Hawkeye Reporter

Bob Start made the largest political donation in the state during the week ending Dec. 21, 2024, giving $22,314 to the Bob Start For Supervisor on Dec. 18, 2024, according to Iowa.gov.

According to OpenSecrets, Iowans have contributed more than $30 million during the 2024 election cycle.

What’s known as “dark money,” which comes from political non-profits and shell corporations, has greatly increased expenditures and donations in recent elections to record-breaking highs. For the 2024 federal elections, independent expenditures have reached a record $4.5 billion, with over half of the spending coming from organizations that do not fully disclose their funding sources.

Donations made to political groups or candidates must be disclosed under state law for greater transparency in elections.

Disclosures of political contributions can be unclear or murky due to gaps in information and misreporting.

Committee	Contributor	Amount	Date
Bob Start For Supervisor	Bob Start	$22,314	12/18/2024
Mandy Moody for Iowa	Allison Castle	$34	12/18/2024