Jayapal and Morales Issue Joint Call for Transparency on Dark Money Spending

May

2024

PRESS RELEASE

Jayapal and Morales Issue Joint Call for Transparency on Dark Money Spending

As MAGA Donors Interfere in Democratic Primaries, Dexter Must Reveal Donors Propping Up Her Campaign

Portland and Gresham, OR - Today, candidates for Congress and former Commissioner Susheela Jayapal and Councilor Eddy Morales joined together to reiterate calls for transparency in efforts to affect the outcome of the Democratic primary in Oregon’s Third Congressional District.

314 Action, a dark money Super PAC, has already spent more than $1.6 million in this primary - by far the largest spender in this race, its largest investment in a primary to date, and one of the largest investments by the group, ever.

“Maxine Dexter claims to be for transparency in politics, but she and 314 Action are engaged in a dishonest and cynical ploy to obscure the donors propping up her campaign until just one day before the primary. At a time when MAGA Republican mega-donors are interfering in Democratic primaries across the country, particularly against qualified candidates of color, voters deserve to know who is trying to buy this seat for a centrist candidate who doesn’t even live in the district. Some of these are the very same donors pushing anti-choice and election-denier politicians across the country,” said candidates Eddy Morales and Susheela Jayapal.

“We should all be united behind the need for clean and transparent elections and should decry the use of MAGA money in a Democratic primary. Maxine Dexter should immediately call on her dark money backers to disclose their donors for April so voters can make an informed choice, and to cease spending on her behalf until they do so.”

Key details to know regarding 314’s spending in Oregon’s 3rd Congressional district.

As a PAC, 314 Action most recently held cash on hand of $1,401,410 as of midnight on March 31st, before the PAC began spending for Dexter.
To date, 314 has spent $1,665,490 on behalf of Dexter, confirmed by their most recent 48-hour report filing with the Federal Election Commission.
314 Action must have received a significant cash infusion in April to sustain this level of spending.
314 Action will not have to report their April donors until May 20th, the day before this primary, significantly hamstringing Oregon voters’ education.

Video footage from the press conference is available here: