SENATE GOP-ALIGNED DARK MONEY GROUP RAISED $125M FOR MIDTERMS: One Nation, the dark money group affiliated with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, brought in nearly $125 million to boost Senate Republicans’ bid to retake control of the chamber in last year’s midterms, according to tax filings obtained by PI. — That’s less than the record $172 million in revenues One Nation raked in during the 2020 elections, but it blows past the $64 million raised in 2021, an off year, and the $58 million the group raised during the 2018 midterms. — More than a fifth of last year’s haul came from just one anonymous donor who wrote a $25.8 million check to the nonprofit, with around 30 more of the group’s hundred-plus donors last year kicking in at least $1 million, according to the filing. While One Nation isn’t required to disclose the names of its donors, Sludge reported in May that past donors to the group have included ConocoPhillips, CVS Health, Phillips 66 and Southern Company. — One Nation, which according to media tracking firm AdImpact dropped over $60 million on ads last year, reported spending almost $156 million last year, and ended 2022 with $8.2 million in the bank. — The nonprofit’s top two vendors last year were Main Street Media Group, which One Nation paid $48 million for “media services” and the consulting firm FP1, which received $23 million for “digital media services.” Direct mail firms Arena and Majority Strategies received a combined $10 million for mail services, and Mentzer Media Services received $2.6 million for media services. PI METRO SECTION: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Tuesday chided the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the entity that oversees metro D.C.’s two main airports, for its involvement in the fierce lobbying battle over adding new slots for long-haul flights of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. — Cruz, who has come down on the side of the Delta Air Lines-backed campaign for more long distance slots, took issue in particular with the MWAA’s membership in the Coalition to Protect America’s Regional Airports, which is backed by United Airlines and several regional airports and opposes slot changes that could eat into United’s business at Dulles International Airport. — Unlike other airport operators in the coalition, Cruz pointed out in a letter to MWAA President John Potter, MWAA answers to Congress. “While many, including myself, disagree with United Airlines’ position, as a private company, it may lobby Congress and the public to support its business objectives,” Cruz wrote. — “The same is not true for MWAA, a government creation that is statutorily obliged to promote IAD’s and DCA’s interests. MWAA is not United Airlines’ corporate lobbyist, nor should it be. Nevertheless, MWAA has become the face of United Airlines’ lobbying campaign against DCA.” — Cruz demanded the MWAA respond to a series of questions and turn over documents and communications relating to its membership in the regional airports coalition, as well as research on DCA’s perimeter rule, capital improvement projects at D.C. airports and how it would implement any new DCA slots included as part of the FAA reauthorization bill. Crystal Nosal, a spokesperson for MWAA, told our colleagues over at Morning Transpo that it had received Cruz’s letter and “will respond appropriately.” FIRST IN PI — DISH ADDS 3: Satellite cable provider Dish Network has added three new members to its government affairs team. Svetlana Matt will lead Dish’s policy team as director of public policy. She was most recently at Meta, where she was an AI privacy policy manager. Before that, Matt served as legislative director to former Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.), a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, and helped lead staff work for the House AI Caucus and House Wi-Fi Caucus. — Dish is adding a second Democrat, Malcolm Sherrod, as manager of government relations. He was most recently an associate director at FGS Global and will help lead Dish’s outreach to Democrats in Congress. — Meanwhile Phillip Waller is leaving the Hill after nearly a decade to become manager for policy communications and public affairs at Dish. Waller has spent his entire Hill career working for Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the former chair of the Senate Commerce Committee and the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, most recently as communications director.
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