American Action Network

The American Action Network is the dark money sister organization to the Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), the super PAC aligned with the House Republican leadership. While the CLF discloses its donors and engages directly in electioneering, AAN runs 'issue ads' that function as de facto campaign advertising for Republican House candidates without triggering disclosure requirements. The organization was founded in 2010 by Norm Coleman, the former Republican senator from Minnesota, and has been closely aligned with House Republican leadership since its inception — first with Speaker John Boehner, then Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy, and now Mike Johnson. The relationship between AAN and CLF is so close that they share leadership, office space, and vendors, raising persistent questions about illegal coordination. AAN's president, Dan Conston, also leads the CLF, and the two organizations have been the subject of Federal Election Commission complaints alleging that their shared operations constitute an impermissible link between a dark money group and a super PAC that coordinates with candidates. AAN's funding flows primarily from Republican mega-donors who prefer anonymity — though tax filings and investigative reporting have identified Richard Uihlein (the shipping supply magnate), Kenneth Griffin (Citadel hedge fund founder), and corporate trade associations representing pharmaceutical, insurance, and financial services industries as major contributors. The organization has been particularly effective in running 'issue ads' during the weeks before elections — advertisements that discuss policy issues like tax cuts, healthcare, or immigration while featuring the names and images of specific candidates, technically avoiding the 'express advocacy' threshold that would require donor disclosure. In the 2024 cycle, AAN spent $72 million on such advertising, making it one of the most prolific dark money spenders in House races. The organization also funds policy research through its affiliated think tank, the American Action Forum, led by former CBO director Douglas Holtz-Eakin.