The tech giant Palantir has some thoughts about the future of our Republic. This is your daily reminder that today’s unprecedented concentration of wealth and political power isn’t an inevitability. It’s a policy choice.

It’s great to see elected leaders focus on corruption — and emphasize real solutions that address the problem in a systemic way. apnews.com/article/demo...

This is an important point. Abuse of the pardon power has been a concern for many years, but combined with expanded presidential immunity the stakes become much higher.

It’s becoming more and more evident that the pardon power needs to be reformed. Clemency is a critical avenue for mercy in our criminal justice system but it is also becoming a major vector for high-level corruption (and not only under Trump).

Under weak campaign finance laws, wealthy donors are increasingly hiding behind non-profits to anonymously donate large sums of money to political campaigns. “We are moving toward a system where transparency is just optional,” @danw329.bsky.social told @nytimes.com.

The potential for corruption in the federal government goes beyond the president – it exists in all 3 branches. Solutions "require Congress to take decisive action. There is no alternative," @danw329.bsky.social wrote in @time.com.

Corruption in the federal government does not begin and end with the president — or is unique to one party. @danw329.bsky.social urges Congress to advance reforms addressing corruption in all three branches, via @time.com: bit.ly/4biVl5S

Astonishing stat from the NYT: Billionaires were responsible for 19 percent of all money contributed in the 2024 election, a legacy of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/u...

This is what happens when you effectively have no ethical rules at the top of government — virtually limitless opportunities for insider profiteering.

“Any attempt by this administration to seize or ban mail-in ballots or voting machines during an election would” violate federal laws prohibiting interference with elections, says @lizagoitein.bsky.social.

The SAVE Act could block millions of Americans from voting. It is not common sense. If passed, it would be the first time in history Congress passed a vote suppression law. #SOTU

MAGA Inc., the main super PAC supporting President Trump, has raised $305 million since the 2024 election. “Because there are virtually no restrictions on what super PAC money can be used for, it...can be operated as a slush fund," @danw329.bsky.social told @apnews.com.

I am always happy to talk to my original hometown paper, the @startribune.com. I was interviewed for this thoughtful piece on the record breaking donations big Minnesota companies made to the president’s inauguration and how their political spending is changing. www.startribune.com/target-lobby...

The $305 million raised by the main super PAC supporting President Trump comes almost entirely from megadonors: 96% of its funds are from donors giving $1 million or more. bit.ly/4t8PBDU

“In the last presidential election, donations from people giving $5 million or more went up exponentially,” mostly motivated by corporate interests, @danw329.bsky.social told @prospect.org. “It seems like we’re on track to see that again” in the 2026 midterms.

Today is the 50th anniversary of one of the most consequential – and controversial -- Supreme Court decisions of the modern era: Buckley v. Valeo. www.oyez.org/cases/1975/7...

Sixteen years ago today, #SCOTUS handed down its infamous Citizens United ruling that ignited a rush of money into American politics. This decision has since dangerously expanded the already outsized political power of the wealthiest donors in our elections. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

“Gunboat diplomacy, coupled with a systematic lack of regard for basic safeguards to prevent self-dealing, is very, very dangerous," says @danw329.bsky.social about Trump's designs on Venezuelan oil.

Excellent reporting on how donors have benefited after giving to President Trump’s super PAC and other initiatives, like the WH ballroom. Money quote from a fmr WH staffer-turned-lobbyist: “These people are not getting coerced. They are making business decisions.” www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

This was a great conversation, with excellent questions from the callers.

In NRSC v. FEC argument Marc Elias warns of a nationalized fundraising “arms race” if the Court strikes down party coordinated spending limits, one that will weaken many state parties as grassroots organizations. Interesting prediction from someone who has repped one of the major parties for decades

Interesting to see the justices in the NRSC oral argument press Noel Francisco on future challenges to campaign finance law. This is making explicit how the dynamic at the Court works. Each law is considered in isolation, but the reality it’s a progressive chipping away of the rules.

Powerful point from Justice Sotomayor in today’s oral argument in NRSC v. FEC: “every time we tinker with Congress’s design [for campaign finance law] we make things worse. Indeed.

On 12/9, SCOTUS is set to weigh in on a campaign finance policy limiting how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates. But evaluating policy is Congress's job, not the Court's, @danw329.bsky.social told @slate.com.

Trump’s net worth has grown by $3 billion since he took office. That’s not a coincidence.

In President Trump’s second term, the need for action against corruption has never been clearer. Join @danw329.bsky.social and @eepetry.bsky.social for a Reddit AMA: 

Corruption is hardly a new problem, but the abuses taking place now are unlike anything seen in generations. Here’s what Congress can do about it: bit.ly/43MmpHM

President Trump has already made well over $1B off the presidency in his 2d term. Many of the deals he is profiting from appear to violate the Constitution’s foreign and domestic emoluments clauses. But Congress needs to codify them. Our new paper explains how: www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

President Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao who pleaded guilty to money laundering in 2023. Binance is also reportedly a major supporter of the Trump family's World Liberty Financial. www.wsj.com/finance/curr...

Why should you care that the president’s appointees at DOJ, including his former personal attorneys, could decide whether he gets a $230M payout directly to him? Because that money is coming directly from all of us, the U.S. taxpayers. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/u...

Corruption isn’t new, but what we are seeing today is like nothing in recent memory. Listen as we discuss on Michael Waldman’s weekly podcast.

PODCAST: We are living in a new era of corruption, where legal guardrails have crumbled. Listen to The Briefing with Michael Waldman to hear experts lay out a plan to end the culture of kleptocracy. bit.ly/3W64x6C

Curious about recent campaign finance trends and key stories? Check out our first Money and Politics Roundup, featuring analysis of record-breaking off-year fundraising, a deep dive on AI industry political spending + important legal and policy developments. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

Dan Weiner on the Brennan Center’s Interesting Amicus Brief in the NRSC Case electionlawblog.org?p=152425

We are living through a new era of corruption, where legal guardrails have crumbled. What will end the culture of kleptocracy? Join us for a live virtual event with @janemayer.bsky.social, @mawaldman.bsky.social, and @danw329.bsky.social on Wed., Oct. 15, at 3pm ET. RSVP:

Congress is stuck, and incoming reformers have less and less space to unstick it. Here are some ways to grease the wheels for them:

Eight months into the second Trump administration, there are profound concerns for the rule of law in the U.S. Our new resource outlines the legal and ethical responsibilities of government lawyers that serve as vital checks on abuse of power. bit.ly/4g3hO9f

Today’s murder of Charlie Kirk is outrageous. It is part of a dangerous pattern of violence that threatens the safety of all communities. This violence is unacceptable and tears at the social fabric, and we must find a way to work together to end it.

@danw329.bsky.social was on @mollyjongfast.bsky.social's Fast Politics to talk about why stock trading by lawmakers raises the potential for conflicts of interest, how existing safeguards fail to address the problem, and how stronger enforcement can produce real reform.

The Pentagon is reportedly planning to mobilize thousands of National Guard forces and deploy them in Chicago for the purpose of crime control. Trump is on even thinner legal ice with this plan than he is in Los Angeles and D.C. 1/12 www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

NEW from the @brennancenter.org: what is political corruption and what can we do about? And excellent new analysis by @eepetry.bsky.social and @lisadanetz.bsky.social. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

Thread—important to understand how unprecedented this is.

Some more detailed thoughts on the @brennancenter.org latest survey of election officials from my colleague Ruby Edlin and me. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

Some good news for those who believe states should retain the right to protect tyeir citizens from the misuse of AI and other tech. But don’t rest too easy — we should expect more such fights ahead. www.reuters.com/legal/govern...

It's really hard to believe SCOTUS's Obergefell ruling was only ten years ago. This is a fascinating telling of the history of the marriage equality movement and the battles for equality that remain.

Must read thread! The AI moratorium tucked in the budget isn’t nearly the attention it deserves. Massive federal overreach.

Congress may soon pass a moratorium on state regulation of Artificial Intelligence. The Brennan Center has found that the proposed moratorium could nullify at least 149 state laws passed in 41 states. 86 of these laws (58 percent) were enacted by states with Republican controlled legislatures. /1

The Brennan Center for Justice is horrified and saddened by today’s shootings in Minnesota. We’re thinking about the victims and their families. 1/3

A tech mogul tied to the CCP was able to buy personal access to the president and even go to the White House. He can’t legally donate $5 to the president’s campaign he can spend $3.7M on the president’s meme coin, no questions asked. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/06/u...