josh-hawley dark-money 2018-election mcconnell koch nra class-analysis follow-the-money
related: _Josh Hawley Master Profile · The McConnell Dark Money Empire - SLF and One Nation · Koch Network - Charles Koch
donors: Koch Network - Charles Koch
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Dark Money and the 2018 Missouri Machine
Money
Hawley raised $10.1 million for his 2018 campaign against Claire McCaskill — who raised $35 million. The $25 million gap was filled by the conservative dark money machine: Senate Leadership Fund (McConnell-controlled) spent $20.7 million supporting Hawley. Americans for Prosperity (Koch) spent $3.9 million attacking McCaskill. The NRA launched a seven-figure TV campaign. Total outside spending against McCaskill: $39.5 million — a record for any Senate candidate in 2018. Hawley didn’t win with his own money. He won with McConnell’s money, Koch’s money, and the NRA’s money.
The Outside Spending Map
| Date | Event | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-01-01 | Senate Leadership Fund (McConnell super PAC) begins spending to support Hawley (exact dates pending) | $20,700,000 | OpenSecrets |
| 2018-01-01 | Americans for Prosperity (Koch network) begins spending attacking McCaskill (exact dates pending) | $3,900,000 | OpenSecrets |
| 2018-01-01 | NRA launches TV campaign against McCaskill in Missouri (exact dates pending) | Unknown (seven-figure) | The Trace/FEC |
| 2018-01-01 | Senate Majority PAC (Democratic super PAC) begins spending against Hawley (exact dates pending) | $21,100,000 | OpenSecrets |
| 2018-01-01 | Majority Forward/CSSA (Democratic dark money) begins spending against Hawley (exact dates pending) | $2,700,000 | OpenSecrets |
| 2018-11-06 | Hawley defeats McCaskill with combined outside spending ($39.5M pro-Hawley, $31.6M anti-Hawley) | — | Missouri Secretary of State |
| 2018-01-01 | Total outside spending in race (exact date pending) | $71,000,000+ | OpenSecrets |
McCaskill attracted $31.6M in outside opposition spending; Hawley attracted $39.5M. The race was decided not by the candidates but by the dark money infrastructure each party deployed.
The Anti-Tech Populist Who Needed Corporate Money
Hawley ran as an anti-establishment populist fighting for Missouri’s working class. His campaign was bankrolled by:
- McConnell’s dark money empire (SLF + One Nation: Wall Street funded)
- Koch network (fossil fuels, deregulation)
- NRA (gun industry)
- Corporate PACs (pre-J6): AT&T, FedEx, Citigroup
Contradiction
The “anti-corporate populist” was elected by a $20.7 million investment from McConnell’s Wall Street-funded super PAC and $3.9 million from the Koch brothers’ deregulation machine. Hawley’s populist brand was manufactured by the same corporate donor infrastructure he claims to oppose. The dark money didn’t buy a populist — it manufactured one.
The NRA Coordination Question
The NRA’s seven-figure TV campaign against McCaskill may have involved illegal coordination with Hawley’s campaign. Missouri received the most NRA spending on federal races in the 2018 cycle. Campaign finance watchdogs flagged potential coordination, though no formal charges resulted.
Sources
- OpenSecrets: Missouri Senate 2018 Race - Outside Spending (Tier 1)
- STLPR: Missouri Senate race highlights the limited power of money (Tier 2)
- St. Louis Today: Hawley vs. McCaskill: A sideshow battle of billionaire donors (Tier 2)
- The Trace: Follow the NRA’s Spending on the 2018 Midterms, Down to the Last Dollar (Tier 2)