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Political Party/527

Future Forward PAC (FF PAC)

Type:

Democratic-Aligned Super PAC
Formation:

2018
President:

Chauncey McLean

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Future Forward USA PAC (also known as “FF PAC”) is a Democratic Party-aligned super PAC based in Palo Alto, California. FF PAC reportedly spent $108 million in a “blitz” of spending during the last five weeks of the 2020 election to support President Joe Biden’s campaign by attacking then-President Donald Trump on his COVID-19 policies. 1 FF PAC has been criticized by the left-leaning Center for Responsive Politics for being funded by “dark money.” 2

History

FF PAC was created in 2018 by Future Forward USA Action, a left-of-center advocacy group. 3 Chauncey McLean is the president of  FF PAC. McLean was previously the director of media tracking for the Democratic Party in 2012. 4

Funding

Individual Donors

In 2020, FF PAC received several contributions from high-profile Democratic donors include Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz ($91,780,000), former Google CEO Eric Schmidt ($775,000), Kathryn Murdoch ($540,000), cryptocurrency exchange founder Samuel Bankman-Fried ($10,000,000), Jeffrey Lawson of Twilio ($5,500,000) and his wife Erica Lawson ($5,500,000), and Netflix founder Reed Hastings’s wife Patty Quillin ($2,000,000). 4 By October 23, 2020 Future Forward USA Action, the parent organization of FF PAC, had reportedly contributed $29 million to the PAC. 5

In 2020, FF PAC received a large portion of its contributions from the CEOs and presidents of California- and New York-based technology companies, venture capital firms, and wealth management companies. These include Judith Estren of JLABS ($15,000), David Elenowitz of Zero Carbon Partners ($15,000), Amy Rao of HillSpire ($25,000), Andrew McCollum of Philo ($50,000), George Hume of Basic American Foods ($50,000), Ronald Conway of SV Angel LLC ($100,000), Joshua Bekenstein of Bain Capital ($500,000), Vincent Ryan of Schooner Capital ($250,000), Even Williams of Medium ($250,000), Molly Gochman of Stardust ($500,000), Nishad Singh of Almeda Foundation ($1,000,000), and Gregory Johnson of Bridgewater Associates ($2,000,000). 6

Institutional Donors

In 2020, FF PAC also received funding from people associated with left-of-center grantmaking organizations and labor unions. The organizations that contributed to FF PAC have supported increased government spending on entitlement programs and increased taxpayer-subsidized intervention in energy markets. 7 8 Several organizations that contributed to FF PAC also contributed to the Trusted Elections Fund, a project of the New Venture Fund to prepare for and respond to alleged “crises” that the Fund claimed would take place during the 2020 presidential election. 9

Employers reported by donors to FF PAC and institutional donors to the PAC include CalMatters ($100,000), Good Nation Philanthropy Advisors ($500,000), the Bohemian Foundation ($1,000,000), the Schmidt Family Foundation ($1,000,000), the Zoom Foundation ($2,000,000), the Sixteen Thirty Fund ($2,900,000), 10 and the Communications Workers of America ($100,000). 6 According to tax filings, since the 2020 presidential election FF PAC has received roughly $77 million from its nonprofit affiliate Future Forward USA Action. 11

Financials

2024 Election Cycle

In the 2024 election cycle, Future Forward PAC spent $559.4 million, $517.4 million of which was independent expenditure, compared to $376.9 million raised by Make America Great Again Inc. and $309 million by the Senate Majority PAC. 12 13 14

Much of FF PAC’s research work was subcontracted to firms that were founded by, owned by, or otherwise employed FF PAC co-founders Chauncey McLean, Gaurav Shirole, and Jon Fromowitz. These firms include GCJ Research, which received $7.2 million from FF PAC; PFB Media, which received $524,606; and Open Labs, which received $759,707. 14 15

As of November 2024, it was estimated that during Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential election campaign, FF PAC allegedly spent over $8.3 million towards consulting firms owned by the FF PAC leadership. This includes roughly $7.3 million towards the GCJ Research survey firm named after FF founders Chauncey McLean, Gaurav Shirole, and Jon Fromowitz. Additional consulting spending included $524,606 towards advertising agency PFB Media, which is owned by McLean and Fromowitz; as well as another $759,707 to research firm Open Labs, where the FF founders also work. 16

2022 Election Cycle

In the 2022 election cycle, FF PAC raised $30.6 million and spent $31.2 million. FF PAC spent $15.8 million on Waterfront Strategies, an advertising purchasing firm formed in 2006 by consulting firm Greer, Margolis, Mitchell, and Burns (GMMB Consulting). 12

2020 Election Cycle

During the last five weeks of the 2020 presidential election, FF PAC received attention for funding a “blitz” in television advertisements in support of then-former vice president Joe Biden. 1

FF PAC was reported to be on pace to have spent $108 million on television advertisements in support of President Biden by the end of October 2020. 17 Other outlets have reported that the FF PAC spent closer to $141.6 million over the course of the 2020 election cycle, after accounting for non-presidential races. 18

Leadership

Chauncey McLean is the president of Future Forward PAC. Prior to joining FF PAC, he was the director of media tracking for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from 2011 to 2012. McLean worked on the 2012 Obama presidential campaign and was instrumental in developing data-mining and analytics as common practices in political campaigns. 19 As of June 2021, McLean is also the founder and head of development for Berkeley Yeast, 20 a corporation that develops unique strains of yeast for beer and wine production. 21 14

As of 2023, Katie Melin (also known as Kate Wilson-Melin) was the chief operating officer of Future Forward USA. From 2019 to 2021, Melin was the director of strategic initiatives for then-Nevada Lt. Governor Kate Marshall (D); from 2018 to 2019, she worked as the regional media director of Priorities USA; in 2016, Melin was a regional paid media director for former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign; and earlier Melin worked at the Center for American Progress, the Democratic National Committee, and the Nevada State Democratic Party. 22 23

Gaurav Shirole is a co-founder and the treasurer of Future Forward PAC. From 2016 to 2022, Shirole worked as an executive at streaming firms and consulting companies. Earlier, Shirole served as a senior analyst for President Barack Obama’s second presidential campaign. 22 24

Jon Fromowitz is a co-founder and the treasurer of Future Forward USA. Fromowitz is a co-founder of Future Forward USA, Blue Sky Strategy, and PFB Media. Fromowitz has worked as an operations associate for direct mail for the Democratic Party during the 2007 New Jersey Senate election, as national director of remote calling for the 2008 Hillary Clinton for President campaign, as a strategist for President Obama’s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, as the deputy director of paid media for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential election campaign, and as the chief speechwriter for then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) during his re-election campaign in 2017. 22 25 26

References

  1. Kim, Soo Rin. “’Dark money,’ used by both parties, featured in $100 million pro-Biden ad blitz” October 28, 2020. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/dark-money-parties-featured-100-million-pro-biden/story?id=73863672
  2.  Massoglia, Anna and Evers-Hillstrom, Karl. “ ‘Dark money’ topped $1 billion in 2020, largely boosting Democrats” OpenSecrets. March 17, 2021. Accessed June 6, 2021. https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2021/03/one-billion-dark-money-2020-electioncycle/
  3. Vieira, Cecelia. “Future Forward USA PAC (FF PAC).” FactCheck.org, September 27, 2022. https://www.factcheck.org/2022/03/future-forward-usa-pac-ff-pac/
  4. Nick Corasaniti. “A Democratic Super PAC Surge Helps Biden Expand His Map.” New York Times. October 22, 2020. Accessed June 5, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/us/politics/future-forward-super-pac.html
  5. Karl Evers-Hillstrom. “Pro-Biden super PAC funds $100 million ad campaign with ‘dark money.’” Center for Responsive Politics. October 23, 2020. Accessed June 5, 2021. https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/10/pro-biden-super-pac-darkmon/
  6. “Future Forward USA PAC Donors” OpenSecrets. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/future-forward-usa/C00669259/donors/2020?start=76&page_length=25
  7. Duara, Nigel. “Newsom wants extra $600 stimulus for low-wage Californians” CalMatters. January 6, 2021. Accessed June 5, 2021.  https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2021/01/newsom-wants-extra-600-stimulus-for-low-wage-californians/
  8. Becker, Rachel. “California re-evaluating its landmark climate strategy” CalMatters. June 24, 2002. Accessed June 5, 2021. https://calmatters.org/environment/2020/06/california-climate-strategy-cap-trade/
  9. Rojc, Philip. 2020. “Virus-Proofing The Vote: Democracy Funders Respond To COVID-19”. Inside Philanthropy. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2020/4/1/virus-proofing-the-vote-democracy-funders-respond-to-covid-19.
  10. FF PAC: Contributions. FEC. Accessed June 5, 2021. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00669259/?tab=raising
  11.  Schoffstal, Joe. “Biden’s primary 2024 outside PAC propelled by dark money group flooded with cash from mysterious entity.” Fox News, July 21, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bidens-primary-2024-outside-pac-propelled-by-dark-money-group-flooded-with-cash-from-mysterious-entity
  12. “PAC Profile: Future Forward USA.” Open Secrets. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://www.opensecrets.org/spending-section.
  13. “Summary.” Open Secrets. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/summary.
  14. Schleifer, Theodore; Goldmacher, Shane. “Inside the Secretive $700 Million Ad-Testing Factory for Kamala Harris.” New York Times. October 17, 2024. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/17/us/elections/future-forward-kamala-harris-ads.html.
  15. Fang, Lee. “Kamala Harris SuperPAC Spent Lavishly on Firms Owned by PAC Leadership.” Lee Fang. November 13, 2024. Accessed February 15, 2025. https://www.leefang.com/p/kamala-harris-superpac-spent-lavishly.
  16. Fang, Lee. “Kamala Harris SuperPAC Spent Lavishly on Firms Owned by PAC Leadership.” Lee Fang, November 13, 2024. https://www.leefang.com/p/kamala-harris-superpac-spent-lavishly
  17. Sinclair, Sebastian “Cryptocurrency CEO Donated Second-Largest Amount to Joe Biden’s Campaign” Coin Desk. November 5, 2020. June 5, 2021. https://money.yahoo.com/cryptocurrency-ceo-donated-second-largest-090845495.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADIvu5cFvZeSEDAxNjj6884zuY4L0NMc5w-8hW-_MX-fW1xJt2Z3MWbxXGtcsuzQKb2NAf5wd80Z1XeBubK-VExTo_MAlphf7J-3GJGc0dXs_i5t0ZAWXyBVMtj6XVNkb-eHxdaLn-BeI-u0cMuLlMGdYRFfvddcqaeymJXztp7A
  18.  Greenberg, Will. “A Closer Look at the Top Democratic Super PAC Future Forward” BlueTent. March 9, 2021. Accessed June 6, 2021. https://bluetent.us/arenas/campaigns-elections/how-future-forward-became-a-leading-liberal-super-pac/
  19. Rutenberg, Jim. “Data You Can Believe In” New York Times. June 20, 2013. Accessed June 5, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/magazine/the-obama-campaigns-digital-masterminds-cash-in.html
  20. “Chauncey McLean” LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/chauncey-mclean-753a8b74/
  21. “About Us” Berkeley Yeast. https://berkeleyyeast.com/about
  22. “Forward Future Usa Action Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/824170762/202433209349325328/full.
  23. “Kate Wilson-Melin.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-wilson-melin-7a56bba0/
  24. “Gaurav Shirole.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/gshirole/.
  25. “Jon Fromowitz.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-fromowitz-3922934/.
  26. Fang, Lee. “Kamala Harris SuperPAC Spent Lavishly on Firms Owned by PAC Leadership.” Lee Fang. November 13, 2024. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://www.leefang.com/p/kamala-harris-superpac-spent-lavishly.
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