A new report shows that the two largest teachers unions in the United States—the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)—have funneled more than $43.5 million into far-left groups and Democrat-aligned PACs since 2022. The findings, based on Department of Labor filings, were published last week by conservative watchdog group Defending Education.
According to the report, between mid-2022 and mid-2024, the NEA and AFT contributed a combined total of $43,524,123 to organizations pushing progressive policies unrelated to classroom education. This includes donations to political action committees and dark-money nonprofits that promote abortion, gender ideology, and racial activism.
Among the top recipients were Democrat PACs: $9.3 million went to the For Our Future Action Fund, $1.6 million to the House Majority PAC, $1.25 million to the Senate Majority PAC, and $250,000 to Future Forward PAC, a group backing Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign.
The unions also directed nearly $1 million to the Center for American Progress and its political advocacy arm. Additional funds were sent to groups like the Sixteen Thirty Fund, Tides Network, New Venture Fund, and the Trevor Project—organizations tied to progressive social causes and left-wing advocacy.
Aaron Withe, CEO of the Freedom Foundation and an expert on public-sector unions, revealed that the NEA spent 38% of its total budget on political causes while allocating less than 10% to “representational activities” for union members. Withe called the findings “just the tip of the iceberg,” noting that countless state and local teachers unions also contribute heavily to similar causes.
Defending Education researcher Rhyen Staley criticized the union priorities, saying the focus on political ideology over academics “is a slap in the face to families and teachers who want to focus on helping students improve their reading and math skills.” He urged Congress to take action to prevent public education funds from being used for political purposes.
Despite requests for comment, neither the NEA nor the AFT responded to the report.
