WASHINGTON, Nov 3, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - It looks like Kamala Harris's political manifesto, but the catchily titled "Progress 2028" is actually a fake document that a funding watchdog says was produced by a dark money group with ties to Donald Trump's billionaire backer Elon Musk.

Researchers say Progress 2028 -- purportedly a liberal counter to the conservative initiative Project 2025 -- is riddled with misinformation and is behind a series of Facebook ads that distort the Democratic contender's policy positions about key issues such as immigration and gun control.

Backing it is a group called Building America's Future, a conservative dark money network which has reportedly received funding from Musk, the world's richest man and a vigorous campaigner for Republican Trump's re-election bid.

The operation, shrouded in secrecy, illustrates what researchers describe as a complex web of deception to mislead or alienate Democratic voters in a polarizing election race that is one of the closest in US history.

"The initiative (Progress 2028) is really trying to undermine Harris by spreading divisive messages, misleading narratives under the guise of being an ally of Harris," said Anna Massoglia, from Open Secrets, a US nonprofit that tracks money in politics.

Using a mix of fact and fiction, the site distorts some of Harris's policy positions in a way that "Democratic voting blocs might not find favorable," Massoglia told AFP.

Open Secrets said Progress 2028 was registered in September with the state of Virginia by Building America's Future, and its website was created three days later, citing documents including corporate filings.

Progress 2028 and Building America's Future did not respond to AFP's request for comment.

- Misleading ads -

Progress 2028 reads like it was written by a liberal Democrat, promising that an administration run by Harris will be a "never-before-seen opportunity" to enact "sweeping reforms" and build a "prosperous America."

But the website touts policy stances Harris does not endorse, such as prioritizing a "nationwide buy-back program" to get guns off the streets.

While Harris supported such an initiative for assault weapons when she ran for president in 2019, she has not endorsed a mandatory buyback program for any weapons in the 2024 race.

The website also makes it appear that Harris is pushing for taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits for "undocumented immigrants," misrepresenting her policy proposals.

It similarly asserts that Harris will champion the right for minors to access gender-affirming care without fear of "parental intervention," something she has not proposed.

A series of Facebook ads by Progress 2028 promotes similar distortions and falsehoods.

Meta's ad library identifies the ads as being placed by Progress 2028, without indicating the group's real backers.

"Drop a comment to thank Kamala," the ads say, while providing a link to the Progress 2028 website.

In a statement to US media, Meta said the Progress 2028 ads did not meet the standard for removal under its inauthentic behavior policy.

- 'Voter suppression' -

Nonprofit entities such as Building America's Future are not legally required to disclose their donors.

SpaceX and Tesla CEO Musk has pumped over $100 million to groups backing Trump and other Republicans. He is among the funders of Building America's Future, the Wall Street Journal reported in early October.

The group has also been linked to advertisements targeting Arab-Americans in Michigan and Jewish voters in Pennsylvania with contradictory messages about the vice president's stances on Israel and the war in Gaza.

Google data shows the ads were paid for by the Future Coalition PAC. The group has received millions in funding from Building America's Future, according to the Federal Election Commission.

The ads portray Harris as anti-Israel to Jewish voters and as pro-Israel to Arab Americans, with some prominently highlighting her Jewish husband.

The Harris campaign has reportedly pushed back with its own ads targeting Jewish and Arab Americans with messages that highlight, respectively, her support for Israel's defense and work to "end the suffering in Gaza."

The outcome in the two swing states will be crucial in the November 5 election.

"When the same group is doing ads to two different constituencies with contradictory messaging, it's disinformation," James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, told AFP.

"It's a kind of voter suppression."