Sludge

We've broken some big stories this year, and now we need your support during the NewsMatch.

Your new subscription to Sludge will be 12x-matched. We can only get this crucial funding with help from our readers.

Get full access and follow the money:

🙌 🙌 readsludge.com/membership/

Our biggest fundraising drive of the year has begun. The NewsMatch drive has been our most important funding source, directly making our money-in-politics reporting possible.

But we can only get this crucial funding with help from our readers.

Join Sludge, and get full access: readsludge.com/join

The front cover of our latest report titled Hochul stalls climate action amid multi-million dollar lobbying effort by the fossil fuel industry. A grayscale picture of Governor Hochul, a windmill, three smokestacks, and dollar bills are pictured right below the heading.

NEW REPORT: NY polluters have increased lobbying by 52.3% since @governor.ny.gov took office — while NYers saw gas bills rise by an average of $288/year & utilities posted record profits. This is what blocking climate action looks like. Read more: bit.ly/PolluterLobb...
@nyrenews.bsky.social

Trump Invests in Media Merger His Administration Controls Days after the Ellison family expressed interest in buying Warner Bros. Discovery, Trump bought up to $1 million in its debt. He is now reportedly pushing the deal to be approved.

Trump bought up to $1 million in Warner Bros debt in September. He is reportedly pushing for a Paramount Skydance takeover of the company, which could boost the bond’s price. readsludge.com/2025/11/17/t...

Trump Invests in Media Merger His Administration Controls Days after the Ellison family expressed interest in buying Warner Bros. Discovery, Trump bought up to $1 million in its debt. He is now reportedly pushing the deal to be approved.

NEW: Trump Invests in Media Merger His Administration Controls readsludge.com/2025/11/17/t...

Fact Check: Musk Repeats Social Security Conspiracy on Joe Rogan Podcast Musk recycled his claims of "massive fraud" in the Social Security program, this time saying it caused the recent government shutdown—and again, faced no fact checks on the show.

Elon Musk sat down again with the Joe Rogan show and recycled his widely-disproven claims of "massive fraud" in the Social Security program—and as before, faced no fact-checks on the show.

Howard Lutnick’s Sons Score Record Year as Cantor Denies Trump Conflicts As it pushes back on suggestions of conflicts of interest, the financial boutique is on track for its most lucrative year ever.

Cantor's equity stake in Tether could be deliver $25 billion in profit on its $600 million investment, one of the most lucrative recent Wall Street bets, per Bloomberg.

Lutnick Could Sit on Crypto Council Despite Conflicts Asked by senators, the Commerce secretary nominee declined to commit to recusing himself despite his cryptocurrency conflicts.

Cantor Fitzgerald, the family-run firm of Howard Lutnick, is on track for all-time high revenue this year of $2.5 billion, according to Bloomberg.

Its stake in stablecoin company Tether, which benefits from the Trump admin's crypto policies, could result in tens of billions in profit.

Glad to speak about the booze angle on THC showdown in the Senate with @sludge.bsky.social, an independent outlet that publishes some of the smartest and most dogged reporting available on money in politics:

Alcohol Industry Groups Push to Ban THC Drinks in Government Funding Bill A ban on hemp-derived products with THC was added to the bill reopening the government, pitting Sen. Mitch McConnell against fellow Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a hemp industry supporter.

Popular THC drinks face a federal ban in the bill to reopen the government. The measure, backed by Mitch McConnell and being fought by Rand Paul, was added after a lobbying push from large alcohol companies.

The Democrats Won’t Stop Spamming Despite ActBlue’s updated policies banning fake matches and deadlines, Democratic Party groups are continuing to spam supporters with messages designed to trick them into giving money.

NEW: Despite ActBlue’s updated policies banning fake matches and deadlines, Democratic Party groups are continuing to spam supporters with messages designed to trick them into giving money. readsludge.com/2025/11/06/t...

NYC Public Campaign Financing Program Leveled the Playing Field: Report A new Brennan Center analysis found that New York City's small-dollar matching program was key in electing record numbers of women and people of color to City Council.

New York City's election today comes after hundreds of thousands of city residents made small donations that were matched in the public campaign financing program.

In 2021, a Brennan Center report found that NYC's matching option helped make city government more representative.

Screenshot of the top of a Sludge table of crypto industry federal lobbying in the first half of 2025, showing disclosed lobbying spending January–June by Coinbase, Crypto dot com, and Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) compared with all of 2024.

Binance facilitated a $2 billion deal using the Trump family token USD1, and its founder CZ got a pardon.

In July, Binance CEO Richard Teng joined the advisory board of crypto lobbying group The Digital Chamber, as the industry spends record amounts:

readsludge.com/2025/07/23/c...

NewsMatch is here, the best time to support our money-in-politics reporting. Become a Sludge subscriber, get full access to our stories and site archives, and your support will be matched 12x in the drive.

>> readsludge.com/join

Senate Panel Advances Wildfire Bill Slammed as Timber Industry Giveaway Its bipartisan congressional sponsors say the bill, the Fix Our Forests Act, is an important step toward reducing catastrophic fire risk.

NEW: Senate Panel Advances Wildfire Bill Slammed as Timber Industry Giveaway readsludge.com/2025/10/30/s...

Trump's Corporate Favor Factory We researched more than 150 top donors to Trump’s inauguration fund and White House ballroom to find the government favors they’ve received this year.

Not just crypto and fossil fuels — Big Pharma, chemical companies, and Big Banks received policy favors and regulatory handouts after giving millions to Trump’s inauguration fund. Search more than 150 top donors:

readsludge.com/2025/10/29/t...

Trump's Corporate Favor Factory We researched more than 150 top donors to Trump’s inauguration fund and White House ballroom to find the government favors they’ve received this year.

"Trump's Corporate Favor Factory"

@sludge.bsky.social "researched more than 150 top donors to Trump’s inauguration fund and White House ballroom to find the government favors they’ve received this year."

Trump's Corporate Favor Factory We researched more than 150 top donors to Trump’s inauguration fund and White House ballroom to find the government favors they’ve received this year.

Big Tech firms had FTC cases dropped. Chemical companies got air pollution exemptions. Crypto, fossil fuels, and private equity were handed long-sought policies.

We researched more than 150 top donors to Trump's inauguration and White House ballroom to catalog their favors this year:

Top search bar of a new interactive from More Perfect Union on the favors received by donors to the Trump Vance Inaugural Committee and the White House ballroom: https://perfectunion.us/trumps-corporate-colluders/

With More Perfect Union, we helped research this new, searchable list of the favors given to more than 150 top donors to Trump's inauguration and White House ballroom.

Search by name to see regulations axed, cases dropped, and ambassadorships doled out:

>> perfectunion.us/trumps-corpo...

Trump's Corporate Colluders - More Perfect Union We analyzed more than 150 top donors to Trump's inauguration fund and the White House ballroom construction to figure out which corporations are donating — and what they got in return.

Launched: in collaboration with @moreperfectunion.bsky.social, we dug into the top donors to Trump's inaugural and his new White House ballroom—and the favors they got.

Search over 150 corporate and wealthy Trump donors and see their prizes this year. perfectunion.us/trumps-corpo...

Lobbying Hits Record Highs Under Trump Lobbyists in Trump’s fundraising circle are surging in a record-breaking year for influence spending, as companies like Pfizer cut deals with the White House.

Lobbying is booming to record highs under Trump, with PhRMA and others on track to spend all-time highs. Trump-allied firms are the top beneficiaries.

Lobbying Hits Record Highs Under Trump Lobbyists in Trump’s fundraising circle are surging in a record-breaking year for influence spending, as companies like Pfizer cut deals with the White House.

Pfizer recently cut a deal with the Trump White House that watchdogs and investors saw as favorable for the company. After Trump's election win, the drugmaker re-hired the lobbying firm Miller Strategies, founded by a Trump campaign fundraiser.

It's just one of the corporate giants seeking access:

Corporate PACs Fund ‘Anti-Muslim Extremist’ Rep. Randy Fine Comcast, CVS, Boeing, and other major corporations have made PAC donations to the Florida Republican despite his repeated calls for violence against Muslims and Palestinians.

NEW: Corporate PACs that fund anti-Muslim extremist Rep. Randy Fine decline to comment on their donations. readsludge.com/2025/10/23/c...

Who’s Profiting From ICE? Use this interactive map to see the companies near you with active U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement contracts.

ICE is stepping up its raids in Chicago, New York City, Portland, and elsewhere.

Find all companies nationwide that have active ICE contracts — on our free, interactive map:

readsludge.com/2025/05/09/w...

Schumer Lines up Behind Centrists in Senate Primaries In Michigan and Minnesota, Schumer’s reported favorites align with AIPAC’s endorsements and the crypto industry's supporters.

Chuck Schumer's reported favorites in primaries in Michigan and Minnesota are centrists endorsed by AIPAC. Both have received six figures in contributions from AIPAC's PAC this year—and are considered supportive by the crypto industry.

In Maine, the DSCC is fundraising with Schumer's centrist pick.

While Some Democrats Ditch AIPAC, Cory Booker Cashes In Booker recently declined to say if he believes Netanyahu is a war criminal and criticized the International Criminal Court for singling out Israel.

NEW: While some Dems are breaking from AIPAC, Cory Booker is taking the group's money for the first time in his career. readsludge.com/2025/10/16/w...

Boeing’s Arms Sales Thrive on Gaza Genocide With $26.7 billion in approved Israel arms sales since October 7, 2023, Boeing stands out as a top beneficiary of the Gaza war.

NEW: Boeing appears on up to $26.7 billion in arms sales approved for Israel since Oct. 7, 2023, topping all other U.S. defense contractors. readsludge.com/2025/10/13/b...

Israel’s New U.S. Influence Campaigns Target TikTok, Churches, and ChatGPT In the wake of SKDK’s cancelled contract, three firms newly registered under FARA are executing influence operations in the U.S. for Israel.

NEW: Following the bot army backlash, Israel ramps up propaganda with 3 US firms: $6M Gen Z campaign by Brad Parscale, "Esther Project" that pays influencers, and a VR "10/7 Experience" deployed at churches. readsludge.com/2025/10/06/i...

The Leo Network Behind Virginia’s Attorney General Jason Miyares’ political rise is intertwined with Leonard Leo’s conservative machine, from shared consultants to millions in outside spending and a personal intervention to defend Leo during a D.C. in...

NEW: Virginia AG Jason Miyares, deeply tied to the Leonard Leo network, has received $4 million+ from Leo-backed groups for his re-election. In 2023, he intervened to block a DC probe into Leo's nonprofits. readsludge.com/2025/10/02/t...

Lobbyist-Led EPA Office Set to Add a New Chemical Industry Hire Longtime cleaning products lobbyist Douglas Troutman is nominated to lead the EPA office that has worked to stop the MAHA Commission from restricting toxic chemicals and pesticides.

Chemical Industry set to gain more influence at EPA - MAHA should be Gaga readsludge.com/2025/09/26/l...