Alabama Republican still has not fully explained where $3 million in ‘dark money’ came from

Alabama attorney general candidate Katherine Robertson is pushing back against intense scrutiny regarding $2.9 million in campaign contributions that her runoff opponent, Jay Mitchell, has branded as “dark money.”

The Debate Over Funding

During a debate in Montgomery on Monday night, Robertson dismissed the controversy, asserting that the sources of her campaign's funds are no secret. She pointed toward the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), which has endorsed her, and Leonard Leo, a prominent leader of the Federalist Society, as the primary backers behind the donations.

“Let’s go back to the money, since that’s what Jay wants to talk about tonight,” Robertson said during the debate. “He knows where my money came from. It came from the Republican attorneys general, and it came from a guy named Leonard Leo that Jay knows. So I don’t want y’all to be in the dark. You can Google them.”

However, Mitchell remains unconvinced, arguing that the public deserves full transparency regarding the original sources of these donations. “Look, if you’re so proud of it, you should take it directly and you should disclose it to the Alabama Secretary of State’s office,” Mitchell countered. “They deserve to know not just what the name on the store says, but who’s putting the money in the store.”

The Campaign Finance Landscape

Robertson, currently the chief counsel for Attorney General Steve Marshall, is vying to succeed her boss. She led the May 19 primary with 40.5% of the vote, while Mitchell—who stepped down from the Alabama Supreme Court to launch his campaign—followed with 34.4%.

Campaign finance reports reveal that three specific organizations—First Principles Action, Frontline Leaders Action, and the Rule of Law Action Fund—funneled 16 donations totaling $2.9 million to Robertson’s campaign. These groups are not required to publicly disclose their original donors, which has fueled the ongoing friction throughout the election cycle.

Data indicates that Robertson has raised approximately $5.8 million, with these specific organizations accounting for half of that total. Despite her claims, campaign finance records do not reflect direct contributions from RAGA to Robertson. When 205focus.com reached out to the RAGA press office to clarify the connection, the organization did not respond to inquiries.

Ongoing Tensions

The clash over funding persisted during a subsequent debate in Mobile on Wednesday night. Robertson emphasized the importance of her connections to national organizations, noting that Alabama benefited from the support of 27 attorneys general in a recent Supreme Court case regarding congressional redistricting.

“When we went to the Supreme Court in the redistricting case, those states swooped in to help us out,” Robertson explained. “Those relationships are absolutely critical.”

For his part, Mitchell highlighted that 97% of his own campaign contributions originated within Alabama. “The whole point of these dark money shell entities is that you don’t see who puts the money into them,” Mitchell stated. “That is what Alabamians deserve to know. I’m not going to be answering to people in D.C. or out of state. I’m going to be answering to you, the people of Alabama.”

Robertson maintains that she is proud of her broad coalition, which includes support from the National Rifle Association, Club for Growth Action, the Alabama Farmers Federation’s FarmPAC, the Alabama Sheriffs Association, and the Alabama Forestry Association’s ForestPAC.