Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America — the trade association also known as PhRMA that represents the country’s top drug companies, including Eli Lilly, Merck, and Pfizer — has contributed more than $34.5 million to the Republican-aligned dark money group American Action Network since 2010, including a record $7.5 million last year, according to an Issue One review of federal tax filings….
Today, both Republicans and Democrats use dark money groups to influence elections, with the public typically remaining in the dark about who bankrolls these efforts. Obscure government filings, such as the annual IRS Form 990s submitted by nonprofits, offer rare windows into the funders of these major political players.
The American Action Network, which is linked with House GOP leadership and which spent tens of millions of dollars during the 2022 midterms aiding House Republicans, is one of the top-spending conservative dark money groups. Two of the largest Democratic-aligned dark money groups are groups called Majority Forward and House Majority Forward. Records show PhRMA did not contribute to either of these groups between 2010 and 2022.