Republican Outside Groups Balance Out Democrats’ Cash

Republican-leaning groups that don’t disclose their donors are raising and spending millions of dollars on the U.S. congressional elections, helping make up for the party’s fundraising deficit.

Five organizations alone reported spending more than $5 million since Aug. 1 on so-called electioneering communications, compared with less than $200,000 for Democratic-leaning groups, Federal Election Commission data show. Millions of dollars in other spending to influence the Nov. 2 elections doesn’t have to be reported because the ads don’t mention specific candidates.