Barrett Calls Out Attack Dog 501(c)4 As Being Fed By 'Dark Money'

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 01/13/2026) U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte) rejected attacks made by a 501(c)(4) that he's cut Medicaid and Medicare funding, and shot back by questioning how the “dark money” group is organized.

During this campaign cycle, Michigan Families for Fair Care (MFFC) has spent more than $1 million on TV and internet advertisements criticizing Barrett, based on figures collected by AdImpact. Nearly all the spending came in the fourth quarter of 2024. Their claims, Barrett says, are false and misleading, “taking advantage of vulnerable people and preying on their emotions.”

He did not describe who funds the organization and why he considers it dark money. However, according to Influencewatch.org, the organization is funded by the Sixteen Thirty Fund – a left-leaning lobbying and advocacy organization created in 2009 that has long been called “a hub of dark money.” Because the organization is a 501(c)(4), it is not required to disclose its donors.

Barrett's media availability was noteworthy in that after numerous media outreaches by Michigan Families for Fair Care and related groups against politically vulnerable Republican members of Congress, Barrett finally hosted a press conference of his own in response.

The National Republican Congressional Committee echoed those same sentiments in a statement from spokesperson Zach Bannon denouncing the MFFC and quoting The Washington Examiner that there's “nothing local” about these campaigns against Barrett. They also gave way to more detail on the financing of the organization, attributing “more dark money" from George Soros – a Hungarian-American investor and philanthropist – as he's donated to Arabella Advisors who own The Sixteen Thirty Fund.

Barrett's press conference appeared to be preemptive to the MFFC's conference held later Tuesday evening to promote the new ad they're rolling out.

Jill Murphy, the regional organizing director with MFFC, said the ad aims to hold Barrett accountable for his record on voting to cut access to healthcare for working families and the tax breaks he's delivered to billionaires and corporations. The event featured local residents from the ad, as well as advocates who spoke about their fight for affordable healthcare.

Barrett challenged the stipulation made by the organization that he voted to cut funding for Medicare and Medicaid, and that he cut Medicaid for 260,000 Michiganders, saying “nothing could be further from the truth.” He added that the Medicare program remains in full effect and that the funding continues to increase each year under the 10-year budget projection.

Barrett pointed to the work he's done to “weed out” those who are taking advantage of Medicaid, attributing those to be illegal immigrants, those who have “graduated” out of the program and able-bodied single men who are not seeking out work. He stated that Democrats aren't worried about illegal immigrants because they are ineligible for the benefits anyway. However, Barrett suggests that many states refuse to engage in “meaningful verification” to ensure that the benefits are not going to them.

He also referred to having individuals periodically renew their eligibility to ensure the circumstances have not improved, negating the need for benefits, as well as the reform requiring a 20-hour work requirement for able-bodied men. Barrett explained that Michigan cannot simply “perpetuate the status quo” under the Affordable Care Act because of the fraud that occurred in Minnesota.

He rejected a final claim that he gave massive tax breaks to billionaires, saying the highest tax bracket for billionaires remains 37%.

“We stand firmly on the position that Medicaid should not be used by people who are ineligible and taking advantage of hard-working Americans and the taxes that we pay that go to Washington, DC, without paying for those who we believe should be ineligible for the benefit of the program,” Barrett said.

MFFC's spokesperson Jose Soto maintains that Barrett voted for the largest Medicaid cuts in the program's 60-year history, leaving 10 million Americans without health insurance by 2034 because of it. He referred to the Congressional Budget Office estimate that the law would cut federal Medicaid spending by $911 billion over 10 years.

“He can't rewrite history just because the consequences of his vote are politically inconvenient,” Soto said.