front groups
Disguised sponsor vehicles
Front groups are organizations that appear independent but secretly serve the interests of another entity—typically a corporation, political party, or government.
The front group obscures its true backing to give its message more credibility: The grassroots campaign turned out to be a front group funded by the oil industry.
Also called astroturf organizations when they simulate popular movements.
- astroturfingDisguised sponsored advocacy
- proxyAuthorized substitute
- advocacyPleading for a cause
- lobbyingAdvocating to decision-makers
- shell companiesLegally registered but inactive businesses
puppet · facade · dark money · campaign · shell · disinformation · deceptive · cutout · greenwashing · fake · masquerades · political warfare · foreign agents · covert operations · influence · pretense · beneficial ownership · money laundering
- Corporate Powerlobbying, lobbyist, lobbyists, monopoly, oligarchy
- propagandapropaganda, brainwashing, disinformation, misinformation, indoctrination
- Red ScareHUAC, McCarthyism, blacklist, loyalty oaths, Joe McCarthy
- Soviet Propagandaagitprop, Pravda, disinformation, state media, propaganda films
- election fraudelection fraud, voter fraud, ballot stuffing, ballot tampering, vote rigging
- lobbyinglobbying, lobby, lobbyist, lobbyists, lobbying firms
front, group, fronts, fronted, fronting, frontal, frontage, frontward, frontwards