Raja Krishnamoorthi

Raja Krishnamoorthi

DemocraticU.S. Senate (Illinois)
↗ Campaign site↗ FEC filing (S6IL00482)

Raised

$30,481,290

THE JACKET

Who funds Raja Krishnamoorthi?

$30,481,290

Source: https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/S6IL00482/

transfer$19,285,171(77%)
outside_pac$5,500,000(22%)
aipac$250,000(1%)
pac$120,000(0%)
individual$42,000(0%)
transferoutside_pacaipacpacindividual
DonorCategoryAmountStatus
Friends of Raja for Congress (prior House committee — transfer)transfer$19,285,171confirmed
Dr. Bharat Barai (Modi ally, Hindu nationalist event organizer)individual$35,000confirmed
Fairshake (Crypto Industry Super PAC — outside independent expenditure)outside_pac$5,500,000confirmed
Pro-Israel / AIPAC-aligned donors (career total)aipac$250,000alleged/pending
Corporate PACs — Big Tech and defense contractors (aggregate)pac$120,000confirmed
Lanny Darr (personal injury attorney, Alton IL)individual$7,000confirmed
Krishnamoorthi is the nation's 2nd-highest fundraising federal candidate in the 2026 cycle, having raised $30.5M. Donor composition is the central controversy of his campaign: $90,000+ from Trump/MAGA-aligned donors, $120,000+ from corporate PACs of Trump White House donors, $35,000 from a Modi-ally connected to Hindu nationalist groups, and sustained AIPAC-aligned donor support. He has also benefited from $5.5M+ in Fairshake (crypto PAC, a16z-funded) outside spending attacking Stratton. Krishnamoorthi contests the characterization, saying he has 90,000+ donors over a decade. (Sources: Chicago Tribune 3/10/2026, Chicago Sun-Times 12/8/2025, Capitol News Illinois 3/10/2026)

Red Flags

🚩aipacAIPAC Endorsement + Pro-Israel Donor Network ($250K+ career)

AIPAC endorsed Krishnamoorthi for his 2024 House reelection. He has received over $250K from pro-Israel lobby groups over his career per OpenSecrets. He voted yes on $26.4B in emergency military aid to Israel (H.R. 8034, April 2024) and yes on release of withheld weapons (H.R. 8369, May 2024). AIPAC is officially neutral in the IL Senate race but its donor network is active in his Senate campaign.

Source: → https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/raja-krishnamoorthi/summary?cid=N00030676

🚩dark-moneyCrypto Industry PAC (Fairshake) — Funded by Trump Megadonors

Fairshake, a crypto industry PAC primarily funded by Coinbase and Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), has spent $5.5M+ attacking Stratton and $8.2M total per AdImpact. Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen, the firm's principals, gave $11M to MAGA Inc. (Trump PAC) per the New York Times. Fairshake also funds Protect Progress PAC, which spent $89,900 supporting Kelly. Krishnamoorthi has benefited substantially from this outside spending ecosystem without direct coordination.

Source: → https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/outside-groups-spending-big-on-illinois-senate-race/

🚩dark-moneyMAGA/Trump-Aligned Donor Network — $90K+ Confirmed

The Chicago Sun-Times reported December 8, 2025 that Krishnamoorthi accepted more than $90,000 from Trump/MAGA-aligned donors. Specifically named: Shyam Sankar, CTO of Palantir (ICE contractor, gave $260K+ to Republican causes in 2025); Marc Andreessen (Trump adviser who gave $11M to MAGA Inc.); Michael Pillsbury (Project 2025 contributor, Heritage Foundation). He also accepted $120K+ from corporate PACs of companies donating to Trump's White House ballroom construction.

Source: → https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2025/12/08/raja-krishnamoorthi-senate-campaign-donors-trump-allies-maga-money

🚩foreign-influenceHindu Nationalist Donor Network — Tribune Investigation

The Chicago Tribune (March 10, 2026) identified contributors affiliated with Hindu nationalist organizations: the Hindu American Foundation, Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, and Overseas Friends of BJP. A 2025 Rutgers Center for Security, Race, and Rights report describes such groups as belonging to 'a transnational far-right political ideology grounded in Hindu supremacy.' Key donor: Dr. Bharat Barai, who gave ~$35,000 since 2016, has organized Hindu nationalist events and helped arrange a 2019 Houston rally with PM Modi and Trump where Krishnamoorthi appeared. State Sen. Ram Villivalam refused to speak at a 2018 Hindu Congress event over nationalist ties. Krishnamoorthi has not returned these donations.

Source: → https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/10/raja-krishnamoorthi-fundraising-illinois-senate/

⚠️workplaceFormer Staffers: Near-Singular Focus on Fundraising, Harsh Treatment of Employees

Chicago Tribune (March 10, 2026) interviewed nearly a dozen ex-campaign and congressional employees who spoke anonymously. They described: Krishnamoorthi's 'near-singular focus' on fundraising; alleged $10K daily fundraising goals; being 'harsh with employees.' One former staffer described a 2019 incident on the NJ Turnpike where Krishnamoorthi urged the driver to speed above 80 mph to make a third fundraiser, then invoked his Congressional status when stopped by state police. Krishnamoorthi told the Tribune he had no specific memory of the event but acknowledged 'speeding once or twice.' He denied harshly criticizing staffers.

Source: → https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/10/raja-krishnamoorthi-fundraising-illinois-senate/

Bio

Raja Krishnamoorthi was born in New Delhi, India and immigrated to the United States as a child, growing up in Normal and Peoria, Illinois. He earned an A.B. from Harvard University and a J.D. from Princeton University (Woodrow Wilson School and Princeton Law). He worked as an Associate at Sidley Austin LLP (2003–2005), served as Special Assistant Attorney General of Illinois (2005–2006), and was Deputy Treasurer of Illinois under then-Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (2009–2010). An unsuccessful 2010 Democratic primary bid for Illinois Comptroller (losing by 1 percentage point) raised over $1M. He was elected to IL-08 in 2016 and has served since January 2017. He sits on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and co-chairs the House Select Committee on China. He was a lead sponsor of H.R. 7521, the TikTok ban (Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act). He entered the Senate race as the clear frontrunner in fundraising, raising $30.5M total as of Feb. 25, 2026 — including $19.3M transferred from his House fund — making him the nation's second-highest fundraising federal candidate in this cycle (behind only Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff). He has faced sustained scrutiny over donors linked to MAGA figures, pro-Hindu nationalist groups, and the crypto industry. (Sources: Chicago Tribune, March 10, 2026; FEC S6IL00482; Wikipedia)

Prior office: U.S. Representative (IL-08, 2017–present); Deputy Treasurer of Illinois (2009–2010); Special Assistant Attorney General of Illinois (2005–2006)

Key Votes

  • yesH.R. 8034 — Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024

    Voted yes on $26.4B in emergency military aid to Israel. Passed 366-58 on April 20, 2024.

  • yesH.R. 8369 — Israel Security Assistance Support Act, 2024

    Voted yes to direct Biden to release withheld weapons to Israel. Passed 334-79 on May 15, 2024.

  • yesH.R. 7521 — Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (TikTok ban), 2024

    Krishnamoorthi was a lead sponsor. Requires ByteDance to divest TikTok or face US ban. Passed 316-94 on April 19, 2024.

  • noH. Res. 1099 — Reaffirming Iran as largest state sponsor of terrorism, 2026

    Voted nay on this bipartisan resolution. One of only 53 members to vote no. Passed 372-53 on March 5, 2026. Seen as a more skeptical foreign policy posture ahead of Senate primary.

  • noH.R. 2 — Laken Riley Act, 2026

    Voted nay on legislation requiring detention of undocumented immigrants arrested for certain crimes. Passed 341-79 on January 14, 2026.

  • yesH.R. 5376 — Inflation Reduction Act, 2022

    Voted yes on landmark climate/energy, healthcare and tax legislation. Passed 220-207.

  • yesH.R. 3684 — Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, 2021

    Voted yes on $1.2T bipartisan infrastructure bill. Passed 228-206. Signed Nov. 15, 2021.