Dark-Money Push Uses Micro-Influencers to Target Illinois 9th District Candidate

A Florida-based online influencer known as Amanda Informed was approached with a lucrative, hush-hush offer: post a single negative message about Kat Abughazaleh on Instagram and TikTok, for a payment of $1,500. The outreach came from a little-known political group called Democracy Unmuted and was forwarded to Amanda by Matt Anthes, founder of Advocators, a political micro-influencer marketing outfit.

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What the brief asked Amanda to do was straightforward in its intent: persuade about 100,000 followers to question Abughazaleh’s qualifications. Democracy Unmuted described its aim as “engag[ing] voters” and urged creators to probe beyond flashy personalities, asking why certain candidates are running and what they stand for. The talking points focused on Abughazaleh’s perceived flaws—her inexperience, wealthy background, potential housing arrangements with a partner in another neighborhood, and her status as a relatively new figure in the district.

“Kat’s campaign appears designed for attention rather than impact,” read one line in the brief.

When MS NOW pressed Abughazaleh for a comment, she shared a prepared statement labeling the material as “false and defamatory claims about Kat’s background and campaign,” while calling for transparency around who funds political influence campaigns and whether any groups coordinate behind the scenes. Amanda ultimately declined the job, telling MS NOW she wouldn’t participate unless the funding source could be clearly traced to legitimate, non-nefarious origins.

“The money didn’t feel right coming from someone who’s not disclosing where the money is coming from,” Amanda told MS NOW. “I want to ensure it’s coming from a source that isn’t meddling with elections.”

Illinois’ 9th Congressional District is in the spotlight as Democratic contender recruitment reaches a fever pitch. The race to replace retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky has drawn about 15 candidates and has become one of the nation’s costliest primaries. The leading contenders—Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, state Senator Laura Fine, and Abughazaleh, a former journalist for Media Matters—have sewed up substantial fundraising, with dark-money groups also funneling millions into the contest. In recent polls, Abughazaleh has narrowed the gap with Biss, and the primary is just days away.

Even as Abughazaleh gained ground, a Biss campaign spokesperson attributed his own vulnerability to “dark money attacks,” asserting that his race had faced more of these tactics than any other Illinois race.

It remains unclear who funded Democracy Unmuted. Anthes told Amanda the group was “not an official org yet” and declined to disclose funders, asserting they were “individuals from the IL area who have served in the highest offices and been at top of their game in the media.” The Democracy Unmuted site itself appeared sparse: no “about” page, no contact details, and no filings found with the Federal Election Commission or with Illinois’ secretary of state.

“Dark money groups have grown to exercise tremendous influence,” commented Abigail Bellows, senior policy director for anti-corruption and accountability at Common Cause. “With many competitive races, these groups can appear overnight, and their opaque mechanisms undermine voters and trust.”

Anthes’ email indicated the campaign work—along with other clients—was being carried out by Upstart Factory, a digital marketing agency listed as his partner, while Advocators has previously worked with established organizations like the American Heart Association and the United Nations.

MS NOW reached out to Anthes for comment about the Democratic Unmuted campaign, but he declined to reveal client identities, insisting that all practices comply with existing FEC rules and that no disclosures were being violated.

The exact number of creators involved in the Democracy Unmuted effort remains uncertain. MS NOW located several recent videos that appeared to echo the campaign’s framing and messaging. One Missouri-based progressive creator, Justin Kralemann, recited sentences aligned with the brief’s talking points, mispronouncing Abughazaleh’s name and urging viewers to consider “who is running and why.” A post by The Woke Ginger echoed similar lines and urged viewers to “look past viral personalities and ask who is running and why.” Kralemann subsequently removed his posts and later stated he was not paid for the content, adding he regretted posting and wished Abughazaleh the best in the primary.

Brandy Zadrozny, who reported on the matter, notes that this kind of campaign crosses into the realm of influencer marketing merged with dark-money political activity, raising questions about funding, transparency, and the integrity of electoral discourse.

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Note: Brandy Zadrozny is a senior enterprise reporter for MS NOW, with a background as a senior enterprise reporter for NBC News.