Media Watchdog Attacking 'Dark Money' Unsurprisingly Also Receives 'Dark Money'

Oh, Center for Media and Democracy, how could you?

MADISON, Wis. — Two weeks ago, the liberal Center for Media and Democracy kicked off a national campaign to reveal the identities of anonymous contributors to conservative groups in an effort to unseat the GOP governor here.

Now the group may have to answer embarrassing questions about its own finances.

A Watchdog.org review of financial documents reveals the Madison-based CMD, which bills itself as a journalism organization, received $520,000 in 2011 from the Schwab Charitable Fund. That's 60 percent of the $864,740 CMD received that year.

CMD lists no donors on its tax returns, but its website identifies numerous financial backers without any financial data. Several are highlighted in bold and labeled "current donors." But one important name is missing: Schwab.