Investigations
Deep-dive analysis of campaign finance, dark money networks, and institutional funding flows.
Sixty-Four Members, Four Bills, Zero Markups: A Coordination Architecture
A congressional caucus operating on a steady enrollment curve without a single committee markup presents a case study in how external publications pipelines substitute for regular-order legislative advancement.
$127 Million, 322 Races, and the Shell PACs That Hide the Money
AIPAC and its super PAC spent $127 million in the 2024 cycle with a near-perfect win rate, then deployed anonymous shell groups to spend $14 million in Illinois's 2026 primaries — raising fundamental questions about donor disclosure and primary democracy.
Your State Laws Arrived Pre-Written. Nobody Said From Where.
Most Americans assume state legislators draft the bills they vote on. A documented pipeline of anonymously funded think tanks suggests otherwise.
$21.3 Million Moved in Secret. Here's Where It Went.
DonorsTrust funneled $21.3M to the executive branch's external legal arm. No donor names. This week's full influence map.
Follow the Money
This investigation documents how $1.4 billion in donor-advised funds flows through a largely opaque network of policy organizations, enabling anonymous donors to influence American legislation while maintaining both donor anonymity and tax-deductible donations.
Shadow Architects
American foreign policy is being shaped in significant part by think tanks that accept millions of dollars from foreign governments, defense contractors, and undisclosed private donors — while testifying before Congress as objective experts, without disclosing those financial relationships to lawmakers or the public.
$1.4 Billion. Zero Names. Your Policy.
A single donor-advised fund holds $1.4 billion and funneled $195 million to policy groups last year — with no requirement to disclose a single donor's name.
Foreign Governments Gave $64 Million. Congress Didn't Ask.
Think tanks advising Congress on foreign policy accepted $64 million from foreign governments and $20 million from defense contractors. 89% disclosed nothing.