Cash, in modern-day American politics, can come from undisclosed donors and is not subject to ordinary contribution limits or reporting requirements. It’s called “dark money” because the donors stay in the shadows. However, it’s also dark because it’s a bipartisan scandal where both political parties are too desperate for cash to stop the rich from playing footloose with donations.
In 2010, the United States Supreme Court ruled against 40 years of restricting dark money, where politically active groups (funds, foundations, political action, non-profits etc.) had to disclose donations over a certain amount. This decision threw out years of court rulings that once declared that voters deserve to know who is bankrolling a candidate; transparency in funding helps prevent corruption, and transparency makes it easier to enforce other rules like a ban on donations from foreign nationals.
A court decision changed the American political landscape and created an opportunity for Barre Seid, a 90-year-old man who ran Chicago’s largest privately-held company. He made his fortune in surge protectors and other computer equipment — yes, with Tripp Lite!
Seid saved about $400 million in taxes by gifting his company shares (100% of Tripp Lite) to a new political group controlled by Leonard A. Leo. (You know the Law of Unintended Consequences: a rich businessman wanted to stay in the background, to be kept out of the press. And instead, he ends up with more notoriety.)
Source:
https://www.ravepubs.com/how-tripp-lite-ended-up-in-the-global-news/
See also: Citizens United