Quid Pro Quo (QPQ) Tracker
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Entity DossierOrganization

AARP

DC · US

Tracked direct giving

$0

LDA reported lobbying spend

$43,052,500

Connections

18

Outside Spending and Dark Money

Dark money is election spending by organizations that do not disclose their donors: 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations, 501(c)(6) trade associations, and similar non-committee filers (FEC Form 5 and Form 9). Registered super PACs also make independent expenditures. But they itemize their donors with the FEC, so their spending is not dark money. Figures below are never combined with disclosed-donor totals.

IRS 990 Schedule I Grant Chain

Grants between nonprofits reported on IRS Form 990 Schedule I. Grants between organizations are one route for dark money. A nonprofit may receive a grant from one entity and then spend that money on election ads.

IRS 990 Schedule I grants received

$209,413

GrantorAmountTax YearPurpose
AARP FOUNDATION$209,4132024GRANTS TO SUPPORT CHARITABLE SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAMS

Source: IRS Form 990 Schedule I (Grants and Other Assistance to Organizations) via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer and IRS 990 XML e-files. Grant amounts represent the most recent filing year available.

IRS 990 data lags a year or more behind filing. Grants shown are for the stated tax year and do not establish current-cycle funding.

Methodology Disclosure

Dark money figures are derived from FEC Form 5 (independent expenditures by non-committee organizations) and Form 9 (electioneering communications). These filings capture spending on ads and election communications but do not reveal the identity of the organization's donors. QPQ totals may differ from benchmarks like the Brennan Center's estimates. QPQ includes all Form 5 filers, while some benchmarks count only a subset of non-disclosing nonprofits. Grant chain data is from IRS Form 990 Schedule I and may not include all years or all grantee organizations.

Lobbying Activity Detail

Disclosed lobbying expenditures from LDA filings where this entity is the client. Dollar amounts represent what was reported to the Senate Office of Public Records.

Top Lobbying Issues

HCRHealth Issues
$62.8M
BUDBudget/Appropriations
$62.7M
TAXTaxation/Internal Revenue Code
$62.7M
LBRLabor/Employment
$61.8M
MMMMedicare/Medicaid
$61.7M
TECScience/Technology
$61.6M
TRATransportation
$61.6M
RETRetirement
$61.6M
CIVCivil Rights
$61.6M
PHAPharmacy
$61.1M

Lobbying Firms Retained

In-house lobbyists (filed as its own registrant)$65.3M
CORNERSTONE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, INC.$650K
THORN RUN PARTNERS$640K
Alignment Government Strategies$480K
ARTICLE ONE GROUP, LLC$480K
THEGROUP DC, LLC$300K
Watkins & Eager, PLLC$280K
HARPER & BAILEY GOVERNMENTAL SOLUTIONS LLC$250K
SQUIRE PATTON BOGGS$240K
H&M STRATEGIES LLP$180K
REINECKE STRATEGIC SOLUTIONS, INC.$100K
CM STRATEGIC, LLC$80K
PACESETTER STRATEGIES FORMERLY KNOWN AS K. BLACK STRATEGIES LLC$0
MRS. EMILY HETHERINGTON$0

Bills Referenced in Lobbying Filings

PBM

Lobbying data from Senate LDA filings and the LobbyView dataset (MIT/NSF, CC-BY-4.0). Dollar figures represent disclosed expenditures only and may not capture all influence activity. Issue codes follow the LDA general issue classification.

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Relationships

TypeConnected ToDetailsSource
RetainedH&M STRATEGIES LLPHired H&M STRATEGIES LLP to lobby on Tech / AISource
Lobbied onInsulin Price Caps - State-Level LegislationLDA filing: lobbied on Insulin Price Caps, period 1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31), reported amount $3,850,000Source
Lobbied onPharmacy Benefit Manager Reform ActLDA filing: lobbied on PBM Reform Act, period 1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31), reported amount $4,370,000Source
Lobbied onPrior Authorization Reform (Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act)LDA filing: lobbied on Prior Authorization Reform, period 1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31), reported amount $3,850,000Source
Lobbied onSugar Reform Act (S.832, 118th Congress)LDA filing: lobbied on Sugar Reform Act, period 2nd Quarter (Apr 1 - June 30), reported amount $5,120,000Source
RetainedSQUIRE PATTON BOGGSHired SQUIRE PATTON BOGGS to lobby (1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2023)Source
RetainedMRS. EMILY HETHERINGTONHired MRS. EMILY HETHERINGTON to lobby (1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2023)Source
RetainedARTICLE ONE GROUP, LLCHired ARTICLE ONE GROUP, LLC to lobby (1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2023)Source
RetainedPACESETTER STRATEGIES FORMERLY KNOWN AS K. BLACK STRATEGIES LLCHired PACESETTER STRATEGIES FORMERLY KNOWN AS K. BLACK STRATEGIES LLC to lobby (2nd Quarter (Apr 1 - June 30) 2023)Source
RetainedWatkins & Eager, PLLCHired WATKINS & EAGER PLLC to lobby (1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2023)Source
RetainedREINECKE STRATEGIC SOLUTIONS, INC.Hired REINECKE STRATEGIC SOLUTIONS, INC. to lobby (1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2023)Source
RetainedHARPER & BAILEY GOVERNMENTAL SOLUTIONS LLCHired HARPER & BAILEY GOVERNMENTAL SOLUTIONS LLC to lobby (4th Quarter (Oct 1 - Dec 31) 2024)Source
RetainedTHORN RUN PARTNERSHired THORN RUN PARTNERS to lobby (1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2023)Source
RetainedAlignment Government StrategiesHired ALIGNMENT GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES to lobby (1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2023)Source
RetainedCORNERSTONE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, INC.Hired CORNERSTONE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, INC. to lobby (2nd Quarter (Apr 1 - June 30) 2023)Source
RetainedTHEGROUP DC, LLCHired THEGROUP DC, LLC to lobby (1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2025)Source
RetainedCM STRATEGIC, LLCHired CM STRATEGIC, LLC to lobby (1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2026)Source
Received money fromAARP FOUNDATIONIRS 990 Schedule I grant of $209,413 (tax year 2024). Purpose: GRANTS TO SUPPORT CHARITABLE SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAMSSource