The supposedly “non-partisan” climate group called “Science Moms” looks like a Dem dark money operation

According to the Washington Examiner, an organization spending millions on swing ads ahead of the November election is calling itself “nonpartisan” despite extensive ties to a major Democratic-aligned dark money network.

Science Moms, which bills itself as a “nonpartisan group of scientists” working to fight climate change, has a parent organization that is heavily funded by the Windward Fund, a grant-making organization in a sprawling multibillion-dollar network of non-profit organizations. for-profit aligned with the Democratic Party and managed by the for-profit consultancy Arabella Advisors, the Examiner reported. The $2.5 million ad campaign funded by Science Moms will target the states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina and Georgia. seconds in Scientific American.

“If you knew this was your last and best chance to protect all the places you love, what would you do?” narrator of the ad question. The ad is titled “Climate change is taking over the places we love.”

Although Science Moms presented a nonpartisan, grassroots image, it began life as part of Arabella Advisors' dark money network. Science Moms is party from a larger group called the Potential Energy Coalition (PEC) which, until October 2020, was a fiscally sponsored project of the Windward Fund, according to the Examiner.

Tax sponsorship is a tax arrangement that allows an established nonprofit organization, such as the Windward Fund, to process tax-deductible donations for an allied group without that organization having to register with the Internal Revenue Service. seconds to the American Bar Association. Often these projects are not legal entities other than the organization providing sponsorship services.

Arabella network spent nearly $1 billion in 2022, with much of that going to causes aimed at bolstering Democrats, according to tax forms. Among the hundreds of millions of dollars Arabella-run nonprofits injected into liberal groups in 2022 was a more than $13 million grant to PEC from the Windward Fund, tax forms. show.

The Windward Fund delivered an additional $4.5 million to PEC in 2021, seconds on tax returns.

PEC describes itself as “an innovative, fast-growing startup bringing the world's best marketing talent to bear on the climate challenge” by “leveraging deep analytics and creative storytelling.” seconds on the group's LinkedIn page.

PEC, and by extension Science Moms, have deeper connections to the Arabella Network than previous funding and sponsorships, as PEC disclosed in 2020 that its secretary and board chair were employed by the Windward Fund, reported the examiner Windward also paid PEC approximately $2 million between 2020 and 2021 for the “independent contractor” work.

“Any group with ties to Arabella Advisors is not a grassroots organization,” Republican strategist Alec Sears told the Examiner. “Dark money ad buys in swing states are a strategy designed solely to advance the political agenda of the billionaires behind Arabella and their funds.”

The Windward Fund has spent hundreds of millions of dollars promoting left-of-center environmental causes, organizations seeking to expand abortion access and anti-Trump groups. seconds on Influence Watch. The Soros family's Open Society Foundations have also given millions to the Windward Fund, seconds in their grant database.

PEC, Science Moms and the Windward Fund did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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