Ian Vandewalker

brennancenter.orgBig Changes to Makeup of the Biggest Midterm DonorsSince Citizens United, the composition of the top 40 donors in the midterms has shifted dramatically: more money, more support for Republicans, less transparency, and new industries like crypto surgin...

Over the last 4 midterms, the list of top 40 donors in federal elections has changed radically: Now they overwhelmingly support the GOP. Labor has dropped off, crypto is ascendant. More donors are hidden. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

Donors from the traditional finance industry give more money, but they are being outpaced by rapid growth in giving by crypto and the biggest donor, Elon Musk. Labor unions, once the #2 sector, didn't make it into the top 40 this cycle.

50m

Dark money is still on the rise. Among the top 40 donors, nonprofits that hide their sources gave $675 million, more than 2X last midterm. Half this money comes from groups closely tied to party leaders in Congress.

The biggest megadonors favor Republicans 3 to 1. Among the top 40 donors, bipartisan giving to influence both sides' primaries from industries like crypto, AI, and online gambling, has also surged to 100X prior cycles.

statecourtreport.orgVoters Could Reshape Campaign Finance Laws in Multiple StatesCampaign finance ballot measures are up for a vote in key states as public frustration with the role of money in politics grows.

This year, voters in key states will have the chance to vote directly on campaign finance reforms through referenda. statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...

brennancenter.orgBig Money Breaks Records, Boosts GOP: 5 Things to Know About the MidtermsFrom unprecedented spending to public outrage over corruption, here’s how big money is shaping the 2026 election.

Our decades-old system of contribution limits and transparency in campaign finance is barely holding on, as super PAC spending floods the elections that will decide who controls Congress. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

Ian Vandewalker reposted

Voters want an end to the corrupting influence of money in elections. We have solutions: bit.ly/4hTGOlX

Ian Vandewalker reposted

brennancenter.orgCalifornia Voters Will Choose Whether to Allow Public Campaign Financing — Here’s Why It MattersPublic financing is the most effective counter we have to the influence of megadonors in politics.

California’s Proposition 4 would let the state enact public campaign financing programs, giving candidates the chance to run competitive campaigns without depending on large donors. bit.ly/47fVe9M

reddit.comFrom the IAmA community on RedditExplore this post and more from the IAmA community

AMA live now! www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/s/0bD...

Ian Vandewalker reposted

nysfocus.comDraftKings and FanDuel Double Down on Political Parlays in NYSuper PACs backed by sports betting companies spent $4 million on New York elections since the June primary — most of it spent in recent weeks.

The system of campaign finance limits that has governed American elections since Watergate is virtually dead, which has major implications for the midterm campaign as it enters its final weeks. We are hosting a Reddit AMA on how big money is shaping the Midterms on Tuesday, Oct 20, at 12 - 2pm ET.

Ian Vandewalker reposted

New York Focus

@nysfocus.com

Super PACs backed by the sports betting industry have spent nearly $8.3 million on New York political races in 2026 so far, and have ramped up their general election spending in recent weeks. Here's how sports gambling Is betting big in New York.

Across the 6 Senate elections most likely to decide control of the chamber (AK, IA, OH, ME, MI, TX), Republicans have a spending advantage, with $700M to Democrats’ $600M.

The parties' funding strategies are completely different. Democratic candidates are raising much more money directly, under $7,000 contribution limits. Republicans are relying much more on super PACs funded by multi-million dollar donors.

The most extreme example is Texas, where James Talarico outspent Ken Paxton by $100M, and Republicans’ super PACs outspent Democrats’ by $200M. That includes pro-Cornyn spending from the primary, but the bulk is from Elon Musk, who has given at least $168M to pro-Paxton groups.

www.brennancenter.org/series/money...

brennancenter.orgMoney in the 2026 ElectionIn the run-up to November, the Brennan Center is releasing analyses exploring key trends shaping how money flows into our elections and whose voices are heard the loudest.

In a sign that dark money is breaking records, the super PACs affiliated with congressional party leadership all took in more than ever through their dark money arms that keep donors identities secret. On the Senate side, both parties more than doubled their prior record.

brennancenter.orgDark Money from Shadow Parties Is Booming in Congressional ElectionsGroups affiliated with congressional party leadership are taking more money than ever from secretive donors and spending it on the most competitive races.

For comparison, the past record was $54 million for the Senate GOP in 2024. This year, they took in $133 million. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

Ian Vandewalker reposted

Eric Petry

@eepetry.bsky.social

Replying to @eepetry.bsky.social

Federal law already bars contractors from election spending, but it has big gaps. It doesn't reach donations like these, or spending by a contractor’s owners and executives. Congress should close the loopholes. My @justsecurity.org piece:

justsecurity.orgClosing Pay-to-Play Loopholes: Strengthening the Ban on Federal Contractor Political SpendingTo help curb government corruption, Congress should close the gaps in and expand the ban on contractor political spending.

docquery.fec.gov FEC Disclosure Form 3X for SLF PAC

$133 million: how much money from secret donors the super PAC affiliated with Senate Republican leadership, SLF PAC, took in from its dark money arm, One Nation, according to a document filed today. docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/form...

SLF PAC also took $158 million from Elon Musk and transferred $158 million to the super PAC it has fully funded to spend in support of Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race. (Musk has also given millions directly to pro-Paxton super PACs.)

SLF PAC is the biggest spender in the midterms. Its unprecedented reliance on secret donors and a prominent megadonor (who holds billions in federal contracts) is a signal that the Citizens United campaign finance system is a disaster.

docquery.fec.gov FEC Disclosure Form 3X for SLF PAC

That's 2 and a half times the amount SLF PAC raised through its dark money arm by this point in each of the last two cycles. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

Independent expenditures, which is how the biggest money flows into campaigns, hit a record-breaking $2 billion by the end of September. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

www.wired.com/story/elon-m...

wired.comElon Musk’s America PAC Is Quietly Funding November’s Most Consequential ElectionsAmerica PAC’s approach has been unusual: for every dollar it has spent supporting GOP Senate candidates, it has spent almost three dollars attacking Democrats.

washingtonpost.comSecret documents reveal donors behind $330 million for Trump’s ballroomThe records offer a panoramic view of a fundraising campaign that is extraordinary for its size and opacity.

"[T]he documents show that the vast majority of the funds raised came from companies and wealthy individuals with interests before the federal government." www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...

Ian Vandewalker reposted

Taniel

@taniel.bsky.social

NEW: November will decide the super important officials in charge of running elections. These are the people who'll oversee the next presidential race. This is true in *35* states, so we at Bolts broke down each state one by one. Notably: election deniers running to take over swing states, again.

boltsmag.orgThese 35 States Are Deciding Who’ll Run Their Elections - BoltsUpon retaking the White House, Donald Trump demanded that states share sensitive voter data with federal agencies—a key step in his broader project of controlling and manipulating election administrat...

Super PAC spending is breaking records, with $2 billion spent through September. This is how megadonors try to influence elections. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

Amid the spending deluge, we don't have an FEC to enforce the laws. The agency has been without a quorum for most of this election cycle because Trump isn't filling vacancies.

brennancenter.orgPoll: Voters Want Solutions for Government CorruptionOverwhelming majorities across parties see corruption as a major problem and back measures to limit self-dealing by officials and the influence of money in politics.

Americans are fed up. $2 billion in super PAC spending largely from special interests who want govt policy to help their bottom line is a corruption crisis. Whoever controls govt next year needs to make reform a priority. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

Super PAC spending is breaking records, with $2 billion spent through September. This is how megadonors try to influence elections. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

The biggest big spenders are heavily favoring Republicans this election. The party-affiliated groups and the Trump-affiliated MAGA Inc. are spending heavily to boost GOP senate candidates, especially in Texas.

The megadonors providing much of this money mostly represent the tech and finance industries. Elon Musk is reportedly beating his own record as the biggest donor of an election with $366 million. AI, crypto, venture capital, and gambling interests are spending tens of millions each.

Super PAC spending is breaking records, with $2 billion spent through September. This is how megadonors try to influence elections. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

$2 billion in independent expenditures is a 50% increase over the last midterms, and by far the most since super PACs became a thing in 2010.

wired.comThe Biggest Pro-AI Super PAC Network Has Poured Millions Into Nevada Shell CompaniesBacked by Silicon Valley titans, Leading the Future has raised huge sums to promote pro-AI candidates on both side of the aisle.

Big super PAC payments are going to apparent shell companies, hiding the true recipients. www.wired.com/story/the-bi...

nytimes.comInside Elon Musk’s $276 Million Midterm Rescue Mission for RepublicansThe world’s richest person has quietly become by far the biggest known midterm donor, trying to save Republicans’ Senate majority with some of the largest donations in American political history.

Elon Musk breaks his own record for the most money someone has donated in an election cycle, with $366 million (so far). www.nytimes.com/2026/10/12/u...

washingtonpost.comElon Musk’s business empire is built on $38 billion in government fundingGovernment infusions at key moments helped Tesla and SpaceX flourish, boosting Musk’s wealth.

Musk's companies rely heavily on government contracts. He's also interested in the way AI and other tech sectors are regulated, and of course inserted himself into federal policy making with DOGE. www.washingtonpost.com/technology/i...

brennancenter.orgNine Solutions for Political CorruptionA new era of anticorruption reform is long overdue.

Federal law prohibits government contractors from election spending, but the rules are full of loopholes. One needed anti-corruption reform is fixing those loopholes. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/pol...

Elon Musk breaks his own record for the most money someone has donated in an election cycle, with $366 million (so far). www.nytimes.com/2026/10/12/u...

Musk is working to elect Republicans, especially Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton. His super PAC strategy relies much more on canvassing and get-out-the-vote activities than the traditional TV ads.

washingtonpost.comWe reviewed $1.6 billion of campaign ads. Here are the takeaways.Everyone’s talking about the economy, but Republicans and Democrats can’t agree on what other issues will mobilize midterm voters.

Corruption is a central issue of the midterms, with both Democrats and Republicans mentioning it in their ads--more than any issue other than the economy. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

brennancenter.substack.comThe Midterm Issue Nobody Can IgnoreCandidates say they’ll curb corruption, but are the plans strong enough?

Democrats are hitting the message harder as they try to break the Republican trifecta in Washington. But whoever wins, what will they actually DO to address corruption? brennancenter.substack.com/p/the-midter...

brennancenter.orgNine Solutions for Political CorruptionA new era of anticorruption reform is long overdue.

Here are key solutions to fight corruption that must be at the top of the policy agenda in the next Congress. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/pol...

Corruption is a central issue of the midterms, with both Democrats and Republicans mentioning it in their ads--more than any issue other than the economy. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

nytimes.comFrom 15,000 to 185 to Zero: Trump’s Claims of Illegal Voting in Nevada FizzleIt was the Trump administration’s latest stumble in its effort to find proof of widespread noncitizen voting, despite decades of evidence that it is extremely rare.

Corruption can mean different things to different people, but for super majorities of Americans across the political spectrum, it includes special interests spending big money in elections. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

Ian Vandewalker reposted

Ryan Goodman

@rgoodlaw.bsky.social

From 16,000 to 185 to Zero: Trump’s Claims of Illegal Voting in Nevada Fizzle. "The state sent a strongly worded rebuke to the federal government: Every single person on the list was a lawful citizen."

Ian Vandewalker reposted

brennancenter.org$1 billion in Secret Cash Is Reshaping the MidtermsWe may never know where most of the money came from.

Billions in dark money are flooding the election — and voters don’t know who’s behind it. bit.ly/4d1GYVr

propublica.orgThe FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the WayAfter the FBI caught a defense contractor’s CEO making illegal campaign contributions, it sought to launch a sweeping political bribery probe involving Collins and others. Then the second Trump admini...

22 Sept

This deeply researched piece has jaw-dropping allegations of pay-to-play deals where tens of thousands in political donations are made right before a company gets tens of millions in contracts for products the DOD didn't want. www.propublica.org/article/fbi-...

Study after study shows that firms that give more money to campaigns net more govt contracts. academic.oup.com/book/61887/c...

brennancenter.orgNine Solutions for Political CorruptionA new era of anticorruption reform is long overdue.

22 Sept

In theory, federal law bans campaign contributions from government contractors, but the rule is shot through with loopholes. Congress can fix it--and pass other needed anti-corruption reforms. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/pol...

Perhaps the most shocking thing is how much pay-to-play seems to be business as usual for the people involved, including congressional staff, campaign fundraisers, super PAC heads, and military officials. Some didn’t even bother to avoid putting things in writing.

Ian Vandewalker reposted

brennancenter.orgSupreme Court Rules Postal Service Must Deliver Mail BallotsThe ruling affirms that American citizens can vote by mail with confidence.

17 Sept

The Supreme Court’s decision on mail voting means that Americans can cast their mail ballots with confidence this fall. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

Ian Vandewalker reposted

brennancenter.orgFive False Election Rumors to Watch ForVoters should expect recurring false election narratives to resurface in the coming months — and familiarize themselves with the facts.

16 Sept

From false claims that large numbers of non-U.S. citizens are illegally registered to vote to attacks on mail voting, here are five election rumors circulating ahead of the midterms. bit.ly/4yDljei