On September 26, 2025, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) published a Notice of Request for Information in the Federal Register, soliciting public input on identifying existing federal statutes, regulations, and agency rules that ‘unnecessarily hinder the development, …
On September 26, 2025, Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform led a coalition of 35 conservative organizations—including Club for Growth and Americans for Prosperity—in sending a letter to President Trump urging him to let enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits expire in December …
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 …
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced the U.S. government acquired a 10% stake in Intel by converting $8.9 billion in CHIPS Act grants into equity, purchasing 433.3 million shares at $20.47 per share. Of this total, $5.7 billion came from previously awarded but unpaid CHIPS Act grants, and …
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) reported on July 30, 2025, that Qualcomm gave $1 million to Securing American Greatness, a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization that supported President Trump in the 2024 election and is now spending to boost his agenda. The donation was …
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) reported in August 2025 that over 2,000 corporate and industry group PACs have donated more than $174 million to members of the ‘Sedition Caucus’—the 147 lawmakers who voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election, …
President Trump’s 2025 inaugural committee raised a record $239 million, which is more than double the $109 million raised in 2017. The fundraising total includes $161.1 million from corporations, with 104 companies donating $1 million or more. Top donors included Pilgrim’s Pride ($5 …
For the first time in White House history, the Easter Egg Roll is sold to corporate sponsors, with tech giants Meta, Amazon, and YouTube purchasing sponsorships ranging from $75,000 to $200,000, raising significant ethical concerns about monetizing public events.
The AFL-CIO and former OSHA officials filed a lawsuit warning that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) operatives are embedded at the Department of Labor, potentially gaining access to sensitive whistleblower files. Musk’s companies—Tesla, SpaceX, and The Boring …
Elon Musk awarded a $1 million payment to a Wisconsin voter days before the state Supreme Court election, part of a broader $20 million effort to influence the race. The payment to Scott Ainsworth, who supports conservative candidate Brad Schimel, prompted a legal challenge from Wisconsin’s …
In an unprecedented move, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick publicly recommended buying Tesla stock during a Fox News appearance on March 20, 2025, raising significant ethical concerns. Lutnick stated ‘It’ll never be this cheap again,’ directly contradicting federal ethics …
President Trump turned the White House South Lawn into a Tesla showroom, purchasing a red Tesla Model S while Elon Musk was present. The event raised significant ethics concerns about presidential conduct and corporate endorsement, occurring amid Tesla’s declining stock performance.
Major corporations donated millions to Trump’s 2025 inauguration, with private prison firms CoreCivic and GEO Group contributing $2.8 million, and Carrier Global Corporation donating $1 million, while holding significant government contracts
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 …
FDA Commissioner Robert Califf faces ongoing criticism for his extensive pharmaceutical industry ties. Having received over $8 million from drug companies and worked as a consultant for major pharmaceutical firms, Califf pledged to extend post-employment restrictions from 2 to 4 years to mitigate …
By mid-2024, U.S. defense contractors and surveillance technology companies began systematically marketing their systems as “battle-tested in Ukraine,” transforming the ongoing war into a real-world demonstration and validation platform for AI-powered surveillance, autonomous weapons, …
ProPublica exposed that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito failed to disclose an expensive luxury fishing trip to Alaska in July 2008, paid for by billionaire hedge fund manager Paul Singer and other Republican donors. Alito flew to Alaska on Singer’s private jet and stayed at the King Salmon …
ProPublica revealed that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas had accepted luxury vacations worth potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars from billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow over more than 20 years without disclosing them, as required by federal ethics law. The gifts included private …
Following Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss and false claims of widespread fraud, ALEC developed new model election legislation to give Trump’s “Big Lie” systematic legislative form across states. The organization partnered with Heritage Action and the State Policy Network to …
Throughout 2021, at least 440 bills containing voter restriction provisions were introduced across 49 states, representing the largest coordinated assault on voting rights since Jim Crow and demonstrating ALEC’s systematic model legislation deployment at unprecedented scale. The Brennan Center …
While seeking federal approval of the T-Mobile–Sprint merger, T-Mobile executives sharply increased spending at Trump International Hotel in Washington—about $195,000 on rooms, meeting space, and services—according to company letters and reporting. The company said the stays did not affect the …
T-Mobile executives spent over 95,000 at Trump International Hotel while seeking approval for their 6 billion merger with Sprint, with more than 52 overnight stays documented. The spending coincided with the merger review period when T-Mobile needed approval from Trump’s Justice Department and …
Cook’s ‘charm offensive’ through multiple dinners and meetings with Trump 2018-2019 secured Apple exemptions from China tariffs on iPhones and core products. Cook dined at Trump Tower, Bedminster golf course, attended White House state dinner, gave Trump Mac Pro plant tour. Apple …
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted 3-2 along party lines to repeal Obama-era net neutrality regulations, eliminating critical protections that prevented internet service providers (ISPs) from discriminating against web traffic. The decision, championed by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, shifts …
Following the 2010 Republican wave that gave the GOP control of both legislative chambers in twenty-six states, at least 34 states introduced nearly identical voter ID bills in the 2011 legislative session. The bills used ALEC’s 2009 model “Voter ID Act” template language, …
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 …
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 …
The 9/12 Taxpayer March on Washington represented a pivotal moment in conservative political organizing, mobilizing an estimated 60,000-75,000 protesters against the Obama administration policies. Meticulously organized by Koch-affiliated groups like FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity, the …
ALEC’s Public Safety and Elections Task Force approved the “Voter ID Act” model legislation at its July 2009 Atlanta meeting, with final Board of Directors approval on August 27, 2009. The model bill was created in direct response to Barack Obama’s 2008 election victory and …
The first coordinated nationwide Tax Day Tea Party protests take place across the United States, organized primarily by Americans for Prosperity (AFP) and FreedomWorks - both organizations rooted in the Koch brothers’ network. These protests, while presented as grassroots citizen uprisings …
The first coordinated nationwide Tax Day Tea Party protests take place across the United States, organized primarily by Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks. These protests, while presented as grassroots citizen uprisings, were strategically orchestrated by well-funded corporate advocacy groups …
CNBC reporter Rick Santelli delivers his “Rant Heard Round the World” from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange floor, criticizing Obama’s mortgage bailout plan and calling for a “Chicago Tea Party.” Within hours, Americans for Prosperity registers the domain …
On February 19, 2009, CNBC reporter Rick Santelli delivered his infamous ‘Rant Heard Round the World’ from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, criticizing Obama’s mortgage bailout plan and calling for a ‘Chicago Tea Party.’ Within hours, Koch network organizations like …
President George W. Bush threatened to cast his first presidential veto if Congress blocked Dubai Ports World’s (DPW) acquisition of US port operations, sparking a major national security controversy. The $6.8 billion deal would have given a UAE state-owned company control of cargo terminals …
Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE), a Koch-funded lobbying organization, splits into two strategic entities. FreedomWorks emerges from a merger with Empower America, while the educational foundation transforms into Americans for Prosperity, enabling the Koch network to expand political influence …
Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE), the Koch brothers-funded lobbying organization founded in 1984, officially splits into two separate entities following internal strategic disagreements. The 501(c)(4) advocacy activities continue under FreedomWorks (formed through a merger with Empower America), …
Enron CEO Kenneth Lay met privately with Vice President Dick Cheney during a pivotal Energy Task Force meeting, presenting corporate recommendations that would significantly shape U.S. energy policy. Out of eight policy areas, seventeen Enron-favorable policies were adopted, including federal …
The Supreme Court issued a controversial 5-4 decision in Bush v. Gore that effectively awarded Florida’s 25 electoral votes to Republican candidate George W. Bush, ensuring his victory over Al Gore. The unsigned per curiam decision reversed a Florida Supreme Court request for a selective …
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 …
The Republican Party, led by Newt Gingrich, Tom DeLay, and Grover Norquist, launched the K Street Project to fundamentally restructure Washington lobbying. By creating an explicit pay-to-play system, they pressured lobbying firms to hire Republican staff, track employee political affiliations, and …
The Republican Party, led by Newt Gingrich, secured a decisive victory in the 1994 midterm elections, ending 40 years of Democratic congressional control. By campaigning on the ‘Contract with America’, Republicans gained 54 seats in the House and 8 seats in the Senate, fundamentally …
Republicans achieved an unprecedented victory in the 1994 midterm elections, gaining control of both the House and Senate for the first time in 40 years, ending four decades of Democratic dominance in Congress. Led by Rep. Newt Gingrich, who became Speaker of the House, the GOP united under the …
The Supreme Court ruled in Buckley v. Valeo that spending money on elections is a form of free speech protected by the First Amendment. While upholding contribution limits, the decision struck down expenditure limits, creating a fundamental asymmetry that would enable unlimited corporate influence …
In a landmark constitutional law decision, the Supreme Court ruled in Buckley v. Valeo that political expenditures constitute a form of speech protected by the First Amendment, fundamentally transforming campaign finance jurisprudence. The Court established a critical distinction between campaign …
David Rockefeller, chairman of Chase Manhattan Bank, founded the Trilateral Commission in July 1973 as a private organization to foster cooperation between the United States, Western Europe, and Japan. The initiative was led by Rockefeller and Zbigniew Brzezinski, who became the commission’s …
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) was founded in Chicago as the Conservative Caucus of State Legislators, initiated by Mark Rhoads with key involvement from Paul Weyrich. The organization was designed to create a systematic vehicle for corporate and conservative influence over …
The Heritage Foundation was formally established on February 16, 1973, by Paul Weyrich, Edwin Feulner, and Joseph Coors. Businessman Joseph Coors provided the critical seed funding of $250,000 (equivalent to $1.6 million in 2021 dollars), enabling the creation of a conservative think tank designed …
The Heritage Foundation is officially founded by Paul Weyrich, Edwin Feulner, and Joseph Coors, implementing the strategic vision outlined in the Powell Memorandum. Coors provides the crucial seed funding of $250,000 to establish what becomes one of the most influential conservative think tanks in …
On August 23, 1971, Lewis F. Powell Jr. delivered his confidential memorandum ‘Attack on American Free Enterprise System’ to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, providing a strategic blueprint for corporate political mobilization. The 34-page document outlined a comprehensive strategy for …
Lewis Powell drafts confidential memo to the US Chamber of Commerce outlining a systematic strategy for corporate influence, drawing from psychological manipulation techniques similar to those developed in MKULTRA. The memo provides a blueprint for coordinated institutional capture through media, …