Staff Reports
In a move that looked more like political theater than a real retreat, AIPAC told its members this week it will stop issuing official candidate endorsements and stop making direct PAC contributions. The group says it will instead push members to give directly and rely on new fundraising tools — while quietly keeping its heavy-hitting super PAC in place.
AIPAC Ends Endorsements and Direct PAC Donations
The change came in a member letter signed by AIPAC President Bernie Kaminetsky, Board Chair Michael Tuchin, President‑Elect Yehuda Neuberger, and CEO Elliot Brandt. The letter bluntly stated, “Endorsements, direct PAC contributions, and earmarking will no longer be part of our approach so we can expand individual giving and utilize new tools to help our friends win.” In plain English: AIPAC is stepping back from the obvious, branded hand-delivery of checks to candidates.
United Democracy Project Still Operates — The Money Machine Remains
But don’t be fooled. AIPAC’s affiliated super PAC, United Democracy Project (UDP), will keep operating and can still spend unlimited funds on independent ads and campaigns. This cycle AIPAC-linked vehicles funneled large sums — roughly $25 million in direct PAC gifts through September, more than $90 million in organized member giving reported this cycle, and tens of millions in independent expenditures from UDP. So the public face of endorsements goes away, while the ability to buy TV ads and shape races from the outside stays put.
Politically, this is a tidy little dodge. It reduces the easy political talking point for candidates who wanted to refuse AIPAC’s blessing, but preserves the real lever of influence: big outside spending. AIPAC says it will help members raise money and suggest candidates, which means the organization’s guidance and muscle remain. Critics call it cosmetic; they have a point. If your goal is to blunt backlash, stop signing the endorsement letter. If your goal is to stop outside influence, this change does not do that.
For conservatives who support a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, the shift is a mixed bag. It’s sensible to encourage grassroots donor engagement and avoid turning good candidates into targets simply because they accepted a PAC check. But it’s also reasonable to demand transparency. If UDP will keep dropping seven‑figure ad buys, voters deserve to know who is funding those messages and why. In other words: by all means build grassroots support — and while you’re at it, stop pretending the super PAC disappearing behind the curtain makes the influence any smaller.
