control over the new group, which will do some paid media, both in digital and broadcast, as it tries to define the terms of the debate over Biden’s policies.
- “It has a very specific job and a very specific role and cannot do the work that the state parties are doing and cannot coordinate with the state parties,” Deputy White House Chief of Staff Jen O’Malley Dillon told me. the Wall Street Journal. month, which first reported on the group.
Between the lines: Building Back Together will be staffed by former Biden campaign workers and longtime Democratic strategists.
- Danielle Melfi, the state director of the Biden campaign in Wisconsin, becomes executive director.
- Stephanie Cutter, who co-founded Dillon Precision Strategies with O’Malley, has played a key role.
- Patrick Bonsignore, who led paid media for Biden, and Matt Barreto, one of Biden’s pollsters, will also be involved.
- Addisu Demissie, who helped establish the Democratic National Convention with Cutter, is also part of the team.
Be smartDemocrats are willing to stand criticism for dropping some of Obama’s transparency standards to ensure their party retains the White House.