Members of the Democratic National Committee voted against a symbolic resolution aimed at limiting the influence of so-called “dark money” in Democratic primaries that specifically referenced the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
During a meeting in New Orleans, the committee first approved a broader resolution criticizing the role of undisclosed political spending in elections without naming specific organizations. A separate proposal that explicitly cited AIPAC was subsequently rejected.
Allison Minnerly, who sponsored the measure, addressed concerns that the resolution singled out a particular group, defending its intent during the meeting, ABC News reported on Sunday. “Members like to say that we don’t want to single out AIPAC, but AIPAC will entirely single out them and all of our different progressive leaders when it comes to primary elections,” she said, per the outlet.
AIPAC’s influence has become a contentious issue within the Democratic Party, as leaders are grappling with the rapidly changing views on Israel among the party’s anti-Israel left-wing, particularly following the war in Gaza and the current conflict between the U.S. and Iran on behalf of the Jewish state.
DNC chairman Ken Martin essentially papered over the rift with a bland statement on X: “We had various resolutions that focused on different industries and groups, and instead of going one-by-one, we passed a blanket repudiation.”
The panel’s rejection of the AIPAC resolution means it will not be presented to the full body for a final vote on Friday. “The DNC made clear today that all Democrats, including millions who are AIPAC members, have the right to participate fully in the Democratic process, and we plan to do just that,” AIPAC spokesperson Deryn Sousa told ABC News.
Minnerly’s resolution said that “the use of massive outside spending to support or oppose candidates based on their positions regarding international conflicts or foreign governments raises concerns about undue influence over democratic debate and policymaking, potentially constraining elected officials’ ability to represent the views of their constituents,” going on to reference the millions of dollars spent by AIPAC in the recent Illinois Democratic primaries.
Andrew Lachman, a DNC member and former president of California Jewish Democrats, expressed concern that the resolution predominantly targeted AIPAC.
“There are a lot of super PACs, a lot of right-wing organizations out there. There are a lot of left-wing ones out there that take advantage of the super PAC status as well. We need to address that,” Lachman told ABC News. “None of those were mentioned … I think respectfully, if it’s about our campaign finance system, let’s take it on. But when you mention only one group, it comes across like you’re not actually interested in the campaign finance issue and transparency issue. It’s about something else.”
Brian Romick, the president and CEO of the Democratic Majority for Israel, told the network in a statement: “We’re pleased that the DNC Resolutions Committee rejected a set of divisive, anti-Israel resolutions. These measures would be a gift to Republicans, would further fracture our party, and do nothing to bring Israelis and Palestinians closer to peace.”
Left-wing Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., told ABC News: “They should have voted for the AIPAC resolution given the pernicious influence they had in Illinois.” On X, he said in a video that “anyone who wants to lead the party must condemn and reject AIPAC money,” proving again that the party’s far-left are part of a growing anti-Semitic faction.
During the resolutions committee hearing, members decided to postpone action on two significant resolutions concerning conflicts in the Middle East. One resolution aimed to recognize Palestinian statehood, while the other urged the party to support the conditioning of military aid to Israel.
Instead of making a decision, the committee referred these proposals to the newly formed Middle East working group, ABC News reported.