Baltimore County Grassroots Groups Look To Continue a Public Financing Wave
Voters in Baltimore County will soon have their say on a ballot measure that would join several other large Maryland counties, as well as the city of Baltimore, in adopting a voluntary public financing program for elections.
Top Stories
Blue Dog-Affiliated Group Runs Ads for Big Pharma
By Donald Shaw Quick Hits Primary category in which blog post is published
Arizona Judge Reinstates GOP Law Shielding ‘Dark Money’
By Donald Shaw Democracy Primary category in which blog post is published
Billionaire Oligarchs and Anonymous Megadonors Behind Amy Coney Barrett Ads
By David Moore Democracy Primary category in which blog post is published
Firm With Deep Ties to Facebook’s Election Integrity Partners Busted for Meddling in Latin America Elections
By Donald Shaw Digital Primary category in which blog post is published
How Uber and Lyft Are Buying Labor Laws
California’s Prop 22 could set back labor standards, particularly for nonwhite workers, for decades.
Ultra-Rich Sen. Kelly Loeffler’s Family Has Taken In $3 Million in Farm Subsidies
The scandal is what’s legal, as they say.
STOCK Act 2.0: New Bill Would Shed Light on Congress’ Stock Trades
Senator and reps would no longer be able to bury their financial details on hand-written and poorly scanned paper filings.
Bank Lobby’s Pro-Tillis Ad Follows Legislative Favors from the Senator
Deregulatory provisions from the banking industry's wishlist were sponsored by Tillis and added to the CARES Act.
Ohio GOP Leader Co-Wrote Bailout Bills With Lobbyists for Energy Companies Behind Alleged Bribery Scheme
Ohio House Leader Bill Seitz, the third-ranking Republican who is considering a run for speaker next year, advanced energy industry bailout bills since 2017 that are now part of a federal investigation.
Congressional Leader Lays Down Marker in Revolving-Door Battle
Rep. Raúl Grijalva has built a coalition of outside groups committed to barring corporate insiders from executive branch positions. Now he wants House members to sign on.
Chris Coons’ Support of Corporate Immunity Could Benefit His Private Equity Donors
A subsidiary of Apollo Global Management—Sen. Coons’ second largest donor—backs a chain of nursing homes in New Jersey that have had high rates of infection and death during the pandemic.
The Fed Invested Public Money in Fossil Fuel Firms Driving Environmental Racism
STOCK TICKER: A Critic of Trump’s Postal Policies, Wyden Stands to Benefit from Privatization
A new financial document shows Sen. Ron Wyden's (D-Ore.) spouse has been investing money with the post office's private competitors.
Trump Admin Did Little to Prevent PPP Fraud, New Report From House Dems Concludes
Tens of thousands of PPP loans issued by the administration could be subject to fraud, waste, or abuse, House Democrats found by analyzing program details.
Richard Neal’s Inner Circle of Corporate Lobbyists
Friends, family, and staff of Rep. Richard Neal have all benefited from the revolving door linking Springfield and K Street, at great cost to Massachusetts residents.
Neal’s CARES Act Bailed Out Hospitals But Not Hospital Workers
Neal secured millions for his hospital industry donors with no requirements for them to assist workers.
NBA Partner AT&T is No Friend of Black Lives Matter
Through donations to police foundations and partnerships with law enforcement groups, AT&T helps the police further militarize and execute the War on Drugs.
Oregon Voters To Decide on Limitless Corporate Political Donations
In one of only five states with no limits on corporate contributions to candidates, a coalition of grassroots groups seeks to enshrine the ability for voters to pass campaign finance laws.
Neal Sends Cease and Desist Letter Over Ad Highlighting His Corporate PAC Donors
The ad features a headline from a Sludge article that found that Neal was the top recipient of corporate PAC donations in 2019.
Introducing Brick House, a Co-Op Against the Wolves That Killed Your Favorite Websites
Today, Sludge is one of nine member publications announcing The Brick House Cooperative, working to build an ad-free, corporate-executive-free collective for independent media.
Kennedy Fails to Return Fossil Fuel Lobbyist Donations
The Joe Kennedy campaign told Sludge it would refund fossil fuel lobbyist donations that violate the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge, which Kennedy signed, but it appears it did not follow through.
Congressional Leaders Are Raising More Dark Money Than Ever Through Their Super PACs
The super PACs affiliated with the Democratic leaders have raised particularly large sums this cycle from organizations that don't disclose their donors.
