In Q1 2025, Trump-affiliated lobbying firms like Ballard Partners and Mercury Public Affairs experienced a massive surge in profits, with Ballard Partners increasing revenues from $4.4M to $14.4M. The firms added over 120 new clients, including major corporations like JPMorgan Chase, Chevron, and …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationBrian BallardSusie WilesPam Bondiregulatory-capturelobbyingtrump-administrationpolitical-influence
President Trump commuted the prison sentence of Jason Galanis, who was serving a 189-month sentence for defrauding the Wakpamni Lake Community Corporation of over $38 million in tribal economic development bonds. The clemency eliminates all remaining fines, restitution, and probation conditions, and …
Donald TrumpJason GalanisDevon Archercorruptionpardontribal-fraudpolitical-influence
Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison purchased the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Manalapan, Florida, for $277 million in August 2024, bringing his total real estate investment in the exclusive 400-resident island town to $450 million. Located approximately 20 minutes from Donald Trump’s …
Larry EllisonOracleDonald TrumpManalapanreal-estateoracletrump-connectionspolitical-influenceflorida
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 …
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
Mark Zuckerberg conducts secret, unreported meetings with Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, and Facebook board member Peter Thiel at the White House to negotiate content moderation policies and regulatory pressure. According to later reporting, Zuckerberg promises to avoid fact-checking political speech …
Mark ZuckerbergDonald TrumpJared KushnerPeter ThielFacebook+1 morefacebooktrump-administrationregulatory-capturepolitical-influencewhite-house+3 more
Trump ordered 5,200 active-duty troops to border with additional 7,000 on 24-hour deployment notice. Politically charged name dropped after two weeks, reverting to “border support” after criticism. Deployment occurred just before midterm elections, with potential scale of up to 15,000 …
101st Airborne DivisionMilitary police battalionsCombat engineersPentagonTrump Administration+2 moremilitary-deploymentborder-militarizationactive-duty-troopsposse-comitatusmidterm-elections+1 more
Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus VR (acquired by Facebook for $2 billion in 2014), departed Facebook in March 2017 following controversy over his $10,000 donation to Nimble America, a pro-Trump political group. Internal Facebook emails later revealed that executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, …
The Federal Trade Commission closed its 19-month antitrust investigation of Google without bringing charges, despite internal staff recommendations for legal action. With 230 White House meetings in 2012-2013, Google demonstrated unprecedented political access, ultimately avoiding significant …
Federal Trade CommissionGoogle Inc.Larry PageEric SchmidtFTC Staff Attorneys+2 moreregulatory-capturetech-industryantitrustgoogleftc+2 more
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
Koch Family Foundations began systematic funding of climate science denial and clean energy opposition, eventually spending $145,555,197 directly financing 90 groups attacking climate science and policy solutions from 1997-2018. The Koch network funneled $127,006,756 to 92 organizations from …
Koch IndustriesCharles KochDavid KochKoch Family FoundationsCato Institute+4 moreclimate-denialregulatory-capturefossil-fuelsthink-tank-fundingpolitical-influence
Justice Lewis Powell authors the majority opinion in First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti, holding for the first time that corporations have First Amendment rights to influence political ballot questions through unlimited expenditures. Powell’s 5-4 decision directly implements his 1971 …
Lewis F. Powell Jr.First National Bank of BostonSupreme Courtbellotti-decisioncorporate-political-speechfirst-amendmentpolitical-influencecitizens-united-foundation
Billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife emerges as the Heritage Foundation’s largest and most crucial donor, contributing $420,000 in 1976 alone - representing 42 percent of the foundation’s total $1 million annual budget. Scaife’s massive financial commitment transforms Heritage from a …
Richard Mellon ScaifeHeritage FoundationScaife Family Charitable TrustJoseph CoorsEdwin Meese IIIbillionaire-fundingthink-tank-expansionconservative-infrastructurepolitical-influencenarrative-control+2 more