Interactive Explainer: How the GOP Stealth Money Machine Works

A hands-on look at how millions of dollars mysteriously end up in the pockets of Republican candidates around the country.


Tracking how campaign money flows through the political system is harder than ever, especially when that money passes through an organization like the Republican Governors Association. As MoJo‘s Andy Kroll reports, while campaign finance observers have fixated on the rise of super-PACs and shadow-spending groups, the RGA has quietly mastered the art of skirting election laws while raising millions for GOP candidates in key races.

This interactive explainer shows the inner workings of the RGA’s stealthy M.O. for shuffling money around the country and “wiping the fingerprints off the money.” (Note: After first clicking on the gray arrow, please first give the interactive a few seconds to load.) Read the full story here.

More Mother Jones reporting on Dark Money

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In "It's Not a Crisis. This Is the New Normal," we explain, as matter-of-factly as we can, what exactly our finances look like, how brutal it is to sustain quality journalism right now, what makes Mother Jones different than most of the news out there, and why support from readers is the only thing that keeps us going. Despite the challenges, we're optimistic we can increase the share of online readers who decide to donate—starting with hitting an ambitious $300,000 goal in just three weeks to make sure we can finish our fiscal year break-even in the coming months.

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