A new documentary argues that AIPAC increasingly hides its political spending behind fake-sounding front groups, which is bad news for transparency in American politics and for any Democratic candidate who crosses it on Israel policy.

• AIPAC publicly says it won't directly endorse candidates anymore, but its super PAC still pours tens of millions of dollars into races through groups with vague, progressive-sounding names that obscure who's really funding them.
• The group has gone after not just critics of Israel but liberal, pro-Israel Jewish candidates too, once they break from hardline support of the Netanyahu government, costing it support even among former allies.
• The documentary raises a specific legal question: should AIPAC have to register as a foreign agent under the law that covers groups coordinating with foreign governments, a question going back to the 1960s that has never been resolved.
• Several former AIPAC insiders and whistleblowers describe coordinating messaging with Israeli officials or passing along sensitive information, though AIPAC denies acting as a foreign agent.
• The backlash has sometimes backfired, with AIPAC-targeted races in Illinois and New Jersey producing candidates even more critical of Israel than the ones AIPAC pushed out.

Outlook: AIPAC's spending is expected to keep shifting into shadowy affiliated groups rather than disappearing, while pressure grows for Democrats to adopt primary rules limiting its influence if they regain power.