SLUDGE REPORT: Baby Jail Grifting, Ripping Off Trump Fans, and Luxury Lobbyist Retreats
Your biweekly summary of the most shameful corruption in politics.
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NJ Gov. Phil Murphy Vetoes Popular ‘Dark Money’ Disclosure Bill
The bill now goes back to the legislature, but advocates worry the veto may spell its doom.
Op-Ed: Gillibrand’s ‘Democracy Dollars’ Could Break Big Money’s Stranglehold on U.S. Politics
But it will only work if it takes a cue from the successful Democracy Voucher Program in Seattle
Biden’s Climate Adviser Earned $1 Million From Natural Gas Company
Current 2020 frontrunner Joe Biden has a “middle-ground” climate approach that will promote natural gas, potentially enriching his adviser’s former employer.
Delta's Anti-Union Propaganda Came From PR Shop Busted for Posing as Journalists for ExxonMobil
The firm, FTI Consulting, has produced astroturf campaigns for some of the world’s biggest polluters including Exxon, BP, and Halliburton.
Dems Overseeing Finance Industry Take Money from Group Supporting Racist Auto Lending
Alerted to the contributions, House Financial Services Chair Maxine Waters tells Sludge she will better vet her campaign contributors.
Fossil Fuel Giants Are Benefiting From Negative Effective Tax Rates
In 2018, fossil fuel-tied corporations that are driving our climate crisis disproportionately benefited from paying no federal income taxes.
FEC Dysfunction Now Threatens Democracy
As House Democrats call in witnesses to answer the questions raised by Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia report, Federal Election Commission officials should be at the top of their list.
Mainstream Charities Bankroll Islamophobic Hate Groups, New Report Shows
The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ new study analyzes the deep-pocketed donor networks behind the rise in American Islamophobia.
Bank of America is Set to Profit from the Biggest Oil Industry Merger in Years
BofA is advising oil giant Occidental Petroleum on its attempted takeover of Anadarko. If they can help close the deal, the bank will rake in tens of millions of dollars in advisory and service fees.