One Nation

One Nation is a dark money group run by Karl Rove's top operatives who run Crossroads GPS and American Crossroads. According to the organization's website "One Nation is a 501(c)(4) organization that will utilize paid communications, public opinion research and grassroots-level advocacy to shape attitudes on major issues and mobilize citizens to take action by contacting and interacting with policymakers in Washington."

Steven Law, former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), is the president and CEO of One Nation, the same role he has with McConnell's Senate Leadership Fund as well as Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS and American Crossroads. Law told NPR that the Rove groups would focus retaining the U.S. Senate in 2016.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the dark money group was initially registered with the IRS in 2010 as the Alliance for America's Future by Barry Bennett, one of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign advisors. Rove and his operatives took control of the group in 2015 in order to have a spending group with a pre-packaged 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status. The Guardian reported in August, 2016 that Adelson had given $10 million to the dark money group.

Alliance for America's Future Re-Purposed, Becomes Karl Rove's Dark Money Conduit One Nation

“When it wasn’t clear whether Crossroads GPS would be approved for an IRS exemption, Steven Law and several others who run Crossroads GPS took over this group and renamed it One Nation,” Robert Maguire of the Center for Responsive Politics said. “They’ve been one of the largest spenders in non-presidential races this cycle.” Since co-opting Alliance for America's Future, Rove's Crossroads GPS finally attained 501(c)(4) status in November 2015 after waiting over five years for the designation.

One Nation Fused with McConnell's "Senate Leadership Fund"

One Nation vs. Senate Leadership Fund - Reproduced with permission from Daily Report for Executives, 200 DER (Oct. 17, 2016). Copyright 2016 by The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (800-372-1033) www.bna.com

Steven Law, a Karl Rove operative and former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, serves as president of both One Nation and Senate Leadership Fund, a Republican-linked super PAC “devoted solely to retaining the Senate majority” that “aims to be the go-to destination for major Republican donors interested in Senate races.” Both One Nation and Senate Leadership Fund share the same suite 100 at 45 North Hill Drive in Warrenton, Virginia, according to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission.

The super PAC ramped up its ad buys shortly after One Nation drastically cut its advertising expenditures on September 6 in order to avoid disclosure with the FEC. Senate Leadership Fund, unlike One Nation, must disclose its donors. As One Nation ad expenditures fizzled out it appears as if the Senate Leadership Fund stepped up in its place, it has spent over $50 million on Senate advertising as of October 25, 2016.

One Nation Works to Avoid Disclosing its Funding

According to the Center for Responsive Politics One Nation spent more than $23 million running ads in Senate races through August 18, 2016, "more than any other candidate, super PAC or other entity active in Senate races around the nation." Since September 9, One Nation has only spent $2 million, most of which on mailers. This decrease in activity, as the Center for Responsive Politics notes, is due to the FEC rules governing disclosure. "As of Sept. 9 — 60 days before the election — the Federal Election Commission’s reporting 'window' opened, meaning spending on all ads that mention candidates has to be divulged to the agency. Before that date, only ads explicitly calling on viewers to vote for or against a candidate had to be reported." One Nation continues to post "issue ads" on its YouTube page without disclosure.

Working to Preserve the Republican Majority in the Senate

Advertisement information and spending figures only include what the organization disclosed via its website and YouTube channel.

Alabama

Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL)

• January 21, 2016 (Radio) Promise

Florida

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)

• October 6, 2016 Time 30

Illinois

Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL)

• May 12, 2015 Dysfunction - IL, $125,000

Indiana

Rep. Todd Young, running for Senate (R-IN)

• October 4, 2016 Changes 30
• March 23, 2016 Real Threat, $250,000

Iowa

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

• March 17, 2016 Iowa Voice, $140,000

Missouri

Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO)

• September 29, 2016 Heavy Toll 30
• August 16, 2016 Dr. Bane, $1 millon
• June 21, 2016 Don't Serve Alone
• June 9, 2016 Heroes Help, Part of a $1.5 million ad campaign
• October 22, 2015 Heroes, $785,000

Nevada

Rep. Joe Heck, running for Senate (R-NV)

• September 27, 2016 Jobs :30
• August 26, 2016 Job Faces (Spanish)
• August 26, 2016 (Radio) Faces (Spanish)
• July 6, 2016 High Tech Jobs, Part of a $2.3 million ad campaign
• June 24, 2016 Green Zone
• June 15, 2016 Vet Jobs, Part of a $2.3 million ad campaign
• November 10, 2015 Opportunity
• November 10, 2015 (Radio) Jobs for Nevada
• November 10, 2015 (Radio) Trabajos Para Nevada
• October 22, 2015 Jobs for the Future, $792,000

New Hampshire

Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)

• August 6, 2016 Troopers, $1.3 million
• July 6, 2016 Front Lines, Part of a $4.6 million ad campaign
• June 17, 2016 Troopers, part of a $4.6 million ad campaign
• June 6, 2016 Last, part of a $4.6 million ad campaign
• March 22, 2016 Epidemic, $1.12 million
• October 16, 2015 (Radio) Protect
• October 7, 2015 Protect, $1.4 million
• May 18, 2015 (Radio) Game Show - NH
• May 12, 2015 Dysfunction - NH, (Radio) Dysfunction - NH, (Print) Dysfunction - NH, $325,000

North Carolina

Senator Richard Burr (R-NC)

• September 19, 2016 Bases :30
• August 26, 2016 Award, Part of a $1.5 million ad campaign
• August 16, 2016 Worried, Part of a $1.5 million ad campaign
• May 12, 2015 Dysfunction - NC, (Radio) Dysfunction - NC and (Print) Dysfunction - NC, $540,000

Ohio

Senator Rob Portman (R-OH)

• October 4, 2016 Pain 30
• July 6, 2016 Claudia, Part of a $4.8 million ad campaign
• June 22, 2016 Compete
• June 10, 2016 Dr. Bane, Part of a $4.8 million ad campaign
• March 1, 2016 Ohio Jobs Plan, $66,000
• October 28, 2015 Fighting, $1.12 million
• May 18, 2015 (Radio) Game Show - OH
• May 12, 2015 Dysfunction - OH, (Radio) Dysfunction - OH, $525,000

Pennsylvania

Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA)

• August 23, 2016, Officer Down, Part of a $1.1 million ad campaign
• July 6, 2016 Pass the Trash, Part of a $2.71 million ad campaign
• June 14, 2016 Personal Protection, Part of a $2.71 million ad campaign
• February 25, 2016 Personal Protection, $1 million
• May 18, 2015 (Radio) Game Show - PA
• May 12, 2015 Dysfunction - PA, (Radio) Dysfunction - PA, $400,000

Personnel

Per One Nation's 2015 IRS tax filing:

• Steven Law, President and CEO
• Barry Bennett, Board Member
• Caleb Crosby, Secretary and Treasurer

Core Financials

2015

• Total Revenue: $10,349,196
• Total Expenses: $7,064,538
• Net Assets: $3,284,658

2014

• Total Revenue: $0
• Total Expenses: $2,616
• Net Assets: $1,680

Contact

Employer identification number (EIN): 27-1937961

One Nation
45 North Hill Dr, Suite 100
Warrenton, Virginia, 20186
Phone: (202).370.6600
Website: http://www.onenationamerica.org/
Twitter: @OneNationOrg