The X-Ray

Much of the time when we talk and think about Congress, we don’t consider all the work that happens behind the scenes. Without the congressional staffers who constitute 97% of the legislative branch, legislating would be impossible. But, their ability to do this job is often hobbled by extremely low pay, leading to poor staff retention, low diversity, and ultimately, preventing Congress from fulfilling its oversight role. 

In episode 32, Weston explores the money allocated to members of Congress to run their offices and analyzes how this limited budget is used — or sometimes not used — and what can be done about it.

Guests:

• Dr. LaShonda Brenson, Senior Fellow of Diversity and Inclusion at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
• Marci Harris, Co-founder and CEO at POPVOX
• Meredith McGehee, Former Executive Director at Issue One

How did the attack on the U.S. Capitol happen on January 6th? There are lots of reasons, and many congressional committees and federal agencies are investigating. But there is one contributing factor that’s easy to fix — update the Electoral Count Act (ECA), a law passed in 1887 that spells out Congress’ role in counting the Electoral College votes every four years.

But, despite having clear legislative intent at the time, the ECA is ambiguous, out of date, and contributed to the electoral chaos that we saw this year.

In episode 31, Weston talks with two experts on the Electoral Count Act about how this arcane legislation came to be, how it gave rise to confusion and misinterpretation about Congress’ role in the 2020 presidential election, and why Congress must update it now.

Guests:

• Genevieve Nadeau, Counsel at Protect Democracy
• Matthew Seligman, Special Counsel at Campaign Legal Center

To learn more about Democracy Matters, another show in the Democracy Group podcast network, visit: https://www.democracygroup.org/shows/democracy-matters

There is an emerging trend in the world of political fundraising — grifters preying on the elderly and others with fake campaigns.

The worst part? There are barely any laws on the books to stop them.

In episode 30, Weston chats with Daily Beast reporter Roger Sollenberger about “scam PACs” and how they have been used to con unsuspecting Americans into contributing to fake causes and campaigns.

Guest:

• Roger Sollenberger, Reporter at The Daily Beast

To learn more about Democracy Paradox, another show in the Democracy Group podcast network, visit: https://www.democracygroup.org/shows/democracy-paradox

There’s no denying it: big money plays a massive role in American politics. In fact, since Citizens United, just 12 megadonors contributed a combined $3.4 billion to federal candidates and political groups — accounting for about $1 of every $13 in federal elections.

In episode 29, Weston is joined by an expert in the campaign finance research field to discuss the role of megadonors in today’s elections and what these wealthy elites’ influence could mean for our political system and democracy going forward.

Guest:

• Sheila Krumholz, Executive Director at OpenSecrets.org

To learn more about Democracy Works, another show in the Democracy Group podcast network, visit: https://www.democracygroup.org/shows/democracy-works

In episode 28 of Swamp Stories, Weston chats with former Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD) about what it was like being a member of Congress, how she would fix our broken political system, and the RV trip that she took across America alone after the 2016 election to better understand the rise of Donald Trump. 

This is the fourth episode in our periodic series of longform conversations between host Weston Wamp and leaders in the political reform movement.

Guest:

• Former Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD)

To learn more about How Do We Fix It?, another show in the Democracy Group podcast network, visit: https://www.democracygroup.org/shows/how-do-we-fix-it

The Federal Election Commision (FEC) has long been plagued by gridlock and dysfunction — known for its inaction and ideological and partisan divides. In episode 27, Weston chats with the current chair and two former FEC commissioners to explore how the agency got to this place, and what can be done to help make the nation’s campaign finance watchdog more functional and effective.

Guests:

• Shana M. Broussard, Current Commissioner and Chair of the Federal Election Commission
• Ann Ravel, Former Commissioner of the Federal Election Commission
• Michael Toner, Former Commissioner of the Federal Election Commission

To learn more about Let's Find Common Ground, another show in the Democracy Group podcast network, visit: https://www.democracygroup.org/shows/lets-find-common-ground

This is the third episode in a periodic series of conversations between Swamp Stories host Weston Wamp and leaders in the political reform movement.

In this episode, former Rep. Reid Ribble (R-WI) joins Weston to chat about the need for political reform, the problems Ribble sees with his own party’s narrative on elections, and the prospects for bipartisan compromise in the current Congress.

Guest:

• Former Rep. Reid Ribble (R-WI)

To learn more about Our Body Politic, another show in the Democracy Group podcast network, visit: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1533069868

We're following up on the last episode of Swamp Stories by taking a deeper dive into the world of "dark money" and examining a once rare strategy that's used to funnel this unaccountable cash through 501(c)(4)s and into the hands of super PACs — all while keeping the identities of the original donors in the shadows.

With the help of his guests, Weston shines a light on how this strategy works and explores legislative steps that Congress could take to make dark money less secretive.

Guests:

• Former Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA) 
• Danielle Caputo, Legislative Affairs and Programs Counsel at Issue One
• Anna Massoglia, Investigative Researcher at OpenSecrets

To learn more about Politics in Question, another show in the Democracy Group podcast network, visit: https://www.politicsinquestion.com/

More than $1 billion worth of unaccountable "dark money" flowed into the 2020 election at the federal level. This secretive spending by groups with anonymous donors has a corrosive influence on American politics and leaves voters and candidates in the dark about who is attempting to influence their votes and the outcome of an election. 

As Congress considers campaign finance and other political reforms, Weston chats with two experts about how this undisclosed cash is thriving and why both political parties should join together to promote greater transparency in campaign spending.

Guests:

• Michael Beckel, Research Director at Issue One
• Anna Massoglia, Investigative Researcher at OpenSecrets

To learn more about Democracy in Danger, another show in the Democracy Group podcast network, visit: https://medialab.virginia.edu/democracyindanger

The 2020 election was called "the most secure election in American history" by the federal government's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Against the backdrop of a worldwide pandemic, running the election was no small task. Across the country, state and local election officials worked tirelessly to administer safe, free, and fair elections.

In episode 23, Weston chats with three of these officials about how they helped make the 2020 election successful despite the numerous challenges they faced.

Guests:

• Jocelyn Benson, Michigan Secretary of State
• Adrian Fontes, Former Maricopa County Recorder
• Shane Schoeller, Missouri’s Greene County Clerk