Elon Musk deployed a sophisticated lobbying operation in Texas, hiring 12 lobbyists across SpaceX, Tesla, and X Corp. The team, including former advisors to Governor Greg Abbott, successfully influenced multiple legislative actions. They secured laws benefiting Musk’s companies, including …
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is investigating 39 separate instances where the Trump administration potentially violated the Impoundment Control Act by illegally withholding over $430 billion in congressional appropriations from various federal agencies. The investigations span multiple …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationRuss VoughtGovernment Accountability OfficeRosa DeLauro+1 moregovernment-contractslegislative-captureconstitutional-crisisbudget-manipulation
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a nonprofit organization bringing together state legislators and corporate representatives, continued operating its model legislation system where corporate lobbyists receive “equal voice and vote” with elected officials in drafting …
American Legislative Exchange CouncilState LegislaturesKoch IndustriesExxonMobilregulatory-capturelobbyingcorporate-corruptionlegislative-capturealec
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) distributed model bills in 2010 designed to kill regional climate pacts like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in New England and the mid-Atlantic, marking a strategic shift from federal to state-level climate denial efforts. ALEC activist …
American Legislative Exchange CouncilKoch IndustriesExxonMobilClint WoodsRegional Greenhouse Gas Initiative+1 moreclimate-denialaleclegislative-capturefossil-fuelsmodel-legislation+1 more
By 2000, ALEC’s membership had grown to include over 2,000 state legislators, representing approximately one-quarter to one-third of all state legislators nationwide (out of approximately 7,400 total state legislators across all 50 states). This level of penetration meant that in most state …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)State Legislators (2,000+ members)corporate-capturelegislative-capturealecstate-legislaturespolitical-penetration+1 more
In 1996, ALEC adopted an internal business plan that explicitly redefined the organization’s purpose in commercial terms, cementing its pay-to-play structure for moving pro-corporate legislation through state legislatures. The plan stated: “ALEC must begin to function more like a …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)corporate-capturelegislative-capturealecpay-to-playcorporate-lobbying+1 more
U.S. businesses and the Mexican government launch a $25 million coordinated lobbying and public relations campaign to secure Congressional approval of NAFTA, overcoming fierce opposition from labor unions and environmental groups. The Business Roundtable, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and National …
Business RoundtableU.S. Chamber of CommerceNational Association of ManufacturersAmerican ExpressMexican Government+2 morenaftacorporate-lobbyingtrade-policylabor-oppositionbusiness-roundtable+2 more
By 1984, ALEC’s corporate membership had grown so rapidly that Executive Director Kathleen Teague reported corporations were overwhelming the organization’s capacity. Major corporations supporting ALEC that year included Edison Electric Institute, Procter & Gamble Co., Mary Kay …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Kathleen TeagueEdison Electric InstituteProcter & GambleEli Lilly+5 morecorporate-capturelegislative-capturealeccorporate-membershiplobbying+1 more
In 1981, ALEC formalized its systematic corporate legislative capture mechanism by establishing seven Cabinet Task Forces that worked directly with the Reagan administration on policy development. President Ronald Reagan formed a national Task Force on Federalism headed by U.S. Senator Paul Laxalt …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Ronald ReaganPaul LaxaltTom StiversJohn Kasichcorporate-capturelegislative-capturealecreagan-administrationstate-level-politics+2 more