AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, has been heavily involved in the Missouri congressional election, particularly in its efforts to unseat Representative Cori Bush. The organization’s super PAC, United Democracy Project, has spent a staggering $7 million thus far in an attempt to remove Bush from office. Recently, The Intercept reviewed mailers funded by AIPAC, which featured distorted images of Bush. These images manipulated her features, making her forehead appear larger and elongating her overall appearance.
Bush was quick to condemn these ads, accusing them of perpetuating racist caricatures and targeting candidates based on their ethnicity. She expressed her disappointment in the fact that such blatant racism is still present in political campaigns, especially within the Democratic primary. Bush emphasized that the people of St. Louis deserve better treatment and called for her opponent to denounce the ads and apologize to the district.
Despite these concerns, United Democracy Project did not respond to requests for comment regarding the controversial mailers. AIPAC, known as a leading pro-Israel lobbying group, has been a major player in this election cycle, contributing to the record-breaking expenses of House primaries. According to Sludge, AIPAC played a significant role in raising campaign funds for Bush’s Democratic opponent, Wesley Bell, who serves as the St. Louis County prosecutor. However, neither United Democracy Project nor Bell’s campaign provided any comments on the matter.
The photo used in the AIPAC mailers was sourced from an article in the Missouri Independent. However, the Missouri Independent stated that AIPAC’s use of the photo violated its site rules. As a nonprofit news organization, they do not permit campaigns or political groups to use their photography. The editor-in-chief of the Missouri Independent, Jason Hancock, expressed his disapproval of AIPAC using their photos without permission, emphasizing that it violated their terms of use.
These mailers are just the latest examples of a long history of ads that distort candidates’ skin color and facial features, relying on racist tropes. Bush’s campaign revealed that her 2020 opponent, former Democratic Representative William Lacy Clay, also darkened her skin in ads. Similarly, during the 2020 Georgia Senate race, Republican ads darkened Raphael Warnock’s skin and enlarged Jon Ossoff’s nose. AIPAC’s targeting of Bush is part of a broader effort to remove progressive Squad members from office. Last month, the organization spent over $17 million to unseat Representative Jamaal Bowman in New York.
AIPAC has traditionally been known for its behind-the-scenes lobbying efforts but has recently expanded its electoral presence by directly contributing to candidates. In 2021, the organization launched two new political action committees, including United Democracy Project. These new electoral investments have primarily been aimed at ousting progressive members of Congress. AIPAC has become one of the largest outside spenders in this election cycle, drawing funding from Republicans, right-wing billionaires, and megadonors.
In addition to funding negative ads, AIPAC has invested in other campaign activities such as phone banking and get-out-the-vote calls. Their financial support played a significant role in making the election between Bowman and Bush the most expensive House Democratic primary in history. Justice Democrats, a progressive group supporting Bush, called on Bell’s campaign to denounce the racist ads. They criticized AIPAC for promoting outright racism and demanded an apology to the people of St. Louis for allowing such behavior in the Democratic primary.
