21 numbers that explain Issue One’s new dark money investigation

Issue One unveiled its latest in-depth investigation last week. Entitled “Dark Money Illuminated,” this project shines a light on the top dark money groups that have been spending millions of dollars to sway voters and criticize candidates from the shadows.

Here’s a run-down of what you need to know from this new Issue One project:

Total amount of money that dark money groups reported spending on political activities to the FEC between January 2010 and December 2016: More than $800 million

Percentage of this dark money spending that the top 15 groups alone accounted for: 75

Approximate portion of all dark money spending that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — the top-spending dark money group since Citizens United — was responsible for: $1 of every $6

Number of donors to these 15 dark money groups that Issue One identified: 402

Total amount of money these donors collectively contributed to these 15 groups in recent years: More than $760 million

Approximate portion of these 15 dark money groups’ combined funding this sum represents: $1 of $9

Number of these 15 dark money groups for which Issue One tied at least 10 percent of their funding to donors or donor organizations: 10

Number of these 15 dark money groups for which Issue One tied at least 50 percent of their funding to donors or donor organizations: 4

Number of donors Issue One identified that contributed at least $1 million: 67

Total amount collectively given by companies: More than $90 million

Total amount collectively given by trade associations: About $27 million

Total amount collectively given by labor unions: About $11 million

Total amount given alone by Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Research of America (PhRMA), the main trade association of the pharmaceutical drug industry: More than $13 million

Portion of the top 15 dark money groups to which PhRMA has contributed since 2010: 1/3

Number of companies that self-reported contributions to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce during this time: 92

Number of records in Issue One’s exclusive, first-of-its-kind dark money donor database: 1,157

Number of these 15 dark money groups that self-reported to the IRS spending at least 25 percent of their funds on “direct or indirect” political campaign activities between January 2010 and December 2016: 8

Number of these 15 dark money groups that told the FEC they spent at least 50 percent of their political funds on negative ads during this time: 14

Number that told the FEC they spent at least 90 percent of their political funds on negative ads: 6

Number of times the FEC was asked to investigate whether any of these 15 major dark money groups should register as a political committee, a step that would have required the group to disclose its donors: 4

Percentage of those cases in which the FEC deadlocked on whether the groups should have registered as political committees and, therefore, disclosed their donors: 100