AIPAC ends direct contributions to US congressional candidates, while maintaining super PAC

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) informed members on Wednesday that it will cease officially endorsing US congressional candidates or directly fundraising on their behalf, just five years after it began the practice.

But while the pro-Israel lobby will halt such operations through its political action committee, it will continue operating its United Democracy Project super PAC, which can spend unlimited sums in congressional races but not coordinate directly with candidates.

In an email to members first reported by Jewish Insider, AIPAC’s leadership says the group will “prioritize increasing direct, organized contributions from individual Americans to candidates.”

That was how AIPAC operated before establishing both a political action committee and super PAC in 2021, in what some analysts say helped contribute to the deterioration of its image.

Since then, there has also been growing partisan polarization in the United States over Israel and a rapid deterioration in Democratic support for the country and its government.