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8m "All In" segment on Musk, the midterms, and his bigotry, with Jamelle Bouie: youtu.be/L9Xb93nDHxE?...

The WSJ reports Trump asks “What can I do to help you?” to CEOs at private events, then has his fundraiser hit them up for huge donations for his nonprofits. If there was an official action pending, and an official act, it could be investigated... if Dems had passed the Anti-Corruption Act (115th).

Ask Sen. Schumer why Dems have never held a hearing on the Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act, which proposed such an independent ethics agency when intro’d in August 2018. The sweeping ethics bill from Warren / Jayapal et al would do much more. readsludge.com/2025/04/15/c...

Bradley Beychok, co-founder of American Bridge super PAC, is a partner at a Biden-alum lobbying firm that lobbies for crypto company Tether, Apple, Dollar Tree, etc. His offshoot consulting firm was also paid by crypto. His longtime colleague James Carville is calling for a purge of progressives:

Carville's War on the Democratic Left Is Funded by Centrist BillionairesJames Carville's firm has been paid by American Bridge, a super PAC funded by billionaires who also bankroll groups fighting progressives in primaries—and he advised a lobbying shop the crypto industr...readsludge.com

For someone who talks a lot, James Carville and his @politicon.com show didn't have anything to say about being attached to a lobbying firm that was paid half a million bucks by the crypto industry as it fought progressives. Neither did the firm's founders at American Bridge @ab21.bsky.social.

Carville's War on the Democratic Left Is Funded by Centrist BillionairesJames Carville's firm has been paid by American Bridge, a super PAC funded by billionaires who also bankroll groups fighting progressives in primaries—and he advised a lobbying shop the crypto industr...readsludge.com

Bradley Beychok, co-founder of American Bridge @ab21.bsky.social , formed a lobbying and consulting offshoot that was paid more than half a million dollars by the crypto industry as crypto spent against progressives in primaries. James Carville, now calling progressives "f---ing idiots," advised:

Carville's War on the Democratic Left Is Funded by Centrist BillionairesJames Carville's firm has been paid by American Bridge, a super PAC funded by billionaires who also bankroll groups fighting progressives in primaries—and he advised a lobbying shop the crypto industr...readsludge.com

Most Democrats don't realize that the billionaire megadonors funding American Bridge are also seeding a new crop of super PACs that are spending against progressives in primaries. They keep a low profile and move dark money. James Carville is attacking progressives as he's paid by American Bridge:

Carville's War on the Democratic Left Is Funded by Centrist BillionairesJames Carville's firm has been paid by American Bridge, a super PAC funded by billionaires who also bankroll groups fighting progressives in primaries—and he advised a lobbying shop the crypto industr...readsludge.com

James Carville is attacking progressives and democratic socialists who won Democratic primaries, earning appearances on Fox News and Newsmax. He hasn't mentioned: he was an advisor to a Democratic lobbying and PR firm paid over half a million dollars by the crypto industry.

Carville's War on the Democratic Left Is Funded by Centrist BillionairesJames Carville's firm has been paid by American Bridge, a super PAC funded by billionaires who also bankroll groups fighting progressives in primaries—and he advised a lobbying shop the crypto industr...readsludge.com

Early voting begins soon for #MISen, ahead of the Aug. 2 primary. In Michigan, opaque super PACs are providing an enormous outside spending edge for Stevens over progressive El-Sayed. State Dem parties could choose to run their primaries differently through voluntary, party-enforced rules:

Crypto, AI, and AIPAC Super PACs Are Spending in Lockstep Against ProgressivesUnprecedented sums are being spent on Democratic primaries, reshaping races while keeping their policy agendas largely out of public view.www.thenation.com

In NYT Mag, @chashomans.bsky.social has a good article on Trump self-enrichment and corruption. He should know that the Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act, intro'd Aug. 2018, would require presidents, VPs, and more federal officials to divest assets. The ethics bill has never had a hearing.

Congressional Leaders Warning of ‘Insider Trading’ Could Have Banned Officials From Stock TradingBanning members of Congress and government officials from trading stocks is highly popular, even among many rank and file lawmakers—but not among the congressional leaders who control which bills adva...readsludge.com

The Bulwarks' @monacharen.bsky.social has a column out criticizing Democratic voters who chose democratic socialists in primaries. Charen cheered my home state's Charlie Sykes for helping 2010 GOP wave. Republicans then gerrymandered Wisconsin and passed voter suppression laws targeting minorities.

New: Trump admin staff are leaving and turning around within months to lobby their former agencies and White House offices, according to a review of Q2 lobbying disclosures by @donnydonny.bsky.social. Check out their corporate and other clients...

Former Trump Officials Are Lobbying the Agencies They Just LeftA Sludge review of Q2 lobbying disclosures found multiple revolving-door hires from the Trump White House are already lobbying the very agencies they just left, after President Trump declined to issue...readsludge.com

Latest at @thenation.com — crypto, AI, and AIPAC-funded super PACs have shelled out more than $180 million in 2026 midterm races so far, on the Democratic side aiming to knock out progressives for centrists & establishment candidates who support their agendas.

Crypto, AI, and AIPAC Super PACs Are Spending in Lockstep Against ProgressivesUnprecedented sums are being spent on Democratic primaries, reshaping races while keeping their policy agendas largely out of public view.www.thenation.com

Crypto, AI, and AIPAC-linked groups have shelled out more than $180 million to influence voters this cycle—and in Democratic primaries, spending overwhelmingly against progressives who could challenge their policy agendas. A look at key races and industry wish-lists, new at @thenation.com:

Crypto, AI, and AIPAC Super PACs Are Spending in Lockstep Against ProgressivesUnprecedented sums are being spent on Democratic primaries, reshaping races while keeping their policy agendas largely out of public view.www.thenation.com

Cori Kramer, CEO of Center Forward, told Sludge last month about the secretive super PAC A Stronger Michigan, “The two organizations are not affiliated.” You won't believe where this is going. A new filing shows they provided almost all the funding, $10.9M, to the super PAC in the #MISen primary:

Dark Money Group Led by Corporate Lobbyists Funds Pro-Stevens Super PACA new FEC filing show nearly all of the $13 million spent so far by the pro-Haley Stevens super PAC A Stronger Michigan came from Center Forward, a dark money group led by lobbyists for Northrop Grumm...readsludge.com

New from @minnahfarshad.bsky.social from today's at FEC filings. Dark money group Center Forward, led by weapons industry lobbyists, is the conduit for more than $13 million in spending to promote Haley Stevens in #MISen. Voters may not know the original source of the ad barrage.

Dark Money Group Led by Corporate Lobbyists Funds Pro-Stevens Super PACA new FEC filings show nearly all of the $13 million spent so far by the pro-Haley Stevens super PAC A Stronger Michigan came from Center Forward, a dark money group led by lobbyists for Northrop Grum...readsludge.com

State AGs are increasingly taking on data centers' impacts on soaring energy prices for ratepayers—largely on the Democratic side. AI hyperscalers are giving millions to their campaign groups.

AI Companies Are Funding the AGs Investigating ThemOpenAI, Google, Meta, and others sent a wave of donations to both parties’ attorney general groups as AGs move to regulate the AI industry. Elon Musk's xAI contributed as well.readsludge.com

Buzz out there that Kimi AI is performing as well as advanced models on "mashup" benchmarks. VCs are attempting to access the Tigerbeat6 forums to get a handle on the projections