The X-Ray

Over the next few weeks, the bipartisan House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol is holding a series of historic hearings to shed light on the events leading up to and on January 6, 2021.

During the hearings, we are hosting a special series of “Swamp Stories” to bring listeners in-depth analysis by some of the country’s leading political experts on what we are learning and how the country is reacting.

In the second episode of the series, host Weston Wamp talks with Reid Ribble, former Republican congressman from Wisconsin, and member of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus and the National Council on Election Integrity.

Over the next few weeks, the bipartisan House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol is holding a series of historic hearings to shed light on the events leading up to and on January 6, 2021.

During the hearings, we are hosting a special series of “Swamp Stories” to bring listeners in-depth analysis by some of the country’s leading political experts on what we are learning and how the country is reacting.

In the first episode of the series, host Weston Wamp speaks with Dick Gephardt, former House Majority Leader from Missouri, and member of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus and the National Council on Election Integrity.

In episode 40 of our “Swamp Stories” podcast, Weston talks with former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) — who currently sits on the board of directors of Issue One and is a member of Issue One’s National Council on Election Integrity and ReFormers Caucus — about how he became involved in politics, pushing back against lies that the 2020 election was stolen, and why standing up for the rule of law, our elections, and democratic institutions matters.

This is the seventh episode in our periodic series of longform conversations between host Weston Wamp and elected leaders, activists, and experts from across the political spectrum on how to fix America’s broken political system.

To learn more about Village SquareCast, another show in the Democracy Group podcast network, visit: https://www.democracygroup.org/shows/village-squarecast

Social media has become a part of our daily lives, as we scroll endlessly through curated feeds. But it’s clear that these platforms are having a negative impact on our lives and our society in ways we never imagined.

Platforms that were once a way to connect people have become a place where disinformation flows freely, controversy and division turns a profit, and people are pushed into echo chambers where everyone believes the same things and get fed disinformation that amps up their views.

In episode 39, Weston unpacks social media’s psychological and cultural ramifications, but also its impact on our democracy and politics — looking at where we can go from here and discussing the need for increased transparency and accountability.

Guests:

• Nora Benavidez, Senior Counsel and Digital Justice and Civil Rights Director at Free Press
• Camille Carlton, Communications Manager at the Center for Humane Technology
• David Jay, Chief Mobilization Officer at the Center for Humane Technology

Elections across the country are run by dedicated full-time elected officials and by a huge and diverse group of citizens who serve as poll workers — people who might very well be your neighbors, your teacher, or your child’s baseball coach.

These folks are the backbone of our elections system, and are the reason that the 2020 election went so smoothly and was called the “most secure election in American history” with the highest turnout in over a century. But since Election Day in 2020 — and because of a systematic campaign of disinformation designed to undermine trust in our elections — the people who make our democracy work have been the target of repeated attacks on their character and integrity, and have even been threatened with violence.

In episode 38, Weston chats with current and former election officials about the threats they and other election workers have received since the 2020 election, and the problematic trend of election administration being politicized across the country.

Guests:

• Natalie Adona, Assistant Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters for Nevada County, CA
• Brian Corley, Supervisor of Elections in Pasco County, FL
• Al Schmidt, Former City Commissioner of Philadelphia
• Elise Wirkus, Legislative Director at Issue One

In episode 37 of “Swamp Stories,” Weston talks with Mark Bowden — author of “Black Hawk Down” — and Matthew Teague about their new book, “The Steal,” that offers a week-by-week, state-by-state account of the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election. In addition to what they reveal about what happened behind the scenes, they discuss how to prevent what happened in 2020 from happening again and who the heroes and heroines were that helped stop the efforts to overturn the will of the people.

This is the sixth episode in our periodic series of longform conversations between host Weston Wamp and elected leaders, activists, and experts from across the political spectrum on how to fix America’s broken political system.

Imagine a world in which a member of Congress could take money from a corporation and put it in a special bank account that’s supposed to be used to provide political support for their allies in Congress, but instead uses the money to eat at opulent restaurants, buy airline tickets, or pay for lodging at luxury hotels.

Well, it doesn’t take too much to imagine all of this, because Washington has become so swampy that this is actually how things work.

In episode 36, Weston takes another look at leadership PACs, exploring how these campaign accounts have strayed from their original intent and been used by some lawmakers as a ticket to a more lavish lifestyle.

Guests:

• Brendan Fischer, Director of Federal Reform at Campaign Legal Center
• Former Congressman Chris Shays (R-CT)

In episode 35 of our “Swamp Stories” podcast, Weston chats with Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI) about a range of issues, including legislating instead of “throwing bombs”; fighting pessimism in Congress; election disinformation; using government to solve problems; and the future of conservatism. 

This is the fifth episode in our periodic series of longform conversations between host Weston Wamp and elected leaders, activists, and experts from across the political spectrum on how to fix America’s broken political system.

In 2012, President Barack Obama signed into law the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, otherwise known as the STOCK Act. The intent was to ban insider trading from members of Congress — a subject that gained national media attention on both sides of the aisle in the months and years after the financial crisis.

But the law did not do what it was supposed to.

In episode 34, Weston unpacks the STOCK Act and where it falls short and talks with one of the members of Congress who’s leading a bipartisan effort to fix the law and put an end to insider trading by members of Congress.

Guests:

• Kedric Payne, Senior Director of Ethics and the General Counsel of the Campaign Legal Center
• Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX)

Every 10 years, after the U.S. Census has been completed, congressional and state legislative districts are redrawn across the country in a process known as redistricting. However, districts are often “gerrymandered” by politicians, creating oddly-shaped districts that frequently don’t make any sense, all in an effort to keep their party in power.

As redistricting began a few months ago, the process in Texas received a lot of attention — with two new congressional districts due to population increases and a narrow Democratic majority in Congress, every seat counts.

“Swamp Stories” partnered with the Texas-based Sumners Foundation to dive into the competing perspectives about how redistricting could be more fairly and thoughtfully carried out. Although Texas’ map was drawn and signed into law since we recorded this episode, it’s chock full of great insights into the process — in Texas and across the country.

This episode was done in partnership with the Texas-based Sumners Foundation, which is focused on self-government and promoting the fundamental principles of democracy.