The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is getting out of the business of endorsing candidates, writing checks from its own PAC, and bundling donations for specific campaigns, CNBC reported. The move undoes an approach the pro-"Israel" lobbying group adopted five years ago, and it comes as the organization contends with growing political pushback.

AIPAC laid out the changes in a letter sent to members on Wednesday, which CNBC obtained. The letter says the group will keep running its super PAC, the United Democracy Project, and will instead steer more of its energy toward encouraging individual supporters to contribute to candidates themselves.

Spokesperson Deryn Sousa told CNBC the organization wants to substantially broaden its community's role in politics and give its activists more direct influence and that this will be its priority over the next two years. The letter itself struck a more somber tone, describing 2026 as among the toughest political climates the group has faced in years and cautioning that conditions will likely worsen.

Less visibility, same financial muscle

The restructuring removes AIPAC's most public-facing political tools but leaves its capacity to deploy big money intact. It may also make the group's footprint harder to trace. Contributions it currently channels to candidates are labeled as AIPAC-earmarked in campaign finance records, whereas gifts that members send directly would carry no such tag.

The timing reflects how toxic the group's backing has become in many Democratic primaries since the Israeli genocide in Gaza began. Candidates have criticized opponents for taking AIPAC support, and some officeholders have promised to turn down money connected to it. A Pew Research Center survey from earlier this year found that 80% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents had an unfavorable opinion of "Israel", compared with 53% in 2022.

The numbers behind the group's influence

According to a CNBC review of Federal Election Commission filings, AIPAC has spent roughly $105.1 million this election cycle across its traditional PAC and the affiliated super PAC. The United Democracy Project alone reported $53.4 million in independent expenditures through the end of September.

In 2025, AIPAC's conventional PAC gave $26.8 million to candidates and other committees, the most of any PAC in the country, as per FEC data. The next-highest donor, the National Association of Realtors' PAC, gave $6.1 million, less than a quarter of that total.

A costly loss in Michigan

The cycle's most ambitious effort also ended in a setback. CNBC's analysis shows the United Democracy Project poured over $30 million into Michigan's Democratic Senate primary to boost Rep. Haley Stevens and block Abdul El-Sayed. El-Sayed won the nomination by a thin margin anyway.

The super PAC also spent heavily in several House primaries. It targeted Democrats Cori Bush and Tom Malinowski, along with Republican Thomas Massie. The filings show more than $3 million against Bush, about $2.3 million against Malinowski, and over $4 million in the Kentucky race where Massie lost.

Because the United Democracy Project stays in operation, AIPAC will still be able to raise and spend unlimited sums on independent political activity, even after ending endorsements, direct PAC contributions, and earmarking.