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 …
Grover NorquistAmericans for Tax ReformClub for GrowthAmericans for ProsperityDavid McIntosh+2 moreinstitutional-captureregulatory-capturetax-policyhealthcarekleptocracy+2 more
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.
Donald TrumpMelania TrumpAmazonMetaYouTube+1 morekleptocracytrump-administrationexecutive-powercorporate-influencemonetization
Trump’s 2025 inauguration raised a record-shattering $245 million, with at least $161 million coming from corporations—many facing active federal antitrust investigations or regulatory scrutiny. The donations represent a nearly 2.5x increase over Trump’s 2017 inauguration ($107 million) …
Donald TrumpTrump Inaugural CommitteeAmazonMetaGoogle+3 morepay-to-playcorruptioncorporate-influencequid-pro-quoinauguration
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 …
Samuel AlitoPaul SingerElliott Investment ManagementLeonard LeoRobin Arkley II+1 morejudicial-capturesupreme-courtcorporate-influenceethics-violationsamuel-alito+3 more
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 …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Heritage FoundationHeritage ActionRepublican state legislatorsState Policy Networkalecvoter-suppressionelectoral-manipulationbig-lievoting-rights+3 more
Utah Representative Ryan Wilcox and Senator Daniel McCay championed HB 474, legislation requiring legislative approval for “major” agency rules with significant economic impact, modeled directly on ALEC’s Targeted Legislative Review Act. The law created a Legislative Economic …
Ryan WilcoxDaniel McCayAmerican Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Utah State Legislatureinstitutional-capturecorporate-influenceregulatory-capturealecderegulation
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 USSprintTrump International Hotel WashingtonFCCDOJ Antitrust Division+2 moremerger-reviewlobbyingconflictscorporate-influenceregulatory-capture
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 …
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 …
FreedomWorksAmericans for ProsperityDick ArmeyBrendan SteinhauserDavid Koch+5 moreastroturf-organizingcorporate-influencekoch-networkpolitical-mobilizationmass-demonstrations+2 more
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 …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Hans von SpakovskyHeritage FoundationALEC Public Safety and Elections Task Forcealecvoter-suppressionelectoral-manipulationcorporate-influencestate-capture+2 more
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 …
Americans for ProsperityFreedomWorksDavid KochCharles KochBrendan Steinhauser+2 moreastroturf-organizingcorporate-influencekoch-networktax-protestspolitical-theater+2 more
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 …
George W. BushCharles SchumerDubai Ports WorldUAERepublican Congress+2 morepresidential-powercorporate-influenceforeign-policyregulatory-capturenational-security
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), …
David KochCharles KochDick ArmeyRon PaulTim Phillips+4 moreregulatory-capturecorporate-influenceastroturf-organizingkoch-networkpolitical-infrastructure+2 more
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 …
George W. BushAl GoreWilliam RehnquistSandra Day O'ConnorClarence Thomas+4 morejudicial-capturesupreme-courtcorporate-influenceelection-interferenceconflict-of-interest+1 more
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 …
David RockefellerZbigniew BrzezinskiJimmy CarterChase Manhattan BankTrilateral Commissionregulatory-capturecorporate-influenceinternational-coordinationbanking-networksglobal-governance
The Office of Price Administration effectively ends on November 9, 1946, when President Truman removes controls on most consumer goods following intense corporate lobbying and deliberate business disruption. The premature decontrol triggers an immediate inflationary spike that harms consumers while …
Office of Price AdministrationHarry TrumanNational Association of ManufacturersU.S. Chamber of CommerceCongress+1 morederegulationcorporate-influenceinflationprice-controlsconsumer-exploitation
Congress passes the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) on June 11, 1946, establishing uniform procedures for federal agency rulemaking and adjudication. While ostensibly designed to ensure fairness and public participation, the APA creates structural opportunities for well-resourced interests to …
CongressHarry TrumanAmerican Bar AssociationBusiness interestsFederal agenciesregulatory-captureadministrative-lawcorporate-influencederegulation-frameworkinstitutional-design
President Truman signs the Employment Act of 1946 on February 20, a dramatically weakened version of the Full Employment Bill of 1945. The original bill would have guaranteed a federal job to every American seeking work and required the government to maintain full employment. After intensive …
CongressHarry TrumanNational Association of ManufacturersU.S. Chamber of CommerceCouncil of Economic Advisers+1 morecorporate-influencelabor-policyeconomic-policylegislative-capturederegulation
President Harry Truman delivers a special message to Congress on September 6, 1945, presenting an ambitious 21-point program for postwar America that includes full employment legislation, minimum wage increases, national health insurance, expanded Social Security, and permanent Fair Employment …
Harry TrumanCongressNational Association of ManufacturersU.S. Chamber of CommerceConservative Coalition+1 morenew-deal-rollbackcorporate-influencelegislative-capturelabor-policypostwar-politics
The Democratic National Convention in Chicago replaces Vice President Henry Wallace with Senator Harry Truman on July 21, 1944, in a backroom deal orchestrated by conservative party bosses and corporate interests despite Wallace’s overwhelming popularity with convention delegates. The …
Henry WallaceHarry TrumanFranklin D. RooseveltRobert HanneganEdwin Pauley+2 moreparty-capturecorporate-influencelabor-politicselite-networkspolitical-manipulation
Congress passes the Renegotiation Act on April 28, 1942, establishing a process to recapture “excessive profits” from war contractors. While presented as a check on war profiteering, the act’s weak enforcement mechanisms and industry-friendly implementation allow most excessive …
President Roosevelt establishes the National War Labor Board (NWLB) by executive order on January 12, 1942, creating a tripartite body of labor, industry, and public representatives to arbitrate wartime labor disputes. In exchange for labor’s “no-strike pledge” for the duration of …
Franklin D. RooseveltNational War Labor BoardAFLCIOWilliam Davis+1 morelabor-policywartime-controlsunion-powerwage-suppressioncorporate-influence
Congress passes the Excess Profits Tax Act on October 8, 1940, establishing graduated taxes on corporate profits exceeding pre-war averages. While ostensibly designed to prevent war profiteering and ensure shared sacrifice, the legislation contains numerous loopholes secured through corporate …
CongressFranklin D. RooseveltTreasury DepartmentNational Association of ManufacturersU.S. Chamber of Commercewar-profiteeringtax-policycorporate-influenceregulatory-captureloopholes
Edward Bernays orchestrates his most famous propaganda campaign, hiring a group of young women to march in New York’s Easter Parade while smoking cigarettes and announcing to press photographers that they are lighting “torches of freedom” in a strike against male domination. The …
Edward BernaysAmerican Tobacco CompanyGeorge Washington Hillpropagandamedia-manipulationcorporate-influencepublic-relationshealth
The National Industrial Conference Board (NICB), founded in 1916, reaches peak influence during the 1920s as the research and propaganda arm of corporate America’s campaign against labor organizing. Working alongside the National Association of Manufacturers and U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the …
National Industrial Conference BoardNational Association of ManufacturersU.S. Chamber of CommerceAmerican Plan Associationpropagandalabor-suppressioncorporate-influenceinstitutional-capturepublic-relations
Edward Bernays, nephew of Sigmund Freud and veteran propagandist for the Committee on Public Information during World War I, publishes “Crystallizing Public Opinion,” the first book to codify techniques for manipulating mass psychology in service of corporate and political interests. …
Edward BernaysAmerican Tobacco CompanySigmund Freudpropagandamedia-manipulationcorporate-influenceinstitutional-capturepublic-relations
The American Legion holds its founding convention in Minneapolis on Armistice Day 1919, emerging as a major force in the Red Scare and anti-labor campaigns of the 1920s. Founded by Army officers including Theodore Roosevelt Jr. and Hamilton Fish III in Paris earlier that year, the organization …
Theodore Roosevelt Jr.Hamilton Fish IIIGeorge WhiteAmerican Legionlabor-suppressioninstitutional-captureanti-communismcorporate-influenceveterans
Grover Cleveland’s narrow victory over James G. Blaine in the 1884 presidential election occurs during a pivotal transition in American campaign finance, as the Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883 reduces party organizations’ reliance on government employee contributions and shifts the …
Grover ClevelandJames G. BlaineU.S. Congresscampaign-financecorporate-influencesystematic-corruptioninstitutional-capture
Congress overrides President Rutherford B. Hayes’s veto on February 28, 1878, to enact the Bland-Allison Act, requiring the U.S. Treasury to purchase between $2 million and $4 million of silver bullion each month and mint it into legal tender silver dollars. The Act represents a partial …
Richard P. BlandWilliam B. AllisonRutherford B. HayesU.S. Congressmonetary-policycorporate-influencefinancial-system-capturegilded-age
The Supreme Court issues a 5-4 decision in the Slaughterhouse Cases, its first major interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment, drastically narrowing the Privileges or Immunities Clause to exclude most individual rights. The ruling upholds Louisiana’s grant of a slaughterhouse monopoly to one …
U.S. Supreme CourtLouisiana LegislatureCrescent City Livestock CompanyNew Orleans Butchersinstitutional-capturelegal-system-weaponizationcorporate-influencedemocratic-erosion
The Fourteenth Amendment is ratified after Louisiana and South Carolina provide the necessary three-fourths majority, extending citizenship and equal protection rights to formerly enslaved people. While designed to guarantee civil rights to Black Americans, the amendment’s broad …
U.S. CongressLouisiana LegislatureSouth Carolina LegislatureReconstruction Governmentsinstitutional-capturelegal-system-weaponizationcorporate-influencedemocratic-erosion