Sanders Urges Democrats to Ban Super PACs From Primaries

Sen. Bernie Sanders is pressing Democratic leaders to ban super PACs from participating in the party's primary elections, arguing that the current system allows wealthy outside groups to exert undue influence over the nomination process. In a letter sent on August 8 to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, Sanders called the influx of money from corporate and billionaire-funded super PACs a "corrupt system" that undermines the role of Democratic voters.

Sanders highlighted the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, as a prominent example. He stated that AIPAC and affiliated groups spent more than $30 million in Michigan's Democratic primary in an effort to defeat Dr. Abdul ElSayed. Sanders also noted reports that AIPAC plans to spend tens of millions more to support Republican Mike Rogers in the general election against ElSayed. "It is insane that the Democrats allow super PACs like AIPAC to spend millions in their primaries only for those same special interests to help elect Republicans in the general election," Sanders wrote in a post on X.