Rep. Bruce Braley (D., Iowa) has railed against spending by Republican-aligned outside groups in the state’s Senate race this year.
However, the Democratic Senate candidate has benefited from more ad spending by such groups than has his Republican opponent Joni Ernst, according to campaign finance records.
Braley urged his campaign supporters in recent emails to sign an online petition "calling for a roll back" of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The 2010 ruling permitted corporations and unions to spend money either supporting or attacking an individual candidate, but did not allow them to give directly to campaigns.
Braley called Citizens United "one of the greatest threats to our democracy" in one email.
"Citizens United gives a massive advantage to billionaires like the Koch brothers," he said, referring to libertarian philanthropists Charles and David Koch—frequent targets of criticism from the left. "It lets them buy influence in our elections that middle class Americans simply can’t afford."
According to records compiled by the Sunlight Foundation, outside groups empowered by Citizens United have actually spent more on behalf of Braley than they have for Ernst.
Those groups have spent almost $6.5 million either for Braley or against Ernst, while about $4.85 million has been spent either for Ernst or against Braley. Groups have spent almost $4 million more on attack ads against Ernst, compared to ads targeting Braley.
Some of the heavy hitters aligned with Braley in the race have purchased more media than groups backing Ernst. Senate Majority PAC, the super PAC tied to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.), has bought nearly $2.6 million worth of ads to benefit Braley. The super PAC is funded by prominent Democratic donors and has been the largest independent spender in the 2014 election cycle. One of those donors, billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer, has used his outside group to bolster Braley’s chances. The NextGen Climate Action Committee has financed almost $250,000 worth of direct mail and digital ads to support Braley.
Groups aligned with Ernst, by contrast, have spent a smaller sum. The Koch-backed Freedom Partners Action Fund has purchased about $710,000 worth of TV ads. American Crossroads, the super PAC co-founded by GOP operative Karl Rove, has spent about $1 million on ads.
Braley has previously rebuked Republican politicians who were supported by outside spending. At an April 2010 hearing for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, he blasted Gov. Scott Walker (R., Wisc.) for the "outside secret money" spent on his behalf.
"You mentioned the TV ads that groups from Washington ran against you, and yet you yourself had a large amount of support from secret donor groups like the ones that attacked me and my campaign," Braley said. "Are you willing to go on the record here today and denounce the influence of outside secret money in political campaign ads?"
The Republican Party of Iowa slammed Braley for benefiting from outside spending while condemning its use in campaigns.
"Bruce Braley is the Congressman who cried wolf, because his campaign is funded through practices that he’s supposedly against," said Jahan Wilcox, party spokesman, in an emailed statement. "It's just another example of Braley saying one thing and doing another."
The Braley campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
The Iowa Senate race remains one of the closest contests in the country, according to the Real Clear Politics poll average. The seat could be crucial to determining whether Republicans gain a majority in the Senate.