188 Comments

Election deniers are makingthe Big Lie the dominant theme of the Republican Party. This involves running election deniers for key positions like governor, secretary of state, and AG in swing states. But they are ALSO recruiting thousands of election workers and poll watchers who will challenge voters on election day in democratic-leaning polling places. (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/21/opinion/republicans-democracy-elections-bannon.html) Any work you can do to uncover how they are funding these efforts could be very impactful.

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How the Federalist Society conspired to capture the Supreme Court and Don McGahn's role.

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Sep 29, 2022Liked by Judd Legum

I’m grateful to you for the dedication you show in speaking truth to power. It cannot be easy to stand up to the ultra-rich, corporations, and political extremists, so the courage and backbone you demonstrate are greatly appreciated by this blue dot in an extremely red state. I won’t let the bastards get me down, you hold the line, and hopefully our country becomes stronger and better through this struggle.

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Sep 29, 2022·edited Sep 29, 2022Liked by Judd Legum

I'm curious about the state of the Secret Service at this time. Has there been a purge? I know they play their activities close to the chest but is there anything out there on how they are faring after the corruption we've briefly heard about?

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Sep 29, 2022Liked by Judd Legum

I am new to popular info… but as an elected official for 20 years, I’d like to celebrate all of the election/poll workers who hold strong after being persecuted, pressured and almost battered by the Maga Monsters.

We need bipartisan voices to say that these folks, R’s and D’s and U’s and I’s to be praised for their honesty and their work…

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Sep 29, 2022Liked by Judd Legum

Hello Judd. I really appreciate the work you are doing. I would like to see more about Starbucks and their union busting activity. This is a really important test of our labor laws, the current appeal of unionization in the service industry, and a test of consumer sentiment about unions. Starbucks for many of us is practically on every corner. Their flagrant anti-union activities are against the law. How many fired workers are being re-instated by courts? How many workers are being quiet-discouraged by very strange changes in their working hours, store closures etc.? It's not a good look for a company that is so driven by its very own brand equity. Thanks!

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Unions. This is the bedrock of the middle class, we need a narrative that explains why unions are important. Also, the importance of these communities in developing a robust democracy.

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Sep 29, 2022Liked by Judd Legum

You are doing an excellent job. Thank you!

If the money that is spent influencing Congress & the money that is spent on campaigns were spent to better the lives of Americans, we could have affordable healthcare for everyone, free public education through college, affordable housing, and many other benefits that would raise the standard of living for all Americans, & take on the challenges of climate change. I believe that what improves the lives of my friends & neighbors also improves my life. To start, we need to get dark money out of politics, reform the way campaigns are run, & expose & punish those who use their money & power to further enrich themselves.

And anything more you can do to show DeSantis as someone who is running for office in order to accumulate more money & power for his own benefit is welcome. I believe he is worse than TFG.

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We need to expose all funding by major contributors whether they are Corporations or Individual donors and their affiliations. Supreme Court allowed these donations and by doing so, put Democracy for sale without realizing that greed will take over and that even “ foreign” contributors will find a way to influence electiins

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Please have a look at Elise Stefanik.

There is so much more than national press reports. Lot's of #NY21 folks doing research:

– many ties to Oath Keepers, North Country Deplorables and other similar groups

https://m.facebook.com/ComradeTh0tsky/posts/pcb.317818845939958/

https://www.mediasanctuary.org/stories/2019/on-the-link-between-rep-elise-stefanik-and-far-right-activist-mike-kibling/

– Endorsed folks fond of Hitler (Mary Miller, Carl Paladino)

– 'Team Elise' included 'pure bloods' (Sophie Delquie)

– Her Husband works for National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) How much $$$?

Very little in public about what her office (DeGrasse) did around J6...

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I think there needs to be more calling out of politicians that take credit for benefits that they voted against. I don't think the Republican base realizes just how bad their elected officials are doing their job (e.g., not voting, voting against something only because it's the Biden administration, etc.).

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founding
Sep 29, 2022Liked by Judd Legum

Hillsdale College’s influence on Gov Lee in Tennessee and it’s abuse of utilizing tax payer funds to build out magnet schools in the state

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Have you written anything about the "1776 Project PAC" (https://secure.winred.com/1776-project-pac/rrr-pa/)?

They claim to be raising money for local school board elections. How legal is that? Where are they targeting? Do school board candidates have to disclose PAC donations like this?

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I'm interested in the extent of the grift in regards to Trump, Qanon, etc. How much are they raking in. How many people are losing all their savings to this stuff. Even the crazy flags and merch. Some people must spend thousands of dollars on this stuff.

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"Climate Change" was intentionally substituted for "Global Warming" as a Republican effort to confuse the public. The result is that people just don't understand the simplest thing about Weather: It is the mechanism for cooling the planet by turning Heat Energy into Kinetic Energy. The more Heat, i.e. Global Warming, the more Wind, Rain, and their combination, Storms. I am frustrated that Journalists ask, what is the contribution of Climate Change to Hurricane Ian, and every storm that comes along. Every storm is a creation of the Heat Engine of the planet turning it into Kinetic Energy and thereby Cooling the atmosphere. More Global Warming means more Weather. Period.

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You've reported on corporations stating that they will cover employees who need to travel to get an abortion. That's all well and good but myself, I wouldn't trust them with such personal health information. If they're donating to Republicans who support abortion bans, can they be trusted not to "out" the women who have to use them to cover their abortion care?

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Also GOP efforts to dismantle, undermine and destroy public schools-charter schools, public money for private schools, low pay for teachers, onerous reporting standards, harassment of teachers, guns in schools…all part of the same effort

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I’d like an expose of congressional ethics legislation and the effort to continue to allow sitting members of congress to trade stocks, a huge conflict of interest. Thanks for all your great work, you and staff, Judd.

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Sep 29, 2022·edited Sep 29, 2022

1) How many companies who publicly commit to equality for gender, race, etc then use NDAs to hide settlements and then intimidate former employees / executives from being able to testify on behalf of new claimants while keeping ongoing harassment and discrimination hidden e.g. McD?

2) How many partisan politicians have and continue to fight all environmental and climate change policy / legislation and even promote activities that contribute harm yet their States receive enormous taxpayer monies for crisis e.g. FL, LA, TX (pattern), etc Where's the accountability? Newsome is right!!

3) Why have media allowed partisan politicians and their speakers to use national media platforms eg CNBC to equate ESG= oil/gas regulation in manner that's building incorrect and negative perceptions by linking to high prices when ESG is so much more!?

4) Why have allies allowed extremist to equate WOKE with something negative when by definition it merely means equality? Why haven't media linked those like the lobbyist targeting companies that support 'WOKE' policies to being against rights in Declaration of Independence and the Consitution? What's the basis for not supporting equal rights?

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MAGA's infiltration of local police departments.

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Thank you for your excellent reporting. I'm wondering if you've investigated J. D. Vance. The ads against Tim Ryan are packed with lies. (I see them every night during the local news.)

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Your thoughts, Judd, on the recently passed Electoral College Reform Act. Your piece from Feb 1, 2022 “How a new proposal to stop trump from stealing the 2024 election could backfire” has never left my mind.

I wrote to my Congressman and Senator Klobuchar, as head of the rules committee, to alert them to this. I heard back from neither.

Should we still be concerned about negative unintended consequences (or, perhaps, intended on the part of some).

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I’d like to know what happened to all those children at the border that were ripped away from their parents, some of which may have been adopted by christian couples.

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Alex Jones, gladly, had to pay parents and survivors from school shootings because of his false statements, fake conspiracies., defamations. Why has this not happened to Fox Fake News. and especially Tucker Fake News Carlson spreading baseless lies and fake conspiracies about basically everything? Not to mention all the violence and hate propaganda mongering. Where did accountability go in our country? In the past there was way more accountability. Not to mention all the lies and conspiracy theories Margaret fake news Taylor and other ex-President Drumpf (T...p) acolytes. Why is it that nothing is done about this? While the right is holding Democrats accountable. Another not to mention, all the right wing rallies with their lies. This must all fall under the Freedom of Speech. If it does than the Freedom of Speech has to be rewritten in which it states that politicians, ex politicians, and news, including Fox Entertainment NOT news, are NOT allowed to spew lies, hatred, racism and violence. Just like the country I come from, The Netherlands. The real country of the Free.

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For profit prisons and prison labor

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I’d like continuing coverage of how much money NY and CA and other “dirty immigrant harboring, crime infested, woke, groomer…..” blue states will be contributing to rebuild the net tax taker FL? As Dan rather said” most Americans know this is how it should be” we all help each other but desantis and Abbott don’t seem to understand this. Also would like to know how much FL will be relying on the labor of brown immigrants they abhor to rebuild their state?

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A thorough review of where the lawsuits are with Dominion and Smartmatic against Lindell, Powell, and all of the right wing news outlets.

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Not certain if this is something you would/could take on, but would love to see a comprehensive compilation of all the ongoing attempts to disenfranchise voters. Given the already tilted playing field of the current electoral system, further efforts to eliminate votes and overturn elections could be catastrophic!

Thanks for all your great work!

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Judd - thank you for all you are doing! I think the focus going forward for the rest of 2022 has to be on efforts to suppress the vote. Like a laser.

Cheryl

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I would trust you to objectively evaluate what is happening, or is not happening, at CNN. Has, in effect, a directive been issued to "move to the right," in terms of coverage, guests, etc., (John Malone?), or has there been an overreaction/oversensitivity (i.e., on Twitter) to personnel moves and random comments.

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What is happening with Toyota and their horrendous donations? So discouraged by all the corporate cowardice.

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Inflation largely being caused by corp greed at this point (understand other causes covid, Russia, supply chain….) and gop blocking any meaningful action on monopolies and price gouging

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The advancement of the Koch agenda for higher ed. https://www.ncnewsonline.com/opinion/columns/column-by-john-m-crisp-why-does-the-right-hate-tenure-so-much/article_690d4e3c-3dc8-11ed-97de-f36c46424947.html

Complicit in its egregious plan is the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR).

Emporia State University (ESU), a small, state-supported university, was targeted to eliminate tenure under the COVID emergency guidelines set to expire 12/31/22. The day after KBOR approved the plan proposed by ESU’s president, installed by KBOR without the usual job search & a former Koch executive with no advanced degree, faculty firings began. Between Sept 15 - 16, 33 faculty were terminated, including the sole journalism professor.

ESU is a test case for the state and nation. Our Democratic governor is up for re-election. Seats on the KBOR are governor appointments. Governor Kelly’s opponent is KS AG Derek Schmidt, who joined the Texas lawsuit to reject the 2020 election results.

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I think almost everyone everywhere is totally underestimating the massive amount of money that has been fueling right wing propaganda for the last 50+ years. You have been doing an excellent job of holding various players' feet to the fire, but I would be interested to see if some rough overall view could be illustrated to show the relative size of this overpowering flow of billions of dollars that feeds this whole info ecosystem of lies. It's so much larger than everyone assumes. (I'm thinking graphs/charts).

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It seems to me that having publicly financed elections would go a long way towards getting the money out of politics. Doses anyone ever talk about this?

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Good morning, I am forwarding to the popular information email address a copy of today’s the WaPo Jennifer Rubin “Opinion” email in which she reports “The Beginning of the End of the 1/6 Committee”. She covers at least three loose ends critical to the process. I have failed to note ANY Judd reporting on this event and thus urge you all to contribute your investigative prowess accordingly. If I’m wrong I apologize and if I’m right maybe there’s an explanation forthcoming on your site. Thanks and cheers!

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This is just a thank you for you and your staff’s amazing work.

I do purchasing for a mid/large construction company and didn’t know about the Uline’s owner’s funding of the right wing movement. I will no longer use them as a vendor because of your reporting! Thank you.

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Many deadly or violent incidents have taken place by people listening to verifiable lies on Rt wing media. Why can’t these be shut down? Must they go to trial for proof positive for each incident? If we don’t take action against this, free press seems meaningless, unless it’s free to lie resulting in violence/harm.

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I'm interested in the DeSantis flood

insurance coverage in Florida and let's

add Marco Rubio and Rick Scott into

that mix of a no go for Florida home

owners. When DeSantis was in congress

in 2013 he voted against the Federal

Flood Ins plans that would have helped

the people after the Sandy disaster and

those since. Including none in Florida,

but gee whiz, after ripping Joe Biden

and the Federal government apart, who

was the FIRST he turned to, when Ian

turned toward Florida!?

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Almost half of the Senate is Catholic. How many are Opus DEI? Barr, and Leonard Leo are too. The issue is separation of church and state. Are they loyal to the Pope more than the USA?

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I also miss Eric boehlert calling out the press for their neo lib/conservative framing and constant focus on both sidesism/horse race/negative coverage. Please use your platform to focal this out more of elevate someone else doing this important work-legacy media is falling down on the job and letting fascism grow

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If Dems lose Senate or House, are they committed to passing legislation before Jan 2023 transfer of power to ensure voting rights and protection of elector system in 2024 as they will not be in power to stop another attempt to steal the election? What legislative actions to protect our democracy in 2024?

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Desantis corruption, politicization of public service jobs, costs to tax payers via stupid stunts like migrant flights and Disney revocation of charter….

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I'd love to see a deeper story on the power of car dealerships and the outsized political power they wield both locally and nationally. Antiquated state laws have created an inflation-inducing and consumer-hostile car retail model that seems to mysteriously endure. I've read stories hear and there on this topic, but a deeper dive on how this part of the supply chain truly works would be in the public interest.

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Hi Judd, APPRECIATE all your hardwork. Nothing brings me more joy than the fact GOP is petrified of you-bc truth is not in their blood. I'd love more info on WHY are they so decisive? What's the end goal? A poor, divided, uneducated, dog eat dog post apocalyptic world?

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few people remember Robert Mercer who with his sister started the whole ball rolling with funding Britbart - Cambridge Analitica - then who dumped Cruz and gave Trump $500 million and Steve Bannon in 2015 when his campaign was suffering. If it wasn't for him Trump would have never made it along with the remodeling of the Republican Party. How can one person make such a difference in defeating democracy.

From the intercept 2015 ------

SCL has a growing U.S. spin-off, called Cambridge Analytica, which was paid millions of dollars by Donald Trump’s campaign. Much of the money came from committees funded by the hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer, who reportedly has a large stake in Cambridge Analytica. For a time, one of Cambridge Analytica’s officers was Stephen K. Bannon, Trump’s senior adviser. Months after Bannon claimed to have severed ties with the company, checks from the Trump campaign for Cambridge Analytica’s services continued to show up at one of Bannon’s addresses in Los Angeles.

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So many really good suggestions submitted so far, and I have 'liked' many of them. I hope you have the energy to tackle them all!

My personal bugaboo lately is that Republican Senators and Representatives are allowed to get away with blaming individual migrants and family units for fentanyl trafficking. That is NOT AT ALL how fentanyl smuggling happens! But their constant rhetoric conflating "Biden's open borders" with fentanyl and drugs is poisoning the public well.

I would really like to see someone with a bigger voice than mine tackle this issue. I've done some research on the issue, and in this (self-published on Medium) article I do so through the lens of Sen. Marsha Blackburn's daily rhetoric and false claims. Her state is at the top of the list for opioid/fentanyl addiction and deaths because she does NOTHING to stem medical over-prescription, and her state has a shockingly low mental health providers-to-patients ratio.

https://medium.com/alarmed-independents/senator-marsha-blackburn-has-a-problem-with-fentanyl-48c53b178514

When you call out people for disabusing the public trust, they sit up and pay attention. So I really hope this is an issue you can find the time to address.

Warm regards,

Mary Cooke-Baker

Chehalis, Washington

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Also, there is some recent reporting about the Cherokee nation seeking representation in congress. I live in DC where we still have taxation without representation. And I’m thinking about Puerto Rico’s continued hurricane damage and lack of support. Would love more reporting about us citizens without senators, why that needs to change, and how it actually can. DC has a great 51st state initiative but most folks outside of DC don’t fully understand how important, reasonable, and feasible it really is. And the disproportionate negative impact on nonwhite communities and families until that changes. If DC had someone in the senate, Manchin and Sinema would have been irrelevant.

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I'm curious about how the scary anti-trans universe connects legislators, group like Libs of TikTok, and donors.

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You might want to investigate how big companies are signing up there employees, without their consent to 401k investments (Fidelity, etc), and if they don't check their paystubs carefully, they won't know. They are also signing them up for Group Life Insurance, without their consent. The employee is being taxed weekly for a "benefit" they will never actually get themselves. Their beneficiary(the employee thinks it is standard AD&D, free coverage,but the Group Ins is piggybacked off it)will have to jump through hoops to claim, but the company will get a financial windfall, twice. A yearly tax break, then collect when the employee dies. The employee gets no reimbursement if they leave the company, but is taxed weekly (3 times the employees salary taxation!) on the Insurance they didn't ask for.

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