Top Biden super PAC Future Forward’s finance decisions anger activists

Democratic activists are criticizing Future Forward, the super PAC anointed by President Biden's campaign, for not doing enough to help with outreach to various key demographics, including Hispanic and Black organizations, to help Biden win in November. 

In recent weeks, a number of Democratic organizations have approached the super PAC to ask for financial assistance and other help in reaching voters Biden needs to secure a victory. But sources said the groups have been turned away, even as the super PAC sits on a massive war chest of hundreds of millions of dollars. 

In some cases, the super PAC has told the organizations it would not give the groups money for their programs unless the organizations themselves could match it dollar for dollar. 

“If we could raise the money ourselves, we wouldn’t be talking to them in the first place,” said one source who has first-hand knowledge of their organization’s request to Future Forward.

The source told The Hill an ask for funding was made for multiple types of programs, including paid media and other vital campaign tactics, but it ultimately was turned down by Future Forward.

The Democratic activists and other operatives say the reason they're being denied the assistance is because the super PAC is holding the majority of the money for a major ad buy in the fall in the final weeks of the campaign. 

“We’re looking for help to reach specific voters that President Biden needs for reelection and we’re being told no,” the source said. 

“They’re anointed and they have s‑‑‑loads of money so they don’t need other people,” the source said referring to outside organizations representing various voting blocs who want to help Biden win reelection.  

“They think they have it all figured out,” the source added. 

The source said Future Forward has the ability to help fund certain programs already in place across a number of organizations instead of doing the work itself and starting from scratch. The funding would help with outreach and educating specific voting blocs on Biden's accomplishments.

“They have the keys and they’re not using them," the source said.  

The source and other Democrats interviewed by The Hill also expressed frustration that donors are being told to give strictly to Future Forward, which is the preferred super PAC backing the president's reelection bid, because it is run by people who have strong relationships with top Biden advisers. 

Aides to Future Forward would not comment on complaints from the Democratic organizations looking for help. 

But a source familiar with Future Forward's strategy said the super PAC is making a lot of grants and partnerships to help groups do their work and fundraise accordingly. And the super PAC is leaving it up to groups to announce those partnerships.

A second Democratic operative who has helped advise a super PAC said Future Forward needs to do a better job deploying resources and allowing other organizations to be helpful in the reelection effort. 

The sources say Future Forward is making a big mistake by not helping to boost these organizations right away. They say if former President Trump wins in November, not helping these groups will be among Democrats' biggest regrets in the presidential race.

“If Future Forward sits at the head of the table, they need to realize their strengths and weaknesses,” the operative said. “Sharing resources and making sure these groups have what they need is vital in the reelection of President Biden.”

“Future Forward can’t be everything to everyone,” the operative added. “With great power comes great responsibility and the question of ‘how do you use all the pieces on your chessboard effectively.’ I don’t think they’ve seemed to figure that part out yet.” 

Democratic strategist Brad Bannon said it makes sense for the super PAC to help these Democratic groups to help turn out the base, something that could be a pitfall for Biden. 

“These groups are closer to their constituencies and have more capacity to move votes on the ground than the Biden campaign so give them what they need,” Bannon said. “So if these groups need the money to turn out the base, they should make sure they have it.”

This isn’t the first time Democrats have had gripes with Future Forward’s strategy. 

The Hill reported in May that allies to the president were concerned the super PAC wasn’t doing enough in the late spring and early summer months to help build a narrative around the president in an effort to highlight his accomplishments. 

At the time, allies also complained the super PAC was sitting on an enormous amount of money, but since its January announcement of a record-breaking $250 million ad buy — which would begin around the convention and run through Election Day — it had done little to help boost Biden.

The complaints from Democrats came around the time that polls showed Trump leading in battleground states.

Earlier this month, the organization Climate Power announced it would partner with Future Forward, investing in an additional $50 million in advertising across six states over two months to educate voters about lower drug costs, as well as increased spending on clean energy and pollution reduction efforts that Biden has supported. 

One of the ads, “Facts,” is intended to speak to Black voters. “Fact: Black Americans are exposed to 56 percent more pollution than they produce,” the ad says. “Over 1 million Black Americans live within half a mile of a polluter. Two times as many Black children suffer from asthma. 

“At risk our air, water, health,” the ad continues before touting Biden’s climate accomplishments.

Part of that education effort includes Spanish-language ads that are airing across key states on television, streaming and digital platforms. 

A strategist close to the super PAC said the ads show that Future Forward is already speaking to minority groups and educating them on Biden’s successes as president. 

But one strategist said more needs to be done. “Energy is not a top Latino issue, not even top 5 I don’t think.” 

Other Democrats still say more needs to be done on the early side to educate the voters Biden needs to win — like Hispanic and Black voters — especially ahead of next week’s presidential debate, where Biden and Trump will face off on stage for the first time since the 2020 race. 

“They did all that work to get the money but no one knows what they’re actually doing to deploy resources and help educate voters and the time to do that is now,” the operative said. “And if Biden slips in the polls this summer, donors are going to grow really antsy about what they’re actually doing.” 

A second strategist close to the Biden campaign agreed.

“They’re not a bank, so I’m sympathetic on some level, but they should be looking to help some of these organizations who can help reach voters where they can’t,” the strategist said. “And they should be doing this now. We’re almost in July.”