Markovich: Show me the ‘Dark Money’ in Washington politics

I feel for the average voter – having to navigate the onslaught of political ads, cable news channels leaning to the left or right – and just bias news coverage.

It could be worse.

Here in Washington state, we have some of the strictest political ad restrictions in the country.

It’s one reason why Google and Facebook won’t accept political adverting from campaigns in the state – we would be flooded with political ads if they did.

Politics: Washington Supreme Court race becomes most expensive in state history

I’m fairly well versed in chasing down who is funding the ads we are seeing on broadcast, cable, satellite, radio and streaming services — which is taking a huge chunk of a campaigns advertising dollars.

But there is still one black hole where campaign ad dollars are hard to trace.

“So welcome to the era of Dark Money campaigns, because it has ramped up in the last five to seven years,” political strategist and Strategies 360 head Ron Dotzauer told KIRO Newsradio. He was talking about Political Action Committees (PACs).

More from Matt Markovich: Political spending battle heats up in Washington as Democrats seek supermajority

The Citizen’s United Supreme Court decision in 2010 allows a PACs to spend as much money as it wants on political ads in favor or against a candidate – but the candidate can’t be involved

For example, one Super PAC has given Democrat Bob Ferguson $7 million, 35 times more than PACS have given Reichert.

I’d love to tell you who are the donors inside those PACs and how that money is being spent – but I can’t

Despite Washington state’s disclosure laws – that “Dark Money” as Dotzauer calls it – will stay dark.

Until that is change – we won’t see the light and have true transparency in our elections.

Matt Markovich covers government and politics for MyNorthwest and KIRO Newsradio.

Follow @https://twitter.com/mattmarkovich