GOP's Outside-Money Edge Is Being Built by Billionaires, Oil, and Crypto Around half the money fueling the super PACs allied with Republican leaders in Congress has come from billionaire donors, a new Sludge analysis finds.

47% of CLF and SLF’s midterms money has come from billionaires readsludge.com/2026/04/21/g...

The Shell Game Donors Use to Hide Their Identities Party leaders’ super PACs are increasingly routing contributions through nonprofits first, so donor names disappear before the money shows up in public filings.

New: $44 million in secret-donor money flowed into the super PACs aligned with congressional leaders in Q1 from their affiliated "dark money" groups.

Senate Dems' super PAC raised the highest amount, and highest share, of dark money during that period.

Spouse of Intel Committee Member Makes Timely Quantum Stock Purchase MAGA Rep. Greg Steube’s spouse bought stock last month in a quantum computing company whose share price boomed when it reached a technical milestone and was awarded a defense contract.

New: The spouse of House Intelligence Committee member Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) made an unusual stock purchase in quantum computing company IonQ just weeks before it announced a technical milestone and a defense contract, sending its price soaring.

First Lady Melania Trump Previews 2026 White House Easter Egg Roll Activities First Lady Melania Trump previewed the 2026 White House Easter Egg Roll, announcing an expanded lineup of exciting activities set to take place on the

Just in: Corporate sponsors for the 2026 White House Egg Roll include—

🐰 Meta

🐰 YouTube

🐰 NYSE

🐰 Signature Brands

🐰 GE Aerospace

🐰 Waymo

🐰 Coca-Cola

🐰 Yrefy

How Trump’s Former Digital Guru Is Shaping AI Narratives About Iran for Israel After the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, a network run by Trump’s former digital chief Brad Parscale began publishing AI-optimized content aimed at shaping how the conflict would be underst...

NEW: Under contract with Israel, a network run by Trump's former digital chief Brad Parscale has been pumping out AI-optimized content to shape narratives about the Iran War. readsludge.com/2026/04/03/h...

DCCC Sets Lobbyist Cash Record as Dems Campaign on Affordability The campaign arm pulled in $4.1 million from lobbyist bundlers in February, including firms representing pharmaceutical, insurance, and corporate landlords.

NEW: While campaigning on “affordability,” House Democrats just set a single-month record for lobbyist cash, with bundled contributions from lobbyists representing pharmaceutical giants, health insurers, and the nation’s largest corporate landlord. readsludge.com/2026/03/25/d...

DOGE Operative Behind Nuclear Safety Rollbacks Sat on Industry-Backed VC Board A key architect of Trump’s nuclear safety rollbacks simultaneously served on the board of a venture firm backed by nuclear industry investors.

DOGE staffer Adam Blake, who was tasked with implementing Trump’s nuclear safety rollbacks, simultaneously served on the board of a VC firm backed by nuclear industry investors with a financial stake in the changes. readsludge.com/2026/03/23/d...

DOGE Operative Behind Nuclear Safety Rollbacks Sat on Industry-Backed VC Board A key architect of Trump’s nuclear safety rollbacks simultaneously served on the board of a venture firm backed by nuclear industry investors.

NEW: DOGE Operative Behind Nuclear Safety Rollbacks Sat on Industry-Backed VC Board readsludge.com/2026/03/23/d...

Pramila Jayapal Violated a Transparency Law With a Late Stock Sale Disclosure The Democratic lawmaker is co-sponsoring bills that would bar congressional members from trading or owning individual stocks.

Another member of Congress has violated the STOCK Act’s disclosure provision, and this time, it’s a sponsor of bills that would outlaw congressional stock trading altogether.

A @notus.com scoop: www.notus.org/congress/pra...

Palantir Hires Two New Lobbyists With Democratic Party Ties The defense and immigration contractor is investing millions in its government influence efforts.

ICE and military contractor Palantir hires two new Democratic lobbyists.

New from @bueninvierno.bsky.social of @notus.com: www.notus.org/money/palant...

📣 Special March Match!

A Sludge reader will match up to 25 new subscribers through the end of the month at their annual value.

If you appreciate our focus on money in politics, double your support by joining now—and help keep us on this beat:

💥 readsludge.com/membership/

This is a really cute puppy abacus.

Democrats Criticizing ICE Are Paying Consultants Tied to Palantir Two prominent Democratic consulting firms, Wavelength Strategy and SKDK, are owned by Stagwell, a marketing company that partnered with major ICE contractor Palantir to build an AI-driven advertising ...

NEW: The corporate parent of Democratic consulting firms SKDK and Wavelength Strategy is partnering with ICE contractor Palantir on an AI-powered campaign targeting system. readsludge.com/2026/03/12/d...

The White House’s Financial Disclosures for Top Officials Are Incomplete Border Czar Tom Homan’s financial disclosure has not been finalized by the federal ethics office.

We don't have a complete picture of senior Trump administration officials’ personal finances — and there’s no telling when we will.

Inside the government's tortured ethics process that's leaving the public in the dark.

— w/ @annackramer.bsky.social of @notus.com www.notus.org/trump-white-...

Trump Quietly Invested Millions in Bank Securities, Late Ethics Filing Shows The President recently disclosed more than a hundred late trades made since May of last year, nearly all in banks and financial institutions.

SCOOP: Trump quietly invested as much as $20 million in bank securities last year and violated the STOCK Act by failing to publicly disclose the transactions. readsludge.com/2026/03/04/t...

The Best Experimental Music on Bandcamp, February 2026 These are February's best experimental records.

My new tape with Neil Cloaca Young was listed in the best experimental music on Bandcamp in February. daily.bandcamp.com/best-experim...

Here Is How Much AIPAC Has Funneled to Every Member of Congress Sludge analyzed FEC data to create a searchable list of AIPAC’s donations this cycle to every member of Congress.

Here Is How Much AIPAC Has Funneled to Every Member of Congress

readsludge.com/2026/02/28/h...

AIPAC Donor-Tied Group Drops Six Figures for Foushee A mysterious super PAC, Article One PAC, has spent $600,000 supporting Rep. Valerie Foushee in the NC-04 Democratic primary against challenger Nida Allam.

New: A mysterious super PAC has spent $600,000 supporting Rep. Valerie Foushee in the NC-04 primary against challenger Nida Allam. Foushee said she would decline AIPAC's financial support.

The group, Article One PAC, is tied in FEC records to a billionaire AIPAC donor.

DCCC Rakes in Millions From Palantir Lobbyists as Protests Target the Company’s ICE Surveillance Tools A new FEC filing reveals the House Democrat campaign arm's latest Palantir lobbying firm fundraising haul.

"DCCC Rakes in Millions From Palantir Lobbyists as Protests Target the Company’s ICE Surveillance Tools"

@donnydonny.bsky.social for @sludge.bsky.social

DCCC Rakes in Millions From Palantir Lobbyists as Protests Target the Company’s ICE Surveillance Tools A new FEC filing reveals the House Democrat campaign arm's latest Palantir lobbying firm fundraising haul.

NEW: DCCC Rakes in Millions From Palantir Lobbyists as Protests Target the Company’s ICE Surveillance Tools readsludge.com/2026/02/25/d...

Sen. Mark Warner, Palantir Critic, Took $37k From the Company’s CEO Alexander Karp, the CEO of ICE surveillance contractor Palantir, donated in September to Warner's joint fundraising committee, leadership PAC, and the Virginia Democratic Party.

NEW: Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) has repeatedly warned about Palantir's surveillance tech powering ICE. A review of FEC filings show his political committees pocketed $37K from Palantir CEO Alex Karp in September. readsludge.com/2026/02/18/s...

Companies ‘Honor’ Trump With Kennedy Center Donations From defense to oil to tech, new companies are supporting the Kennedy Center since Trump’s takeover while others are revising their disclosure practices to explicitly honor the president.

NEW: New companies like Anduril are funding the Kennedy Center since Trump's takeover, while others like Chevron are newly disclosing their donations with Trump as the "honoree." readsludge.com/2026/02/09/c...

Foreign Interests Are Paying Millions to a Trump-Linked Lobbying Firm Ballard Partners’ foreign-interest lobbying business has boomed since Trump took office, signing up new clients from Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Albania, Uzbekistan, and more.

Just out: The foreign-interest lobbying business of the Trump-tied firm Ballard Partners has boomed since Trump took office, raking in millions from new clients from Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Albania, Uzbekistan, and more.

Trump Picks Apollo Co-Founder’s Son for DFC After Firm Shows Interest in X Debt Apollo eventually purchased the debt at nearly full price, helping to bolster X's flagging valuation.

President Trump picked Ben Black—son of billionaire Leon Black whose alleged sexual abuse of teens is detailed in Epstein files—to lead the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.

My post from January: readsludge.com/2025/04/09/t...

New 70 min Carbus tape. Shards

released February 2, 2026
Carbus is Donald Warner Shaw III + Neil 'cloaca' Young.

Recordings collected from 2019 - 2023 in Northeastern USA, Southern Switzerland, Northern Italy, and a bit of France. Edited 2024 - 2025. carbus.bandcamp.com/album/shards

Crypto, AI, and AIPAC Set up to Smash Super PAC Spending Records The groups are sitting on massive war chests for 2026 midterms, according to new disclosures.

AIPAC and crypto have both amassed record super PAC war chests for this year’s midterms.

AIPAC already has $96 million on hand while crypto industry has $191 million. readsludge.com/2026/02/02/c...

Hudson River Park Trust to End Longstanding ICE Contract Following Sludge Report After contracting with ICE since 2004, the Trust tells Sludge it will stop when the current contract ends in June.

Hudson River Park Trust to End Longstanding ICE Contract Following Sludge Report

readsludge.com/2026/01/21/h...

No Labels’ Israel Push Follows Foreign Agent Work by Spouse’s Firm The group's leader is married to Mark Penn, whose Stagwell Group companies have recently been working as registered foreign agents for Israel.

No Labels’ Israel Push Follows Foreign Agent Work by Spouse’s Firm readsludge.com/2026/01/20/n...

I’m the author and site co-founder. We actually do need to build our email list and try to get people to eventually sign up as subscribers. That’s how non-corporate media projects like Sludge can exist. We’re trying to find a balance here.