The American Future Fund is one of the “social welfare” groups that exploit weak campaign finance laws to bring anonymous money into play in federal elections. Exempt from fully disclosing its donors, much of American Future Fund’s known funding comes from the Center to Protect Patient Rights, a Koch-linked dark money conduit that paid a record fine for violating California campaign finance laws in funding 2012 state ballot initiatives. In 2012, American Future Fund spent around $25 million on television ads, much of which targeted President Obama or supported Mitt Romney in the presidential race.

Notable Facts:

• AFF Founder Nick Ryan is a former adviser to Rick Santorum and founded the pro-Santorum super PAC Red, White and Blue Fund during the 2012 cycle.

• In 2012, American Future Fund donated over $4 million each to 60 Plus Association and the California Future Fund for Free Markets, plus $1.2 million to the RSLC.

• In 2012, funding from the Center to Protect Patient Rights and Freedom Partners together made up over 92 percent of American Future Fund’s budget.

 

A March 2016 OpenSecrets article reported that American Future Fund was exiled from the Koch network following the California campaign finance violations.