We’re introducing the first episode in a periodic series of conversations between Swamp Stories host Weston Wamp and leaders in the political reform movement. This episode's guest: Nick Penniman, Founder and CEO of Issue One

The CARES Act, which was signed into law in March, was intended to help with the crippling economic effects America was experiencing due to COVID-19. But it also opened the floodgates to a lobbying frenzy by big businesses attempting to influence where funds should go. In episode 13, Weston looks at those efforts to shape the CARES Act, and the critical importance of ensuring that these kind of programs are transparent and that taxpayers can see where their money is going. 

Guests:

• Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN)
• Danielle Brian, Project on Government Oversight Executive Director

The influence industry looms large in policymaking in Washington, DC, and the big players are lobbyists. Because of legal loopholes, more people than ever who make a living lobbying Congress are skirting the rules with impunity to avoid registering as a lobbyist and wearing the scarlet "L." On episode 12, Weston wades into the world of “shadow lobbying” to give listeners an inside look into what lobbying actually means, how influencers are able to easily get around the rules, and introduces us to a Republican and a Democrat who are working to close loopholes to ensure that the way decisions are made is transparent for Americans.

Guests:

• Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA)
• Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN)

Congressional approval ratings have been at an all-time low in recent years. But a small group of members in Congress — and dedicated political reform groups — are trying to turn that around and make Congress more functional and responsive to the American people. This week, we’re taking you behind the scenes for an up-close look at one of the few bright spots in Washington — the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress.

This episode has been updated with additional information.

Guest List:

• Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Chairman of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress
• Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Member of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress
• Rep. William Timmons (R-SC), Member of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress
• Betsy Wright Hawkings, Managing Partner, Article One Advisors, LCC
• Erin Hustings, Legislative Counsel, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO)
• J.B. Lyon, Co-founder of the Rebuild Congress Initiative; Managing Director of Mt. Independent Investments
• Bruce Patton, Co-founder of the Rebuild Congress Initiative; Co-founder of the Harvard Negotiation Project and the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School

We joined some of our fellow Democracy Group members for a special bonus episode about COVID-19's impact on politics at the local, state, national, and international levels.

On this episode:

• Jenna Spinelle: Host of Democracy Works
• Luke Knittig: Host of In the Arena
• Jeremi Suri: Host of This is Democracy
• Rachel Tausenfreund: Host of Out of Order
• Weston Wamp: Host of Swamp Stories

One of the biggest challenges COVID-19 poses to our democracy? Holding safe, secure, and fair elections this year. Our democracy is at risk if states don’t adequately prepare for the various threats that this viral outbreak presents to the smooth running of our elections. In this episode, we talk with leading voices at the state and national level about how coronavirus affects voting, the task ahead for states and election administrators, and how our elections can be held safely this year.

Guests:

• Michael Steele, Former Republican National Committee Chair
• Denise Merrill, Connecticut Secretary of the State

Additional Resources:

• Op-ed: “How Congress must aid states to ensure safe and secure elections” (April 2020)
• Washington Post: We need to pay for our democracy (March 2020)
• Issue One applauds downpayment on voting assistance in stimulus bill, calls on Congress to provide more resources in future measures (March 2020)
• Letter from Michael Steele and the U.S. Vote Foundation to the Senate Rules Committee urging funding for state (March 2020)
• Bipartisan Policy Center: The November Presidential Election Needs Emergency Federal Funding (March 2020)
• National Conference of State Legislatures: State Laws Governing Early Voting

Recent news reports have exposed that some members of Congress dumped stock after receiving classified congressional briefings on COVID-19. We're going to talk about how lawmakers are able to use their positions of power for personal financial gain through insider trading — and what Congress can do to stop it.

Episode Guests:

• Former Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN), Issue One ReFormers Caucus Co-chair
• Meredith McGehee, Issue One Executive Director

Resources:

• Issue One Report: The Ethics Blind Spot (February 2018)
• How Congress can prevent conflicts of interest (April 2020)
• Insider Trading by Members of Congress Must Be Stopped (April 2020)

In 2016 and 2018, foreign actors including Russia, China, and Iran interfered in our elections and tried to disrupt our political system. Here’s how we can stop them from succeeding in 2020.

Guests:

• Sen. James Lankford (R-OK)
• Amb. Tim Roemer (D-IN), Issue One ReFormers Caucus Co-Chair
• Nick Penniman, Issue One Founder and CEO
• Liz Howard, Counsel, Brennan Center’s Democracy Program

Learn more about Issue One's "Don't Mess With US" project and solutions to help prevent foreign interference in our political system at https://www.dontmesswithus.org.

You can find all episodes of Swamp Stories at https://www.swampstories.org.

Conventional wisdom says the candidate who has the most money wins on election night. But that’s not always true, and we’ll talk about how David has beaten Goliath in recent years as candidates turn to small-dollar fundraising, digital-first campaigns, and grassroots armies to beat the system.