AIPAC retreats from candidate endorsements and direct giving as political backlash grows
Pro-Israel group AIPAC will keep operating its United Democracy Project super PAC while mobilizing individual donors to give directly.
TL;DR
- AIPAC will stop endorsing candidates, making direct PAC contributions, and earmarking donations.
- The group will continue to operate its United Democracy Project super PAC.
- Emphasis will shift towards mobilizing individual donors to give directly to candidates.
- This change is a reversal of a strategy adopted in 2021.
- AIPAC support has become a political liability, especially in Democratic primaries, amid backlash over the war in Gaza.
- Direct donations from members would not carry the AIPAC label, potentially making influence harder to track.
- AIPAC deployed about $105.1 million through its traditional PAC and affiliated super PAC this cycle.
- United Democracy Project reported $53.4 million in independent expenditures through the end of September.