Many Alaska believe they live in a relatively conservative, resource-based state where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats nearly two to one.
Yet, Alaska regularly passes left-wing ballot initiatives, environmental restrictions, and so-called election “reforms” much like a coastal liberal enclave.
A new watchdog project suggests this isn’t happening by accident.
On Nov. 12, the American Accountability Foundation (AAF) launched the Alaska Influence Pipeline, an investigative website that tracks how national advocacy networks, dark-money foundations, and D.C. strategists are steering Alaska’s future – often behind the scenes and under the guise of “local” activism.
The site pulls together years of public grant records, nonprofit tax filings, and campaign disclosures, then maps how money and strategy flow from national players into familiar Alaska groups, ballot efforts, and media operations. The result is a rare, data-driven look at who is actually funding and directing our political campaigns.
A $9 Billion Network Reaches Alaska
At the heart of this influence is Arabella Advisors, a D.C.-based for-profit consultancy that manages a constellation of liberal nonprofits, including the Sixteen Thirty Fund, New Venture Fund, Hopewell Fund, and Windward Fund.
According to public records compiled by AAF, Arabella-linked nonprofits have generated around $9 billion in revenue since 2006. That money bankrolls advocacy campaigns, ballot measures, and media projects across the country with Alaska often serving as a testing ground.
Between 2020 and 2024, entities managed under the Arabella network funneled more than $9 million to Alaska-based or Alaska-focused efforts. That money has been used to:
— Block or slow major resource and infrastructure projects
— Promote progressive wage and labor mandates
— Reshape Alaska election rules
“Local” Groups, D.C. Dollars
The Alaska Influence Pipeline highlights how Outside funding often hides behind an Alaska label.
— The Alaska Center has received backing from the Sixteen Thirty Fund and other liberal donors while pushing 100% renewable mandates, higher oil and gas taxes, and automatic voter registration.
— The Alaska Conservation Foundation, which took funding from the New Venture Fund, has opposed the Ambler Road Project – a project that could open up thousands of jobs and critical mineral development, reducing America’s reliance on China.
— Progress Alaska, tied to NEO Philanthropy, collected nearly $3 million from Arabella-linked funds before teaming up with the Alaska Venture Fund to fight energy development, mining projects, and infrastructure like the West Susitna Access Road.
These groups present themselves as homegrown voices. But the priorities they promote – from aggressive climate mandates to anti-development campaigns – trace back to a Lower 48 political machine.
Ballot Initiatives as a Testing Ground
The same network has been active in Alaska’s ballot fights.
The Sixteen Thirty Fund poured nearly $930,000 into a 2024 minimum-wage and mandatory-paid-sick-leave initiative.
The New Venture Fund was a top donor to 2016’s Ballot Measure 1, which tied automatic voter registration to the Permanent Fund Dividend.
Meanwhile, “grassroots” campaigns like the 907 Initiative and “Alaskans for Posterity” were launched under the New Venture Fund umbrella, running heavy ad campaigns in Alaska without full donor transparency.
In short, Alaska has become a proving ground for national progressive ideas – on labor, elections, crime, and climate.
Learn more at: AlaskaInfluencePipeline.com.
13 Comments
I’m much more fearful of the GOP members in the delegation, governor’s seat and state legislators. Let’s not forget the worst of the worst, MAGA-idiots and ” THE CORRUPT BASTARDS CLUB, ” BILL ALLEN, VECO AND MOBILE-EXXON and BP.
Wow! No wonder Alaska’s elected politicians can’t get anything done. They are frustrated at the onset from dark money that is hidden behind projects bearing so-called good sounding names. The phrase “follow the money” comes to mind. Those who hide behind curtains are up to no good. Somehow, the laws have to be changed to expose all the financing behind political campaigns and yes, all of the so-called nonprofits as well. Until we have total transparency, these manipulators will just continue their nefarious activities and laugh at the public. Thanks so much for this article. Please keep following this up with more information.
Hmmm, wasn’t the RCV killegal) linking of Campaign Finance disclosure proposition supposed to reveal the Dark Money?
There is much going on that is hidden. This superintendent “award” in Fairbanks is probably the LGBTQ since it wreaks of “woke” stuff. We know Act Blue funded our two candidates from DC. The Alaska history standards are not from a local source. The promotion of indogenous victims is nationwide. Is it from Colombia University? The things happening to us are not from a local source. Soros and Zuckerberg accessed our voter rolls to supposedly clean them up but it was to get a database of our voters. The pornography the librarians are buying is coming out of Chicago (ALA) Too many confusing pieces of information….
It’s funny how Alaska can’t rely on winred, NRSC, NRCC nor any Alaska GOP funds/adverts/billboards to counter the invasion. I guess they’re unaware or unprepared to deal with a blue Left coast from San Diego to Utquiagvik.
Follow the money. Who is behind Arabella? As well as the sixteen thirty fund? I know Arabella is either controlled or predominantly funded by Soros. ‘Washington DC based is a front, the root is foreign. I believe Arabella and sixteen thirty are connected to each other and much, if not most, of the funding is from foreign sources that hate our republic . It should be illegal to recieve foreign funding for political purposes.
It is illegal for foreign nationals to contribute money to U.S. elections, including federal, state, and local races. This prohibition is established by the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), which also makes it illegal for any person to knowingly solicit or accept such contributions.
Direct contributions: Foreign nationals cannot donate money to a candidate’s campaign, political party, or political action committee (PAC). Indirect contributions: The law also bans indirect contributions, meaning foreign nationals cannot use a conduit or intermediary to influence elections.
Expenditures: It is illegal for foreign nationals to make any expenditures, including independent expenditures, that are in connection with a U.S. election.
Getting some legal entity to do something about the foreign backed funding of campaigns, iniatives, ballot measures, is another matter entirely on the State level and Federal level. Good luck with that.
Interesting. So this Outside group that doesn’t disclose their funding is reporting on groups in Alaska getting funding from Outside and not reporting it? Why
don’t they mention any of the conservative groups? Almost seems like this is a scheme to get stupid people to believe what you want them to.
Behind the vast majority of these deep state, radicalized USAID money laundering corruption groups is the Chinese Communist Party. The CCP controls local thugs like Bering Straits Native Corporation, Kawerak and dozens of fictitious ‘native’ communities whose ‘residents’ live in mansions in Anchorage, Portland and San Diego.
who the hell is the placer mining institution
regulating free speech are you a,communist
I have been an ALASKAN for over 60 years and I have watched Anchorage and the whole state being turned into a SEWER. It’s so sad to see. I had to move out of Anchorage because it no longer safe! The people that are in charge seem to be using their own agenda for personal gains and don’t care what happens to ALASKA! Crime, gangs and drugs that’s what Anchorage is all about. Our elected officials don’t have a clue how to make this right. Rank choice voting has put these morons in office!
We need to take back our state from far left organizations that use lies to make you think they know anything about Alaska, they are spending millions to keep you confused!
The whole thing is a mess! They try to confuse people so they just throw their hands ipand don’t vote! We need to clean house here in Alaska!