Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has called on high-ranking Democratic Party leaders to crack down on billionaire and corporate-backed spending in primary races despite endorsing candidates affiliated with billionaire-aligned funding networks.
In a recent letter to DNC Chair Ken Martin and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the Democratic socialist and several Democratic senators called on the party to require all primary candidates “to pledge opposition” to such funding. 
Left-wing Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) also signed on.
The demand reflects Sanders’ longtime critique of dark money and his broader focus on reducing the influence of what he describes as “the oligarchy.” 
Political action committees do play an outsized role in American politics, thanks to a <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/558/08-205/index.pdf">landmark 2010 Supreme Court ruling</a> allowing super PACs and corporations to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money. 
“If the Democrats are going to be honest and consistent in terms of their concerns about money and politics, they’ve got to clean up, in my view, their own house immediately,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/27/us/bernie-sanders-super-pacs-democrats-primaries.html">Sanders told the New York Times.</a> “That means getting super PACs out of Democratic primaries, congressional as well as presidential.”
Sanders’ purity push clashes with his own endorsements, as he has recently backed candidates tied to political networks that receive significant funding from wealthy donors.
Two of those candidates, <a href="https://x.com/BernieSanders/status/1960828546898698364">Bob Brooks </a>in Pennsylvania’s 7th District and <a href="https://x.com/BernieSanders/status/2008240587900592331">Sam Forstag</a> in Montana’s 1st District, are supported by The Bench, a left-wing group devoted to “recruiting and supporting the next generation of Democratic leaders.” 
“Getting these campaigns off the ground is hard, especially in districts where Democrats don’t usually compete. That’s where The Bench comes in. We help strong candidates launch with the tools they need to succeed—from communications and digital strategy to fundraising and staffing—so they can focus on what matters most: talking with voters and winning tough races,” <a href="https://www.thebench.org/about/">the group states. </a>
An investigation by <a href="https://www.levernews.com/the-new-democratic-machine-and-the-billionaires-behind-it/">The Lever, an investigative news outlet,</a> dove into the financial network behind The Bench and a related group, Majority Democrats, describing the two super PACS as part of a “new Democratic machine” fueled in part by billionaire donors. 
The Lever reported that the new fundraising machines are “both tied to a single venture capitalist-turned-secretive Democratic adviser.” 
“Under this umbrella, the influence network is dispersing millions through a sophisticated nesting doll of political action committees (PACs), nonprofits, consultancies, and LLCs, while sharing the same big-money donors, political consultants, and often the same policy proposals,” the report said. 
Both The Bench and Majority Democrats appear “to be intervening in campaigns’ day-to-day operations to an unprecedented degree,” according to The Lever. Both super PACs have raised $8 million this year, mostly from tycoons like hedge-fund manager Stephen Mandel and Nvidia board member Tench Coxe, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/billionaires-dark-money-fuel-questions-ahead-of-2026-midterms/?ref=levernews.com">CBS reported this month.</a>
The Bench is also backing candidates in battleground districts facing crowded primaries, including <a href="https://www.thebench.org/candidates/marlene-galan-woods/">Arizona’s 1st</a>, <a href="https://www.thebench.org/candidates/shannon-bird/">Colorado’s 8th</a>, <a href="https://www.thebench.org/candidates/matt-maasdam/">Michigan’s 7th</a>, <a href="https://www.thebench.org/candidates/denise-powell/">Nebraska’s 2nd</a>, <a href="https://www.thebench.org/candidates/cait-conley/">New York’s 17th</a>, and <a href="https://www.thebench.org/candidates/johnny-garcia/">Texas’s 35th.</a>
The Daily Wire reached out to Sen. Sanders&#8217; office for comment, but did not hear back in time for publication.
DNC Chair Martin, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/27/us/bernie-sanders-super-pacs-democrats-primaries.html">according to the New York Times,</a> “couldn’t agree more” with Sanders&#8217; demands but said the entire party would have to step up and make commitments to rid dark money from primaries.  
“Real, permanent, pervasive change will require all of our partners — across the legislative branch and the entire Democratic ecosystem — to join together in this work,” he said.

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Bernie-Backed Candidates Affiliate With Billionaire-Backed Groups