'Dark Money' Documentary Follows the Money in Politics
*By Max Godnick*
Ever since Watergate, investigative journalists have been urged to ["follow the money"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vETxuL7Ij3Q) to find the truth in politics. But how do you locate the funds that come from undisclosed donors?
"Dark Money" is a new documentary that aims to answer that very question. The film makes its national broadcast debut on PBS on Monday night, shining a detective's flashlight on mysterious corporate spending in politics.
"As a filmmaker, it was just a good mystery novel sort of spy thriller story that I knew we'd be able to tell," the film's director/producer Kimberly Reed told Cheddar on Monday.
The documentary extrapolates from a particular situation in Montana to explore a larger, more national problem in U.S. politics. Reed spends most of "Dark Money" tracking local journalist John S. Adams's attempt to uncover the truth about the funding behind her home state's tangled elections.
"I could see the storm brewing," Reed said. "It's a really good case study, because we can actually connect all of the dots."
Reed described "dark money" as any funding that "makes its way into an election, and you don't know where it's coming from."
Those contributions have been legally permitted ever since the 2010 landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision on *Citizens United v. FEC*, which established campaign spending as a form of First Amendment-protected political speech.
"That's just a recipe for corruption," Reed said. "I just think that our democracy was founded with the assumption that we're going to know who's trying to influence our politics."
She pointed to the hyper-centralization of dark money groups as the part of the problem that scares her most acutely. The unidentified financing stems from a small handful of groups, with just 15 organizations accounting for all dark money spending since 2010. The largest is Crossroads GPS, led by Bush-era political operative Karl Rove. The organization has since changed its name but still acts as the same entity.
Reed noted that the issue is non-partisan, with equal-opportunity offenders hailing from both sides of the aisle. But she did add that conservatives were the first to "weaponize" the funding tactic ー and the left has led the charge in finding legislative solutions.
With just weeks to go before the midterm elections, Reed cautioned voters and watchdogs alike to be mindful of this less-salacious corner of corruption and scandal ー the funding without high-profile names attached.
"Where we see big anonymous money going into elections, that's where we need to pay attention, especially if there's foreign influence behind it," she said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/shady-campaign-finance-stars-in-new-documentary).
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals Richenda Sandlin-Tymitz, Marketing & Content Manager at Alaska Tour & Travel, breaks down when and how to plan your best trip to Alaska; Kristen Miller, Acting Executive Director, Alaska Wilderness League, discusses the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the oil drilling that threatens it; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'The Magic of the Wild.'
Kristen Miller, acting executive director, Alaska Wilderness League, discusses the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the oil drilling that threatens it.
The Department of Treasury is warning Americans to expect delays on their tax returns this year as the IRS manages staffing shortages due to the pandemic.
The United States and Russia remain distant following a meeting between high-level officials for the two countries in Geneva, Switzerland. The nations remain conflicted over Washington's concern of a potential invasion of Ukraine by Russia and Moscow dispute with NATO expanding into former Soviet states. Hagar Chemali, host of Oh My World on YouTube and former spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the U.N., joined Cheddar's "News Wrap" to give her take about the careful diplomatic negotiations underway. "I would expect more rounds," she said about the talks. "Both sides really remain adamant that we're not going to talk about Russia's proposal, and Russia doesn't want to talk about anything but its proposal. So once they start talking about the other items on the table, and there are a few other items, that's when negotiations can start."
Markets closed the day mixed, and well off their lows of the day following a market meltdown earlier in the session. The Nasdaq staged a comeback late in the day, even amid ongoing worries about the Federal Reserve raising interest rates. Doug Flynn, certified financial planner and co-founder of Flynn Zito Capito, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the markets' close and what's driving the major indexes.
Eli Yokley, Senior Reporter at Morning Consult, joins Cheddar News to discuss how Americans are prioritizing economic issues over the pandemic when it comes to voting.
President Biden's disapproval rating hit a new high in December according to a poll from CNBC and Change Research, as Americans expressed their disapproval over the current state of the economy. This comes just months after the president signed a historic infrastructure bill back in November that was promised to bring a surge of jobs, especially in the manufacturing sector.
Change Research Senior Pollster Nancy Zdunkewicz spoke to Cheddar News about just what is driving the President’s disapproval rating.
