AIPAC super PAC funded big-spending Illinois groups, as Democratic fights over Israel spread

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s super PAC seeded two anonymous groups that spent more than $14 million to influence pivotal House Democratic primaries in Illinois on Tuesday — marking a new salvo in the battle over policy on Israel within the Democratic Party.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s super PAC seeded two anonymous groups that spent more than $14 million to influence pivotal House Democratic primaries in Illinois on Tuesday — marking a new salvo in the battle over policy on Israel within the Democratic Party.

United Democracy Project, a super PAC aligned with AIPAC that receives tens of millions of dollars from the group, openly spent another $5 million to boost Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin in her unsuccessful campaign for the state’s 7th Congressional District. But its involvement in the two other groups — Elect Chicago Women and Affordable Chicago Now! — had not been officially confirmed until Friday, when newly filed federal fundraising reports showed that UDP contributed $5.3 million of the $14.1 million the groups raised.

Donors who had previously contributed to UDP gave the groups millions more.

Altogether, the three super PACs accounted for 60% of all of the outside spending in Illinois House primaries this year. And while progressives had accused the pro-Israel group of being behind the spending, those direct ties were not confirmed until days after voters went to the polls.

“UDP was happy to support these local committees, along with Chicago donors, to make sure pro-Israel voices would have their voices heard,” Patrick Dorton, a UDP spokesman, told NBC News on Friday. “Like many other groups, we are using a number of different tools to engage in races this cycle,”