Supreme Court Orders Disclosure For Dark Money, As New Report Unveils Some Donors

The Supreme Court on Tuesday insisted that many donations to predominantly conservative political nonprofit groups — what's often called dark money — be disclosed, seven weeks ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. The ruling closes, at least for now, a loophole that has allowed wealthy donors to finance aggressive ads while staying anonymous. Crafted by the Federal Election Commission nearly 40 years ago, the loophole flourished after the 2010 Citizens United ruling. The court set aside an order issued by Chief Justice John Roberts on Saturday. The social welfare group Crossroads GPS, a defendant in the lawsuit, had fought to stall disclosure while it prepares to appeal. It failed in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals and then appealed to the Supreme Court. The disclosure requirement is expected to apply to explicitly political ads by nonprofit groups for the remaining weeks of the campaign season. The decisions came in a 2016 lawsuit against Crossroads and the FEC, by Citizens for