Arabella’s Dark Money Empire: We Saw It Coming While Musk and Fitton Slept
- Lynn Matthews
- Aug 28
- 6 min read
Dark money, enabled by 501(c)(4) organizations that shield donor identities, funds U.S. political advocacy without public disclosure, raising concerns about democratic accountability. The Sixteen Thirty Fund, a prominent 501(c)(4), exemplifies this practice, receiving $73,690,000 from the Open Society Foundations in 2023 to support progressive causes, according to a U.S. grants document (Open Society Foundations, 2023). Managed by Arabella Advisors, the Fund operates legally but non-transparently, while allegations of $100 million in foreign-linked dark money influencing 25 states highlight broader transparency challenges (WecuMedia 2025). For years, WecuMedia has been sounding the alarm on this shadowy network, exposing how Arabella and its affiliates like the Sixteen Thirty Fund manipulate elections and policies under the guise of grassroots activism. While we’ve been yelling “FIRE!” Elon Musk, Tom Fitton, and now General Mike Flynn are only now waking up, posting belated outrage on X about Arabella’s dark money influence—years after WecuMedia laid it bare. Their late arrival isn’t just tardy; it’s a missed chance to curb a machine that’s been rigging the game for decades.
The Sixteen Thirty Fund’s Operations
As a 501(c)(4), the Sixteen Thirty Fund can fund advocacy and political activities without disclosing donors, a practice shared by progressive and conservative groups. Arabella Advisors, a for-profit firm founded by Eric Kessler, manages its operations, channeling funds to initiatives like voter engagement and policy reform (Capital Research Center, 2023). In 2023, the Fund received $73,690,000 from the Open Society Foundations, founded by George Soros, to advance progressive advocacy, per a U.S. grants document and Data Republican’s analysis (Open Society Foundations, 2023; Data Republican, 2023). It's $410 million in 2020 election spending underscores its influence, making it the “indisputable heavyweight of Democratic dark money,” according to The Atlantic (OpenSecrets, 2020; The Atlantic, 2021). Yet, while WecuMedia exposed this network’s reach as early as 2024, Musk, Fitton, and Flynn are just now catching up. On August 27, 2025, Flynn posted on X about Arabella and Alex Soros controlling ‘billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars,’ linking them to a vast network of organizations. This echoes our warnings, but Flynn’s late to the party, just like Musk’s August 2025 calls for investigations into Arabella’s entities and Fitton’s August 26, 2025, post about the Gates Foundation’s pullback. WecuMedia was mapping this empire while they were distracted by their own agendas.
Dark Money in Action
Dark money often supports ballot measures and campaigns that appear grassroots but rely on centralized funding. In Ohio, for example, Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights PAC received $3,500,000 from the Sixteen Thirty Fund in 2023, likely supporting Issue 1, a ballot measure to protect abortion rights (Open Society Foundations, 2023; Ohio Capital Journal, 2023). This illustrates dark money’s role, though it is separate from the Fund’s $73,690,000 OSF grant. Claims of $14 million in funding or campaigns for reduced fentanyl penalties in Ohio lack evidence, as does significant voter opposition to foreign influence. WecuMedia’s earlier work, including our March 2025 piece on ACT Blue’s ties to Arabella, flagged similar schemes in states like Michigan and California, where the Sixteen Thirty Fund bankrolled voter law changes and affirmative action pushes like Prop 16. Meanwhile, Flynn was focused on other battles, Musk was busy tweeting about Tesla stock, and Fitton was chasing Clinton Foundation scandals, missing the bigger picture we’d already exposed. Flynn’s August 27 post, however, taps into the same network we’ve been dissecting—Arabella’s trade names, Wyss’s foreign influence, and Soros’s funding—all of which we’ve detailed long before his X thread.
Separately, Americans for Public Trust alleges that over $100 million in foreign-linked dark money, primarily from Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss via the Berger Action Fund, was channeled through the Sixteen Thirty Fund to influence ballot measures in 25 states, targeting abortion, election laws, and drug policies (WecuMedia, 2025). However, the 2023 grants document shows U.S.-based OSF funding, and FEC investigations found no conclusive evidence of Wyss’s foreign funding (The Washington Free Beacon, 2021). Still, Wyss’s $280 million to the Fund since 2016, as reported by WorldNetDaily, raises red flags—ones WecuMedia highlighted long before Flynn’s August 27 post or Musk’s and Fitton’s recent noise (WorldNetDaily, 2024). Flynn’s mention of Alex Soros controlling ‘billions’ aligns with our exposé on the Open Society Foundations’ $73.69 million grant in 2023, but his timing is off. While he’s now calling for action, WecuMedia’s been urging reform for years.
WecuMedia’s Foresight
We Called It FirstFor over a year, WecuMedia has been exposing Arabella Advisors and the Sixteen Thirty Fund, detailing how Eric Kessler’s for-profit firm orchestrates a web of nonprofits to funnel billions into progressive causes. Our March 2025 article on ACT Blue’s ties to Arabella laid out how the Sixteen Thirty Fund bankrolled Democratic super PACs, a fact now echoed by Flynn’s August 27 post, Fitton’s August 26 post (), and Musk’s August 2025 calls for investigations (). We also flagged Wyss’s influence, noting his $280 million to the Fund, long before Flynn’s X thread or Musk’s demands. This isn’t new to us—we’ve been ahead of the curve, from Dearborn’s overreach to drone surveillance and flag-burning EOs. We’re not psychic; we just listen. Musk, Fitton, and Flynn, however, seem to notice only when it hits their bottom line or political crusades, like Musk’s X revenue woes, Fitton’s anti-Clinton fixation, or Flynn’s broader war against elite influence. Their delay let Arabella’s machine run unchecked, while WecuMedia’s been lighting the way.
Transparency and Democratic Trust
The Sixteen Thirty Fund’s legal nondisclosure obscures funding sources, complicating voters’ ability to trace influence. While its $73,690,000 from OSF is verified, allegations of Wyss’s $143 million to the Fund from 2019–2022 fuel scrutiny, though 2023 foreign funding remains unconfirmed (NBC 2023). Bipartisan use of 501(c)(4)s, including conservative groups like Crossroads GPS, highlights a systemic challenge to democratic trust (OpenSecrets, 2020). Musk’s recent X posts, Fitton’s rants, and Flynn’s August 27 thread amplify the issue, but they’re reactive—Musk to protect X’s ad revenue, Fitton to score points against Democrats, and Flynn to rally his base against Soros and elite influence. WecuMedia’s been proactive, exposing the systemic rot while they played catch-up. Their megaphones on X are loud, but our facts cut deeper.
The Broader Backlash: Trump, Gates, and the RICO Demand
Flynn’s post doesn’t exist in a vacuum. On August 27, 2025, Donald Trump demanded RICO charges against George and Alex Soros, accusing them of funding violent protests, a move that drew support from Musk and ignited online debate (Al Jazeera, 2025). This escalation coincides with The New York Times’ August 26, 2025, report that the Gates Foundation pulled hundreds of millions from Arabella, disclosing its role in running nearly 200 non-profits as a fiscal sponsor (The New York Times, 2025). Flynn’s mention of Arabella and Soros taps into this broader narrative of foreign and elite influence, a theme gaining traction on X and other social media platforms. But while Trump’s RICO demand and the Gates pullback are seismic, WecuMedia’s been tracking Arabella’s network since before these events hit the headlines. Musk, Fitton, and Flynn are reacting to the fallout, not the root cause we’ve been exposing.
Pathways to Reform
Proposed solutions include the DISCLOSE Act to mandate donor transparency for 501(c)(4)s, regulations on pass-through funding, and investigative journalism to expose networks (Brennan Center for Justice, 2023). Resources like Data Republican’s OSF grant database empower public scrutiny (Data Republican, 2023). Legislative and civic action can balance advocacy with accountability. WecuMedia’s been pushing this fight, urging readers to dig into local funding and question “grassroots” groups. Musk, Fitton, and Flynn’s late outrage might spark attention, but it’s our consistent reporting that’s laid the groundwork for reform. The Gates Foundation’s move and Trump’s RICO demand are steps, but they’re years behind our calls for action.
Keep Yelling Fire
The Sixteen Thirty Fund’s $73,690,000 from the Open Society Foundations and Ohio’s Issue 1 campaign illustrate dark money’s reach, while alleged foreign funding from Wyss raises unresolved questions. Musk, Fitton, and Flynn’s recent X posts are too little, too late—WecuMedia’s been exposing Arabella’s empire for years, from ACT Blue to ballot measures. We don’t need their megaphones; we need action. Readers must scrutinize local campaigns, trace the money, and demand transparency. The matches are lit, and the fire’s spreading. WecuMedia’s been the spark—now it’s time to douse the flames before democracy burns.
References:
Brennan Center for Justice. (2023). Dark money reforms: Strengthening disclosure laws.
Capital Research Center. (2023). Arabella Advisors’ network: A web of influence.
Data Republican. (2023). Open Society Foundations grant database, 2016–2023. [Dataset]. Available from Data Republican.
Ohio Capital Journal. (2023, November 8). Ohio Issue 1: Voters approve abortion rights amendment.https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/11/07/ohio-voters-pass-issue-1-constitutional-amendment-to-protect-abortion-and-reproductive-rights/
Open Society Foundations. (2023). U.S. grants document: 2023 American donations. [Internal document]. Available upon request.
OpenSecrets. (2020). Sixteen Thirty Fund: 2020 political spending. https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail/2020?cmte=C90016336
The Atlantic. (2021, November 2). Meet Arabella Advisors, the Left’s Dark-Money Manager. https://www.theatlantic.com
Al Jazeera. (2025, August 27). Trump threatens RICO charges against Soros family.
The New York Times. (2025, August 26). Gates Foundation Quietly Cuts Ties With Firm Linked to Democrats.https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/us/politics/gates-foundation-democrats-arabella-advisors.html
FEC (2022, August 10). FEC dismisses complaints against Wyss funding. https://www.fec.gov/files/legal/murs/7904/7904_16.pdf
NBC News (Nov.15, 2023). Left-leaning nonprofit poured $196 million of secret money into political world in 2022
Wecu Media(2025, April 16). Report uncovers $100 million in foreign ‘dark money’ laundered through U.S. nonprofits.https://www.wecumedia.com/post/the-dark-money-pipeline-open-society-s-73m-to-arabella-advisors-and-the-power-of-sixteen-thirty-fu
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