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A political advertisement paid for by pro-Trump superPAC Make America Great Again, Inc.
“SFA Fund, Inc. is responsible for the content of this advertisement,” says a baritone-voiced narrator in the final three seconds of a pro-Nikki Haley video ad, his voice drowned out by the sound effect of an audience cheering while Haley waves to a crowd.
SFA Fund, Inc.’s advertisement, which argues that Haley is the best candidate to beat incumbent President Joe Biden, was paid for by some of the richest people in America. These types of political advertisements, which are often negative in tone and played in succession, are being played repeatedly on televisions and computer screens in Barnwell, Allendale and other communities across South Carolina.
The advertisements are financed by SuperPACs like SFA Fund, Inc. SuperPACs are a type of political action committee that raises unlimited sums of money from individual contributors, often centi-millionaires and billionaires, and then advertises on behalf of candidates. All three major candidates for president — Haley, Biden and former president Donald Trump — benefit from these donors' SuperPACs that run ads in Barnwell and Allendale.
“Once elected, elected officials are more likely to hold meetings with [these] donors than their constituents,” said Sarah Brynner, the Director of Research and Strategy at OpenSecrets, a non-profit organization that tracks how money moves through politics and elections. “That speaks directly to this problem where the wealthy can buy access.”
The People-Sentinel reviewed campaign finance disclosures to follow the money behind local political advertising amidst the presidential primaries.
Nikki Haley
Of the remaining presidential candidates, SuperPAC spending in South Carolina has been most active in Haley’s campaign.
Billionaires like Paul Singer, Jan Koum and Kenneth Griffin, have made high-dollar contributions to SFA Fund, Inc. in support of Haley. According to campaign finance disclosures, on February 16, 2023 and June 22, Koum — the founder of WhatsApp — made two separate $2.5 million contributions to SFA, Fund, Inc. and on August 31, contributed $5 million. Singer made a $5 million contribution to SFA Fund, Inc. on December 18, and Griffin made a $3 million contribution on December 28, 2023. Both Singer and Griffin are Wall Street hedge fund managers. In total, SFA Fund, Inc. raised over $60 million in corporate cash to advertise on behalf of Haley.
SFA Fund, Inc. is one of several SuperPACs supporting Haley. Other SuperPACs supporting Haley are called PrimaryPivot, Independents Moving the Needle and Stand for America, which are also financed by wealthy donors.
Haley has also traveled to Manhattan during her campaign to meet with top Wall Street donors. On Jan. 30, Wall Street billionaires Stanley Druckenmiller, Henry Kravis, Ken Langone and Cliff Asness hosted a fundraiser for Haley, and in November, Haley had a meet-and-greet with several Wall Street billionaires.
At a rally in Bamberg, Haley said: “We want to open up the middle class: we’re watching the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.” In an email, a spokesperson for Haley’s campaign did not respond directly to a question The People-Sentinel asked about the contradiction between this statement and Haley’s campaign being propped up by billionaire-funded SuperPACs.
“We can’t comment on the SuperPACs or their activities,” the spokesperson said. “However, Nikki Haley tells donors what she’s for, not the other way around. The fact that Donald Trump is hitting her on this is because he’s upset that they aren’t supporting him and paying his $50 million legal bills. Trump also has a SuperPAC that has way more money.”
Donald Trump
Trump, who once criticized the influence of SuperPACs over politicians, has multiple SuperPACs supporting his campaign. A pro-Trump SuperPAC, titled Make America Great Again Inc., has raised over $47 million in outside cash in support of Trump.
Throughout 2023, billionaires like Timothy Mellon, Diane Hendricks and Timothy Dunn have all dropped contributions of $5 million dollars each into Make America Great Again Inc. These contributions were several among many million-dollar contributions put into Make America Great Again, Inc.
One advertisement, titled “Biden’s Border Crisis” criticizes the Biden administration’s response to the crisis at the United States-Mexico border by using dark imagery as well as unverified and out of context claims.
“If you see a lot of scary advertisements or uplifting advertisements that might make or break your decision to get out to the polls there’s a reason for that,” said Brynner.
Trump’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
Joe Biden
Biden, who once criticized the influence of SuperPACs over politicians, has multiple SuperPACs supporting his campaign.
Since the South Carolina Democratic primary was less competitive than the Republican primary, Biden’s campaign spent less money on advertising, according to Brynner; Biden won the primary in South Carolina with 96.2 percent of the vote.
A pro-Biden SuperPAC called Future Forward received a $2.5 million contribution from billionaire hedge fund manager James Simon on December 14, 2023. Another pro-Biden SuperPAC, titled Unite the Country, has raised over $2 million in funds from wealthy individuals and unions during the 2024 election cycle and has played ads in South Carolina.
An advertisement from Unite the Country titled “Remind the Country” features South Carolina representative Jim Clyburn naming the accomplishments of the Biden administration.
Since the Biden campaign does not have a public press email, The People-Sentinel reached out to ActBlue, a fundraising platform for Biden and Democrats, which did not respond to a request for comment before press time.
Local Implications
Bryner encouraged people in rural communities to be aware of who is funding political advertising, and the intentions of the advertisements and their funders. Knowing who is funding advertising, Bryner said, can help communities stay informed and combat misinformation.
“The wealthy can buy access, and that affects the conversation,” Bryner said. “That is key, because we need to know who is affecting the conversation in order to understand the outcomes.”
While reporting recent stories regarding how local voters feel amidst the Democratic and Republican primaries, The People-Sentinel observed frustration when voters were asked about their thoughts on SuperPACs and the influence of billionaire money in politics.
“They have an agenda,” said David Peachey, a local Republican voter. “I don’t know what the agenda is, but why would they be pumping exorbitant amounts of money into states and communities that they’re not part of unless they have an agenda?”
To view a full list of campaign contributions to federal political candidates, visit fec.gov or OpenSecrets.org.
Elijah de Castro is a Report for America corps member who writes about rural communities like Allendale and Barnwell counties for The People-Sentinel. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep Elijah writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today.
