A media network promoting Democratic candidates and their agendas that runs new websites emerging in swing states received more than $1 million in support from a major liberal dark money in 2022, an election year half term
Messenger press room, a net of websites that appear to be local news but work to boost Democratic candidates received $1.2 million from New venture fund, Hopewell Fund and the Fund Sixteen Thirty, non-profit entities managed by Arabella Advisors. The Sixteen Thirty Fund is not required to disclose the source of its funding due to its 501(c)(4) nonprofit tax status, which makes some accuse the fund to operate as a dark money group.
New Venture Fund gave the network $940,000, Hopewell Fund gave it $100,000 and Sixteen Thirty Fund sent $125,000 to Courier Newsroom.
Courier Newsroom operates a network of websites that bill themselves as “local news” and publish positive stories about Democrats in nine states, seconds on your website. The group says it plans to launch new websites focused on New Hampshire and Texas soon.
UpNorthNewscovering Wisconsin and the Copper Courierfocused on Arizona, were among Courier Newsroom news operations that published articles targeting states holding high-profile elections in 2022.
Wisconsin was a key state in 2022, with vulnerable incumbent Republican Sen. Ron Johnson is running for re-election and competitive governor’s race on the ballot.
UpNorthNews published stories in 2022 rounding the alleged ways Democrats had helped Wisconsin under Biden, criticizing Republican efforts to cut taxes, accusing Republicans of being election denialists, attacking Senator Johnson and providing positive coverage for a liberal candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Arizona, where the Copper Courier focused its efforts, had similar electoral significance to Wisconsin in 2022. The races for governor’s mansion and one of the state Senate seats were considered competitive by pollsters.
The Copper Courier published articles and made publications in 2022 accusing the Republican candidate for Attorney General for being a conspiracy theorist, to promote Democrats running for state legislature i accusing a Republican candidate for the state house of being an election denier, among other things.
Some liberal outlets, like the daily beast i Jacobinhave published articles critical of the Courier Newsroom network.
“The media has fallen like a domino to the seduction of political partisanship,” Ryan Zickgraf wrote for Jacobin, a publication that describe as “a leading voice of the American left.”
Conservatives have also criticized Courier Newsroom.
Adam Laxalt, former Nevada Republican Attorney General and 2022 Republican Senate candidate he called the group “a fake news operation.”
Trump’s plans and rhetoric suggest a second term would represent one of the darkest chapters in American life, one that looks increasingly likely as polls show Trump in a neck-and-neck race with President Joe Biden.https://t.co/PxhYkXBrER
— The Copper Courier (@CopperCourier) November 15, 2023
The 2022 legislature was not the first election in which the Courier Newsroom was active.
Courier Newsroom paid digital ads to place articles published by its media operations on Facebook users’ news feeds ahead of the 2020 election, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
Tara McGowan, who founded Courier Newsroom in 2019, is a Democratic political operative. McGowan worked on Barack Obama’s re-election campaign, as press secretary for a Democratic senator, and has held positions in several liberal advocacy groups, seconds on his LinkedIn page.
Arabella’s dark money network was not the only major player to transfer funds to Courier Newsroom in 2022. George Soros’ philanthropic network, for example, has also funded the organization with millions of dollars.
Fund for Policy Reform, a group founded and financed by Soros, gave Courier Newsroom $2.5 million in 2022, the same as the $2.5 million it gave the group in 2021.
Courier Newsroom is ramping up its activities ahead of the 2024 election.
The group is expanding its network of newsletters, podcasts and video content, Semafor reported.
Courier Newsroom was not the only media operation to receive support from Arabella’s dark money network.
News Capital B“a black-led, local and national nonprofit news organization reporting from black communities across the country,” received $950,000 from the New Venture Fund and the Background of Barlovento in 2022, both managed by Arabella Advisors.
Newsroom of the States, a net of local news websites similar to Courier Newsroom, received $14,045 from the Hopewell Fund in 2022.
Rewire News Groupa pro-abortion news website, got $12,550 from the Hopewell Fund, while venture fund New Venture gave $125,000 to the 19th Newsa feminist exit.
Courier Newsroom, Sixteen Thirty Fund, New Venture Fund, Hopewell Fund and Arabella Advisors did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
All republished articles must include our logo, the name of our reporter and their affiliation with DCNF. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us [email protected].
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you’re sick of letting radical tech execs, bogus fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals, and the lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news, consider donating to BPR to help us fight back them. Now is the time. The truth has never been more critical!
Success! Thanks for donating. Please share BPR content to help fight lies.
We have zero tolerance for comments that contain violence, racism, profanity, profanity, doxing, or rude behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it, click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for engaging with us in a fruitful conversation.
English 
Español de Venezuela 