The practice is considered standard operating procedure for campaigns and PACs. But the group behind the $9 million digital ad blitz is neither a campaign nor a PAC—at least not on paper. Instead, it's Courier Newsroom, liberal operative Tara McGowan's organization that pushes Democratic talking points under the guise of local "news" outlets.

Courier's Facebook ad spending—and its targeting tactics—reflect the extent to which Democrats rely on McGowan's media project to reach voters online. ...

McGowan launched Courier in 2019, posing for glossy profiles in mainstream media outlets such as Bloomberg. At its founding, Courier was owned by ACRONYM, McGowan's dark money group bankrolled by the likes of Hoffman and fellow liberal billionaire George Soros.