# Innovation Council Action A $100 million AI industry super PAC created for the 2026 midterm elections, led by [[Taylor Budowich]] (former Trump Deputy Chief of Staff and January 6 advertising operative) and endorsed by [[David Sacks]] (Trump's former AI and Crypto Czar). The group represents the AI industry's explicit alignment with MAGA — created because Trump allies were reportedly dissatisfied that earlier tech PACs like Fairshake weren't exclusively promoting his candidates. ## Structure Innovation Council Action is currently organized as a **nonprofit**, meaning it is: - **Not required to disclose donors** to the public - **Not required to file with the FEC** under its current structure - Operating as a classic dark-money vehicle — industry funding with zero transparency This structure mirrors the dark-money mechanics [[Taylor Budowich]] used during the January 6 rally financing, where 501(c)(4) nonprofits were used to funnel donor money (including from [[Julie Jenkins Fancelli]]) without disclosure. ## Leadership and Endorsements | Role | Person | Background | |------|--------|------------| | **Leader** | [[Taylor Budowich]] | Former [[MAGA Inc.]] executive director, Trump Deputy CoS, January 6 ad buyer | | **Endorser** | [[David Sacks]] | Former White House AI/Crypto Czar, [[Craft Ventures]] GP, [[PayPal Mafia]] | The selection of Budowich — a January 6 operative with no AI industry background — signals that the PAC's primary function is MAGA political alignment, not AI policy expertise. The AI industry is purchasing access to the Trump political machine. ## The MAGA-Exclusive Mandate Innovation Council Action was created to solve a specific political problem: earlier tech PACs supported candidates from both parties, which angered Trump allies who wanted exclusive MAGA alignment. The distinction from prior tech PACs: - **Fairshake** (crypto): Bipartisan — spent on both Rs and Ds, maintained affiliated PACs for each party - **Leading the Future** (AI): $125M for 2026, reportedly more bipartisan - **Innovation Council Action**: MAGA-exclusive — designed to support only pro-Trump, pro-AI, anti-regulation candidates This represents the explicit politicization of AI industry lobbying — moving from "support whoever helps us" to "support Trump's faction specifically." ## The $300M AI Spending Landscape (2026) Innovation Council Action brings total AI industry 2026 election spending to approximately **$300 million**: | PAC / Group | Budget | Orientation | |-------------|--------|-------------| | **Leading the Future** | ~$125M | Bipartisan / pro-AI | | **Innovation Council Action** | ~$100M | MAGA-exclusive / pro-AI | | **Other AI-aligned PACs** | ~$75M+ | Various | | **Total** | **~$300M** | | For context, this is on top of the crypto industry's $116M+ reserved for 2026 via [[Crypto Super PACs]] like Fairshake. Combined tech political spending for 2026 midterms could exceed **$400M**. ## The Dark Money Pipeline The Innovation Council represents the evolution of a specific dark-money pipeline: 1. **2021 (January 6)**: [[Julie Jenkins Fancelli]]'s money → 501(c)(4) nonprofits → [[Taylor Budowich]] directs $200K in rally advertising 2. **2022-2024**: Budowich runs MAGA Inc. + founds Securing American Greatness (dark-money nonprofit arm) 3. **2024-2025**: Budowich serves as Trump Deputy Chief of Staff (Communications and Personnel) 4. **2026**: Budowich leads Innovation Council Action — same dark-money playbook, now funded by AI industry billions instead of Publix heiress millions The infrastructure that built the January 6 crowd is now being used to advance AI industry deregulation. ## The Sacks Connection [[David Sacks]]'s endorsement links Innovation Council Action to the broader Silicon Valley-to-Washington pipeline: - Sacks served as Trump's AI and Crypto Czar (one of the first such positions) - His venture firm Craft Ventures has significant AI portfolio companies - He is part of the [[Andreessen Horowitz]] / PayPal Mafia network that also funds [[Crypto Super PACs]] - His endorsement signals that the same tech elite funding crypto political spending are now funding AI political spending through MAGA-aligned channels ## Policy Goals While specific policy targets haven't been fully disclosed, the PAC's orientation suggests priorities including: - Blocking or weakening AI safety regulation - Supporting executive orders favorable to AI deployment - Electing candidates who oppose algorithmic accountability legislation - Preserving industry self-regulation over federal AI oversight - Protecting AI companies from liability frameworks ## Significance Innovation Council Action represents the moment the AI industry chose to buy political protection through MAGA alignment rather than through bipartisan lobbying. By hiring a January 6 operative to run a $100M dark-money operation endorsed by Trump's AI czar, the industry revealed that it views regulatory capture through political loyalty as more effective than policy expertise. The dark-money structure ensures the public will never know which AI companies are funding which candidates — the same opacity that characterized the January 6 rally financing. ## See Also - [[AI Political Spending Ecosystem]] - [[Crypto Super PACs]] - [[Crypto-Political Machine]] - [[Taylor Budowich]] - [[David Sacks]] - [[Julie Jenkins Fancelli]] - [[Defense Tech Conflicts of Interest]] - [[Revolving Door]]