A new Alabama-based political action committee, Highway 31, is taking an active role in the Alabama special election for a U.S. Senate seat, and it’s drawn criticism for avoiding disclosure of its donors.
The group was formed in early November and under federal election law won’t have to disclose its donors until Jan. 21, about five weeks after the U.S. Senate special election. Records show it has committed $2.9 million toward the race in supporting Democrat Doug Jones and opposing Republican Roy Moore.
The wrinkle in the group’s approach, which has drawn attention both in Alabama and from national media, is that Highway 31 has been able to get vendors who provide TV ads and direct mail services to provide their services on credit. That means there’s been no actual spending yet to record in campaign records.