Meta announced the launch of the American Technology Excellence Project, its second super PAC in a month, pledging tens of millions of dollars to elect ’tech-friendly politicians’ from both parties in the 2026 midterms. The PAC—run by Republican operative Brian Baker and Democratic …
MetaAmerican Technology Excellence ProjectBrian BakerHilltop Public Solutionsregulatory-capturecorruptiontech-regulationcampaign-financesuper-pacs
Meta, Andreessen Horowitz, and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman pledged up to $200 million to create two new super PACs—Meta California and Leading the Future—aimed at electing candidates favorable to the tech industry and blocking strict AI regulations in the 2026 midterm elections. The massive …
Despite public tensions, Elon Musk donated $5 million to Trump’s MAGA Inc. super PAC, part of a broader $277 million spending campaign to support Trump and Republican candidates in the 2024-2025 election cycle
Donald Trump’s second inaugural fund received over $19 million from fossil fuel companies, including $2 million from Chevron and $1 million donations from ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, and Occidental Petroleum. These donations came after Trump promised oil executives at a Mar-a-Lago meeting …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationChevronExxonMobilConocoPhillips+1 moreregulatory-capturegovernment-contractsfossil-fuelscampaign-finance
IRG Global Emergency Management donated $10,000 to the Florida GOP on June 24, 2025, and received a $1.1 million Alligator Alcatraz contract hours later. Within a week, the company secured two additional contracts totaling $5.1 million for shuttle transportation, emergency services, and air …
IRG Global Emergency ManagementRon DeSantisRepublican Party of FloridaAccess Restoration Services (ARS)Florida Division of Emergency Managementpay-to-playno-bid-contractsemergency-powers-abusecampaign-financecontractor-corruption
He Tianying, a Chinese tech executive and delegate to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, purchased $3.7 million of Trump’s memecoin to secure a private dinner with the president, revealing deep constitutional concerns about foreign influence and presidential access …
Donald TrumpHe TianyingJustin SunAdam SchiffElizabeth Warrencryptogovernment-contractsforeign-influencecampaign-financeconstitutional-violation
Trump hosted an exclusive cryptocurrency dinner with 220 top memecoin holders, including foreign nationals like Justin Sun facing SEC lawsuits. House Democrats demanded a DOJ investigation into potential violations of federal bribery laws and the foreign emoluments clause.
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationJustin SunForeign Cryptocurrency Investorscryptoforeign-influenceregulatory-capturejustice-weaponizationcampaign-finance
Trump hosted a high-profile cryptocurrency dinner at his National Golf Club, with guest list revealing significant foreign national attendance and potential regulatory conflicts. 73% of top attendees are foreign nationals, including Justin Sun, a crypto entrepreneur currently facing SEC fraud …
Donald TrumpJustin SunRep. Sean CastenRep. Adam SmithRep. Jamie Raskincryptoforeign-influenceregulatory-capturejustice-weaponizationcampaign-finance
Republican-linked political committees have spent $676,457 at Trump properties in the six months following the 2024 election. The Republican National Committee led with $372,215, while House campaigns and Trump’s political machine contributed an additional $250,000. This spending pattern …
Donald TrumpRepublican National CommitteeRepublican House Representativeskleptocracytrump-administrationpolitical-spendingcampaign-financeexecutive-corruption
Over 56% of Trump’s memecoin top buyers invited to a 220-person dinner were foreign nationals, raising significant ethical concerns about presidential access being sold to international investors. The top cryptocurrency holders spent $394 million to attend the event, with billionaire Justin …
Donald TrumpJustin SunJamie Raskincryptoforeign-influencecampaign-financekleptocracy
Commissioner Allen Dickerson resigned on April 30, 2025, leaving the FEC with only three members and no quorum. Combined with Trump’s February firing of Ellen Weintraub and Sean Cooksey’s January resignation, the FEC cannot investigate complaints, conduct audits, levy fines, issue rules …
Federal Election Commission (FEC)Commissioner Allen Dickerson (resigned)Commissioner Ellen Weintraub (fired by Trump)Commissioner Sean Cooksey (resigned)Donald Trump+3 moreelection-oversightfec-quorumenforcement-shutdownregulatory-capturecampaign-finance
Elon Musk donated maximum campaign contributions of $6,600 to at least seven Republican lawmakers who have publicly called for impeaching or limiting the power of federal judges blocking his government efficiency initiatives. Recipients included Representatives Eli Crane, Lauren Boebert, Andy Ogles, …
Elon Musk handed out $1 million checks to two Wisconsin voters at a rally in Green Bay, moments after the state Supreme Court declined to block his political spending. The event highlighted Musk’s significant financial intervention in a critical judicial election that could reshape …
President Trump pardoned Nikola founder Trevor Milton, who was convicted of securities fraud in October 2022, after Milton donated $1.8M to Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign. The pardon effectively eliminates $695.2 million in potential restitution to Nikola shareholders and prevents further …
Donald TrumpTrevor MiltonNikola Corporationcorruptionpardonregulatory-capturecampaign-financecorporate-fraud
Elon Musk’s America PAC launched a nationwide $1 million television advertisement praising President Donald Trump’s early presidency, aired following Trump’s joint address to Congress. The ad attacks the Biden administration, highlights Trump’s border and efficiency claims, …
Donald TrumpElon MuskAmerica PACpolitical-advertisingtrump-administrationelection-infrastructurecampaign-finance
President Trump missed the February 19 deadline to disclose private donors for his presidential transition, breaking a long-standing transparency practice. By declining federal funding of $19.4 million, Trump avoided requirements to cap donations at $5,000 per person and publicly list donor details.
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationSusie WilesGeneral Services Administrationregulatory-captureexecutive-powercampaign-financetransparency
Federal prosecutors in the Middle District of Tennessee withdrew from a criminal investigation into U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, with a Department of Justice attorney from Washington’s Public Integrity Section set to continue the case. The investigation originated from an FBI seizure of Ogles’ …
Andy OglesU.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of TennesseeDepartment of JusticeJohn P. TaddeiRob McGuire+4 moreregulatory-capturecampaign-financecongressional-investigationtrump-administrationpolitical-manipulation
Trump’s 2025 inauguration raised record $251.4 million, a 142% increase from his 2017 inauguration and quadruple Biden’s 2021 total. Corporate donations totaled $161.1 million with 104 businesses giving $1 million or more. Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. led with $5 million, Ripple Labs gave …
Trump Inaugural CommitteePilgrim's Pride Corp. ($5 million)Ripple Labs ($4.9 million)Warren Stephens ($4 million, appointed UK Ambassador)Corporate donors (104 at $1M+)campaign-financecorporate-influencedonor-appointmentspay-to-playcorruption+2 more
Chinese-born crypto billionaire Justin Sun invested $75 million in World Liberty Financial (WLF) through staged investments, simultaneously facing SEC fraud investigations. The investment coincided with the SEC pausing legal proceedings against Sun, raising questions about potential political …
Justin SunWorld Liberty FinancialSECDonald TrumpSenator Richard Blumenthal+1 moreforeign-influencecryptosec-investigationworld-liberty-financialchina+2 more
Cryptocurrency firms donated an unprecedented $18 million to Trump’s 2025 inaugural fund, with Ripple’s $4.9 million being the second-largest contribution overall. Major companies including Coinbase, Kraken, Circle, and Robinhood participated, signaling their expectation of a …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationCoinbaseKrakenRipple+3 morecryptogovernment-contractsregulatory-capturecampaign-financetech-industry-donations
Brennan Center for Justice documented record-breaking dark money spending of $1.9 billion in 2024 federal election cycle, nearly doubling previous record. Dark money groups contributed $1.3 billion to super PACs, more than prior two election cycles combined, often routed through shell companies to …
Dark money groupsFidelityCharles SchwabVanguardProject 2025 groups+1 moredark-moneycampaign-financeproject-2025electoral-corruptiondonor-advised-funds+1 more
Elon Musk established comprehensive political warfare operations through America PAC, combining financial, organizational, and information manipulation to support the Trump 2024 campaign. The PAC spent approximately $200 million, with Musk providing the vast majority of funds, to influence voter …
Trump campaign begins accepting cryptocurrency donations in May 2024, coinciding with courting crypto industry’s $238 million in election spending, marking strategic pivot to embrace digital assets.
Northrop Grumman spent $10.86 million on federal lobbying in 2023, employing 36 lobbyists of whom 29—a staggering 80.6 percent—had previously worked in government positions, exemplifying the revolving door between the Pentagon, Congress, and defense contractors that enables systematic corruption of …
The Arabella Advisors network, managing five nonprofit funds including the Sixteen Thirty Fund, raised $1.35 billion from anonymous donors in 2022, making it the dominant force in Democratic dark money operations. The Sixteen Thirty Fund alone spent $196 million on political causes including $66 …
Trump launches first NFT collection of 45,000 ‘Trump Digital Trading Cards’ for $99 each, selling out in under 12 hours and generating over $16 million in primary sales, marking his crypto debut one month after announcing presidential campaign.
Donald TrumpTrump Organizationnftcryptocampaign-financedigital-assets
House January 6th Committee’s second hearing revealed Trump raised $250 million post-election through fraudulent “Official Election Defense Fund” that never existed. Committee found Trump’s team sent up to 25 fraudulent fundraising emails daily, raising $100 million in first …
Donald TrumpTrump CampaignSave America PACHouse January 6th CommitteeZoe Lofgren+1 morefraudcampaign-financekleptocracyjanuary-6-committeebig-lie+2 more
In April 2022, Donald Trump endorsed J.D. Vance for the Ohio Senate race, a pivotal moment facilitated by Peter Thiel’s unprecedented $15 million investment in the Protect Ohio Values SuperPAC. This financial backing marked the most expensive single Senate candidate support in state history, …
Donald TrumpJ.D. VancePeter ThielDonald Trump Jr.Protect Ohio Values SuperPACtrump-endorsementthiel-super-paccampaign-financepolitical-influenceoligarchic-infrastructure
The FBI launched an investigation into Postmaster General Louis DeJoy over allegations that he orchestrated an illegal straw donor campaign finance scheme at his former company, New Breed Logistics. Former employees told the Washington Post that DeJoy pressured them to make political donations to …
Louis DeJoyFBICarolyn MaloneyJohn SarbanesCampaign FinanceFBI InvestigationDeJoyUSPSPolitical Corruption+1 more
The Department of Health and Human Services launched a $300 million advertising campaign called “Defeating Despair” to promote the Trump administration’s COVID-19 response, with the effort conceived by political appointee Michael Caputo and timed to air before the November …
Michael CaputoDonald TrumpDennis QuaidCeCe WinansAlex AzarHatch ActEthics ViolationsAbuse of OfficeCampaign FinanceCOVID-19+3 more
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney and longtime fixer, pleaded guilty on November 29, 2018, to making false statements to Congress about the Trump Organization’s negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. This was Cohen’s second guilty plea in 2018 …
Michael CohenDonald TrumpDmitry PeskovRobert MuellerMueller InvestigationTrump Tower MoscowCongressional LiesMichael CohenRussia Business Dealings+1 more
New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood filed a comprehensive lawsuit against the Donald J. Trump Foundation, Donald Trump, and his three eldest children (Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka) alleging “persistently illegal conduct” spanning more than a decade. The lawsuit documented a …
Barbara UnderwoodDonald TrumpDonald Trump JrEric TrumpIvanka Trump+1 moreTrump FoundationCharity FraudNY Attorney GeneralSelf-DealingCampaign Finance+1 more
Private prison companies CoreCivic and GEO Group saw their stock prices surge 100% and 98% respectively after donating nearly $2.8 million to Trump’s campaign and inauguration. Attorney General Jeff Sessions immediately reversed Obama’s order to phase out private prisons, declaring …
Donald Trump staged a campaign fundraiser in Des Moines, Iowa disguised as a charitable event, using the Trump Foundation in direct violation of federal tax law prohibiting 501(c)(3) charitable organizations from participating in political campaigns. The January 28, 2016 event occurred just days …
Donald TrumpTrump FoundationCorey LewandowskiTrump FoundationCharity FraudCampaign FinanceTax ViolationsElection Interference
During the 2016 election cycle, the National Rifle Association spent a record $30-55 million supporting Donald Trump’s presidential campaign—triple its 2012 spending for Mitt Romney. The unprecedented spending occurred during and after Maria Butina and Alexander Torshin’s systematic …
National Rifle AssociationDonald TrumpMaria ButinaAlexander TorshinFBI+1 morenratrump-campaignrussiamoney-launderingmaria-butina+4 more
Trump personally signed Letter of Intent for Trump Tower Moscow project valued at over $1 billion while publicly denying Russian business dealings during campaign. Michael Cohen told Mueller investigators that Trump viewed his campaign as a significant “infomercial” for Trump-branded …
Donald TrumpMichael CohenFelix SaterVTB GroupYevgeny Dvoskin+1 moretrump-tower-moscowforeign-influencecampaign-financemonetizationrussian-connections+1 more
The Koch brothers coordinated an extensive political donor network in the 2012 election cycle, spending approximately $407 million through multiple nonprofit organizations. Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce emerged as the primary funding vehicle, distributing $250 million to 30 different …
Charles KochDavid KochAmericans for ProsperityFreedom Partners Chamber of CommerceCenter to Protect Patient Rightsdark-moneykoch-networkelection-influencecampaign-financeamericans-for-prosperity+1 more
DC Circuit Court of Appeals rules that independent expenditure committees can accept unlimited contributions from individuals and corporations, directly applying Citizens United reasoning to create modern Super PACs
SpeechNow.orgFederal Election CommissionDC Circuit Court of AppealsDavid KeatingClub for Growthsuper-pacscampaign-financeunlimited-contributionsindependent-expendituresappellate-decision+2 more
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issues its decision in SpeechNow.org v. FEC, creating what become known as “super PACs” by allowing unlimited contributions to independent expenditure committees. Building directly on the Supreme Court’s Citizens United logic from just two months …
President Obama directly criticizes Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision during State of the Union Address, with Justice Samuel Alito visibly shaking his head and mouthing ’not true’ in unprecedented breach of judicial protocol
Barack ObamaSamuel AlitoJohn RobertsRuth Bader GinsburgStephen Breyer+2 moreconstitutional-crisisseparation-of-powersjudicial-independencecampaign-financepresidential-criticism+2 more
The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, fundamentally transforming American campaign finance by allowing corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts on elections. The decision struck down key provisions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, ruling that …
Citizens UnitedFederal Election CommissionAnthony KennedyJohn RobertsAntonin Scalia+2 morejudicial-capturesupreme-courtcorporate-influencecampaign-financecitizens-united+1 more
Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that corporations can spend unlimited amounts on elections through independent expenditures, enabling creation of Super PACs and dark money networks. The decision dramatically reshaped campaign finance, allowing corporations and unions to spend unlimited funds on independent …
Supreme CourtCitizens UnitedFederal Election CommissionJustice Anthony KennedyJustice John Paul Stevensdark-moneycampaign-financesupreme-courtcorporate-powerfirst-amendment+1 more
The Supreme Court issues its landmark 5-4 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, fundamentally reshaping American campaign finance law by allowing unlimited corporate and union spending in federal elections. The case originated from the conservative organization Citizens …
citizens-unitedcampaign-financecorporate-influenceregulatory-capturesupreme-court+1 more
Supreme Court 5-4 decision with Thomas and Alito in majority allows unlimited corporate political spending, directly benefiting their billionaire donors Koch, Crow, and Singer
Clarence ThomasSamuel AlitoCitizens UnitedFederal Election Commissioncampaign-financecorporate-powerjudicial-capturedark-moneydemocracy-erosion+1 more
Analysis of pharmaceutical industry campaign contributions from 1999-2018 revealed that the top 40 congressional recipients jointly received $45 million, with 39 serving on committees with health-related legislative jurisdiction—24 in senior positions. Of the top 20 House recipients, 17 served on …
House Energy and Commerce CommitteeFred UptonPharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of AmericaPfizerMerckregulatory-capturecampaign-financepharmaceutical-industryhealthcarecongressional-corruption
The House of Representatives voted on the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (TARP), with senators who supported the $700 billion Wall Street bailout having received an average of $3,986,723 from the financial sector since 1989—39% more than bailout opponents who received an average of $1,671,029. …
Hours before leaving office, President Bill Clinton grants a controversial presidential pardon to Marc Rich, an international fugitive who fled to Switzerland in 1983 to avoid prosecution on 51 counts of tax fraud, racketeering, and illegal oil trading with Iran during the 1979-1980 hostage crisis. …
Bill ClintonMarc RichDenise RichHillary Clintonpresidential-pardonscorruptioncampaign-financepolitical-influenceaccountability
George W. Bush formalized an unprecedented campaign bundling system where ‘Rangers’ raising 00,000+ and ‘Pioneers’ raising 00,000+ received federal appointments. In 2000, 241 Pioneers reached their goals, contributing to Bush raising 7 million in first 4 months. By 2004, the …
George W. BushKarl RoveMercer ReynoldsThomas ScullySam Fox+2 morecampaign-financepay-to-playappointmentsbundlingcorruption+1 more
By the year 2000, sophisticated legal strategies emerge revealing how corporate political action committees (PACs) systematically exploit legal loopholes from the Buckley v. Valeo Supreme Court decision. Wealthy donors and industry actors develop intricate mechanisms to circumvent campaign finance …
Corporate PAC StrategistsCampaign Finance LawyersPolitical Fundraising ExpertsSupreme Court Justicesregulatory-captureinstitutional-corruptioncampaign-financesupreme-courtpolitical-spending+1 more