Big money appears to be flowing into Turning Point USA in the wake of Charlie Kirk's death, reports Peter Stone for @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

While announcing a new $100,000 fee for H-1B visa workers, the Trump administration outlined the path to lucrative exceptions for its allies. www.levernews.com/pay-for-play...

Congress has an Article I responsibility to fund federal cybersecurity programs. What lawmakers do in the coming months will determine whether the United States rebuilds its cyber posture — or hands victory to our adversaries, explains @issueonereform.bsky.social issueone.org/articles/ame...

The Trump admin has begun dismantling the very cybersecurity infrastructure Republicans helped build. Agencies have been gutted, experienced leaders pushed out, and core cyber deterrence strategies scrapped. Read more from @issueonereform.bsky.social issueone.org/articles/ame...

How much money has Turning Points USA raised from opaque, conservative-aligned donor-advised funds and dark money orgs? Lots. E.g.: The Bradley Impact Fund has given $23.6 million since 2014 & Donors Trust has given $4 million since 2020 h/t @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Miss @rickhasen.bsky.social's Safeguarding Democracy Project's hour-long webinar earlier this week on "The Risk of Federal Interference in the 2026 Midterm Elections"? A recording is now online: www.youtube.com/watch?v=es09...

Answer: “Presidency Boosts Trump’s Net Worth By $3 Billion In A Year”

💸NEW: "Trump Media General Counsel Sold Every Share He Could—Becoming Second Insider To Cut Stake" me, for @forbes.com

After yesterday's horrific assassination of activist Charlie Kirk, co-chairs of our ReFormers Caucus Amb. Tim Roemer and Rep. Charles Boustany share their devastation and call for a bipartisan rejection of political violence. https://tinyurl.com/27fsxsen

Important words from former DC police officer Michael Fanone in the wake of the killing of Charlie Kirk michaelfanone.substack.com/p/my-stateme...

We condemn this abhorrent act of violence. This is not how we do our politics. https://issueone.org/press/violence-has-no-place-in-our-communities-and-must-be-rejected/

Our Constitution created three co-equal branches to protect democracy for ‘We the People.’ This Constitution Day, we’re reminding Congress: their oath requires serving as a check against executive overreach. Stay tuned on Sept. 17 to see our plan to #CheckTheExec. http://checktheexec.org

Montana may have found a powerful way to undo Citizens United — not through Congress, but by redefining corporate power at the state level. More from the Transparent Election Initiative: https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2025/08/07/transparent-election-initiative/

Our Constitution created three co-equal branches to protect democracy for ‘We the People.’ This Constitution Day, we’re reminding Congress: their oath requires serving as a check against executive overreach. Stay tuned on Sept. 17 to see our plan to #CheckTheExec. http://checktheexec.org

“How China Influences Elections in America’s Biggest City” electionlawblog.org?p=151760

Help @issueonereform.bsky.social and the Transparent Election Initiative get the word out about a novel reform idea that could undo Citizens United at SXSW! Take a moment and vote for our panel today! participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...

What if one state could take on Citizens United — and win? Montana’s bold plan could cut off dark money at the source. Vote for our #SXSW panel to spotlight this reform: tinvurl.com/sxswcitizensunited

Since taking office, Trump has halted or ended 1/3 of investigations and enforcement actions against Big Tech giants — including Meta, Tesla, and Google. These same tech companies have spent over $1.2B to influence Trump during and since the 2024 election. Everything is for sale.

Seattle is renewing a unique campaign finance approach: “We promised the country that we would show them a new way of doing elections, and I feel like we have to live up to that by continuing to improve this program,” says a local political consultant.

NEW: Trump Bureau of Labor Statistics nominee was bystander outside Capitol on Jan. 6, White House says www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...

A stock trading ban in Congress would help ensure that members are working on behalf of the people — not lining their own pockets. It's the right thing to do.

Crypto has generated more wealth for the Trump family since the election than any other part of their business empire. We're talking $4.5 BILLION. That's thanks in part to a partnership with Binance, whose founder is reportedly seeking a pardon from Trump. See the problem?

The Transparent Election Initiative & @issueonereform.bsky.social hope to share info about a novel reform idea to undo #CitizensUnited at SXSW next year. Can you please take a minute to vote for our panel? participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...

How does political corruption, graft, and dark money erode democracy? @jenrubin.bsky.social and I discussed on @contrariannews.org contrarian.substack.com/p/political-...

How prevalent are leadership PACs in Washington? 98 of 100 current senators have one. And senators' leadership PACs raised a combined $33 million during the first half of 2025, per @issueonereform.bsky.social analysis of FEC data

Background from @issueonereform.bsky.social about why corruption concerns should have disqualified Billy Long from being confirmed to lead the IRS in the first place issueone.org/press/issue-...

The Transparent Election Initiative & @issueonereform.bsky.social have proposed a #SXSW panel about a novel idea to undo #CitizensUnited. Could you please spare a minute and vote for our panel? You'll need to create a free account, but it'll be worth it participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...

Voters today are heading to the polls all around the country, from Detroit and Seattle’s mayoral races to special elections for legislative seats in Delaware and Rhode Island. Catch up with Bolts’ guide to the elections you should be watching: boltsmag.org/whats-o...

Are you a college student or recent grad interested in helping protect our elections and combatting the undue influence of big money in politics? @issueonereform.bsky.social is currently hiring a PAID part-time intern! Learn more & apply here issueonereform.bamboohr.com/careers/95

NEW: FEC records show Elizabeth Fago donated $1 million to MAGA Inc, the Trump super PAC, in April. She attended a fundraising dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on April 4. She lobbied Trump to pardon her son, who had pleaded guilty to tax crimes. 3 weeks later, Trump issued the pardon.

NEW: Billionaire TikTok investor Jeff Yass gave $16 million to Trump’s super PAC in the first half of the year. Trump delayed TikTok’s ban three times while Yass’s firm kept its stake in ByteDance. readsludge.com/2025/08/01/t...

On major #campaignfinance filing deadlines like today, I really miss @propublica.org's "FEC Itemizer" tool 😢

As @issueonereform.bsky.social highlighted earlier this month, under President Trump, the SEC has ended a major lawsuit against crypto exchange Coinbase and sought a reduced settlement in case against Ripple Labs issueone.org/articles/cry...

BREAKING: After the Jan. 6 insurrection, nearly 250 companies pledged to no longer donate to lawmakers who voted against certifying the 2020 election. But over 2,000 corporate and industry group PACs have donated over $174 million since then.

Great example of how mega-joint fundraising committees are now used evade giving limits: @zkahn.bsky.social reveals 193 ppl gave legal max of $10K to Guam GOP in 2024; then Guam GOP transferred 97.8% of that money to the RNC (to which they had already maxed out) zachkahn.substack.com/p/trumps-sec...

Before the FEC lost a quorum at the end of April, it was looking into 3 matters potentially involving the illegal participation of foreign nations in U.S. elections www.fec.gov/resources/cm...

During the first half of 2025, ByteDance spent $5.4 million on lobbying and hired 41 lobbyists — one for every 13 members of Congress. More numbers to know in our latest tech lobbying report: https://shorturl.at/EAz7u

Big Tech’s lobbying efforts “have allowed them to continue marketing products that use Americans’ personal information to engage in predatory surveillance practices, harm and kill children, and stoke division and hate” warns Alix Fraser of @issueonereform.bsky.social issueone.org/articles/as-...

Major tech players including Meta, Alphabet, and Nvidia combined to spend more than $36 MILLION on lobbying during the first half of 2025 — an average of $320,000 PER DAY that Congress has been in session, @issueonereform.bsky.social review of new lobbying docs finds issueone.org/articles/as-...

Reminder from @issueonereform.bsky.social: 12 times President Trump has made legal problems for crypto interests disappear during his second term issueone.org/articles/cry...

New from @issueonereform.bsky.social: Donald Trump’s profiteering from public service, by the numbers issueone.org/articles/the...

🗳 Update: World Liberty Financial token holders voted to make the tokens transferable. Move is the first step towards Trump eventually being able to liquidate at least some of his 22.5 billion tokens. Backstory: www.forbes.com/sites/zachev...

Unlike Billy Long, most people who are nominated for executive branch positions don’t have a political slush fund available to pay for polling or research services during their confirmation process www.politico.com/news/2025/07...

Number of the day: 12. Times President Trump and his allies have made legal problems for crypto interests disappear so far — including multiple pardons for high-profile crypto figures and multiple enforcement cases being dropped, via @issueonereform.bsky.social issueone.org/press/new-is...

New from @issueonereform.bsky.social: "12 Times President Trump Has Made Legal Problems for the Cryptocurrency Industry Disappear." Happy Crypto Week! issueone.org/articles/cry...

New FEC filings shows that the Senate campaign committee of Vice President JD Vance paid $3,469.69 on April 15 to the city of Alexandria, Virginia, for "registration/fees" associated with a "campaign car" docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/form...

Billy Long, the former GOP congressman who now leads the IRS, still has a leadership PAC. New docs show it spent $48,500 between April 1 and June 30. The largest expenditure was $19,500 to polling firm Remington Research Group docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/form...

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Lies about the integrity of our safe and secure elections are continuing to inspire acts of despicable violence www.cpr.org/2025/07/14/a...