LEVER WEEKLY: Dark Money Then, Dark Money Now

What The Lever Published This Week: 

J.D. Vance’s Master Plan For Citizens United 2.0

The vice presidential candidate is helping spearhead a lawsuit designed to prompt the Supreme Court’s destruction of some of the country’s last remaining campaign finance laws.

The Lever •Freddy Brewster

Harris’ Turn To The Dark (Money) Side

Despite a history of decrying dark money, Harris is now reaping the rewards of big, secret political donations.

The Lever •Helen Santoro

The Secret Plot To Buy American Democracy

Fifty years ago, two memos laid the groundwork for a right-wing takeover of the Supreme Court.

The Lever •Arjun Singh

MASTER PLAN, Ep 6: The Maverick Vs. The Corruption Machine

After John McCain got caught up in a corruption scheme, he went to war with his own party to try to make sure it never happened again.

The Lever •David Sirota

YOU LOVE TO SEE IT: A School Lending Bully Gets Expelled

Plus, the hearing-aid cartel gets muted, the country’s busiest streets are going fossil-free, and interest rates sink while spirits rise.

The Lever •Lucy Dean Stockton

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The Lever In The News:

• Philadelphia Inquirer — The city’s top newspaper, with a nod towards David Sirota’s hometown roots, detailed how Master Plan solved the mystery behind the Powell Memo.
• The Brian Lehrer Show— David Sirota joined the celebrated WNYC show to discuss how Master Plan uncovered the roots of Project 2025.
• TRT World — Reporter Freddy Brewster spoke with the Turkish broadcasting service on how money in politics corrupts American democracy.
• The Nation — The magazine republished Amos Barshad’s feature on private equity snapping up minor league teams and extorting cities for taxpayer funding.
• Sunday Long Read — The popular newsletter, which compiles the week’s best features, included Amos Barshad’s story on the private equity groups eating up America’s pastime.
• American Illustration Awards — Illustrator Scott Shields won a prestigious design award for his work creating the Lever’s iconic illustrations.

Thank You To Our Newest Lever Leaders:

Lever Leaders provide us with our highest level of support and score additional perks in return. We highlight folks who’ve taken that step, and why they did so:

• “The Lever is digging where needs to be dug.” — Edward Santoro

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