From ProPublica, Robert Faturechi and Derek Willis on how the IRS granted nonprofit status to “dark money” group Crossroads GPS, meaning that its donor list can remain private; and a look at the conservative playbook for keeping ‘“dark money” dark: In internal memos, groups opposing tighter state campaign finance rules coach their local supporters on how to battle disclosure of political donors. How to rid politics of its pollution by wealthy donors: Greg Sargent reviews Plutocrats United: Campaign Money, the Supreme Court, and the Distortion of American Elections by Richard L. Hasen. Do we really need campaign finance reform? Some political analysts see corruption in unrestricted spending — others see an equal playing field. Dylan Matthews on the great money-in-politics myth. Richard W. Painter on the conservative case for campaign-finance reform. Seth Masket on the not-so-revolutionary reform at the center of Bernie Sanders’ revolution.
Public campaign funding is so broken that candidates turned down $292 million in free money. Donald Trump’s campaign, billed as self-funded, risks little of his fortune. Democracy of the billionaires: Nomi Prins on how the most expensive election ever is a billionaire’s playground (except for Bernie Sanders). Donald Trump is so fiercely opposed by the Koch brothers network that some donors believe the powerful group will intervene to stop the billionaire if it looks like he could win. Billionaire ideologues, unruly voters, and the future of the Republican Party: Theda Skocpol reviews Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right by Jane Mayer (and more and more and more). The smear campaign against Jane Mayer takes an interesting new turn. Kenneth P. Vogel on how the Koch network rivals the GOP: The billionaires and their allies have built a private political machine without precedent.
From Salon, Sean McElwee on how to defeat the Koch brothers; and Adam Eiche on the Kochs, Citizens United and the real reason why corrupt big money must be kicked out of politics. Moneyed interests are blocking US action on climate change: Sean McElwee on how the Koch brothers and their allies have used their wealth to undermine science and block consensus. Supreme Court halts Obama power plan: The presidential election might determine the fate of the planet — no pressure.
