Sludge

Sludge focuses on investigative reporting related to lobbying and financial influences in politics. We delve deeper than just public records and reports to uncover the concealed connections and conflicts of interest that contribute to ongoing corruption in the system.

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Who’s Profiting From ICE?

6 days ago | readsludge.com | Donald Shaw

💥Share this on Bluesky, Facebook, and X!Since January, the Trump administration has dramatically escalated its immigrant deportation and detention operations, triggering widespread condemnation from human rights advocates, legal experts, and international observers.
Pro-Crypto GENIUS Act, for Now, Falls Short of Advancing in Senate

1 week ago | readsludge.com | David Moore

This afternoon, a major cryptocurrency industry-supported bill, the GENIUS Act, fell short of proceeding in the Senate. Several key Democrats who had been negotiating with Republicans to advance the legislation, which would establish a regulatory framework for the digital assets known as stablecoins, opted against moving forward with the version of the bill in front of them—for today, at least.
Harris 'Dark Money' Group Spent Over $300 Million, New Report Reveals

1 week ago | readsludge.com | Donald Shaw

💡Share this on X or Bluesky. A new report from the Brennan Center for Justice reveals record-breaking sums of dark money spent during the 2024 election cycle—and shows that Democrats spent even more secret cash in their attempt to elect Kamala Harris than was previously known. According to the report, which includes both FEC-reported expenditures and unreported ad spending, the pro-Harris dark money nonprofit Future Forward USA Action poured $304 million into the election.
Trump Cabinet Officials’ Former Clients Are Now Lobbying Their Offices

1 week ago | readsludge.com | David Moore

👀Share this story on Bluesky and XSeveral former clients of the lobbyists now serving in the Trump administration—among them Pam Bondi, Sean Duffy, and Susie Wiles—reported lobbying the offices those officials now oversee in the first quarter of the year, underscoring the revolving door between private and public interests at the heart of the government.
AIPAC’s Anti-BDS Bill Is Derailed, at Least for Now

1 week ago | readsludge.com | Donald Shaw

💡Share this on X and Bluesky!The American Israel Public Affairs Committee suffered a rare setback this weekend as Representatives Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), two of its heavily-funded allies in Congress, saw their IGO Anti-Boycott Act pulled from the House calendar. The bill’s sudden withdrawal, amid powerful opposition from free speech and pro-Palestinian advocates, marks a major blow to AIPAC’s campaign to expand anti-BDS laws.
Five Dems Vote With GOP to Push Pentagon Budget Over $1 Trillion

1 week ago | readsludge.com | David Moore

💡Share this on Bluesky and This week, five House Democrats joined Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee to approve a $150 billion defense spending increase for fiscal year 2025, advancing President Trump’s budget plan, dubbed his “megabill.” The committee voted 35-21 to approve its part of Trump’s far-reaching budget framework, which pairs tax cuts with sharp reductions in programs like Medicaid and food stamps.
Top Corporate PAC Money Recipient Leads GOP Tax Overhaul

2 weeks ago | readsludge.com | Donald Shaw

💡Shrare this on X and Bluesky!As Republicans in Congress craft their budget megabill, the House Ways and Means Committee is at the center of high-stakes decisions on tax policies that could pour billions into corporate pockets. Leading that charge is Rep.
Meta Bulks Up Lobbying Power to Head Off Possible Break Up

2 weeks ago | readsludge.com | David Moore

💡Share this on Bluesky, Facebook, and XJust two weeks before opening arguments in its blockbuster antitrust trial with the Federal Trade Commission, Meta hired its first new lobbying firm in nearly two years. The tech giant brought on Mehlman Consulting, a bipartisan shop with deep Capitol Hill ties, including four former senior Republican staffers and one former FTC liaison to Congress.
FEC Faces Paralysis Once Again

2 weeks ago | readsludge.com | Donald Shaw

💡Share this post on X or BlueskyThe agency in charge of enforcing campaign finance laws is once again poised to lose its ability to function, as Republican commissioner Allen Dickerson, a Trump appointee, is reportedly planning to announce his resignation from the Federal Election Commission.
Reps Kickstart Effort to Ban Congressional Stock Trading

2 weeks ago | readsludge.com | David Moore

💡Share this on Bluesky or XA bipartisan coalition in the U.S. House is working to negotiate compromise legislation that would ban congressional stock trading, drawing from a pair of bills they have introduced. The group is trying to take advantage of momentum that was generated by recent statements of support for banning congressional stock trades by President Trump and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.) told Semafor late last week that he and Rep.