Dark Money, Dark Intentions

Donald's MAGA Inc. Slush Fund

MAGA inc. is in Donalds control and so is the money.

[Transcript edited for clarity, flow and legnth]

Welcome to The Art of the Scam, where we follow the gobsmacking corruption and grift being perpetuated by Donald, his family, and the people in his inner circle. This is what Kash Patel said about the FBI’s preparations for the midterms when asked why he was sending election crisis coordinators to all 56 field offices:

Patel: Election integrity is of paramount importance. This FBI is not going to shy away from that effort. And if you want to continue lying about the men and women of the FBI so you can have your four second campaign ad, go ahead. But the historic results, the 20% reduction in murder rate, the 1,100 terrorist attacks stopped, the 11,000 children found, the 54,000 violent offenders are what this FBI is driving towards, the top 10 most captured, six of the most wanted fraudsters captured.

Yeah, you creepy little man. Keep filibustering with your lies and refusing to answer the questions. Because basically, what Kash Patel is doing there is making it seem like he’s going to have FBI agents working across all 56 field offices during the midterms. Why? Well, while the FBI is warning Americans about election scams and campaign finance violations, Donald is openly claiming control of a political fundraising operation that has raised nearly half a billion dollars. And also, by the way, he’s the one who is threatening the integrity of our elections. Who’s following the money? Who’s enforcing the law?

On October 15, the FBI issued a warning to Americans about scams targeting voters ahead of the November 3 midterms. The bureau identified fraudulent political action committees, fake campaign fundraising solicitations, and scammers using the names, images, and slogans of candidates to collect money they have no intention of using for political purposes. It advised Americans to examine political committees’ financial disclosures, noting that excessive spending on fundraising, consulting, and administrative expenses could be a warning sign. In a separate advisory published the same day, the FBI reminded Americans that campaign finance violations are federal election crimes.

Really, why are they suddenly so interested in the idea of election integrity and campaign finance violations? These warnings came as Donald was openly claiming control of an enormous political fundraising operation that has collected hundreds of millions of dollars from wealthy donors and corporations. His own statements have raised serious questions about whether the operation complies with federal campaign finance law. And here’s the thing. Why are Kash Patel and Donald going after small dollar donors? Well, that’s because that’s how Democrats raise money, because all of the billionaires, or at least the vast majority of the billionaires and most of the incredibly rich corporations, are in the tank for Republicans. Republicans don’t really need small dollar donors. They have super PACs and dark money operations that those billionaires and corporations pour billions of dollars into.

MAGA Inc., Donald’s operation, is a hybrid political action committee whose independent expenditure account can accept unlimited contributions from wealthy individuals, corporations, and special interests.

That is permitted under federal law, which is a problem right there, provided the committee complies with the restrictions governing independent political spending. According to Federal Election Commission records, between January 1, 2025, and October 14, 2026, MAGA Inc. reported more than $449 million in receipts and nearly $309 million in disbursements. According to reporting cited by two former Federal Election Commission commissioners in The Washington Post, MAGA Inc. and its affiliates spent more than $240 million since early September 2026 alone, directing enormous sums into congressional races just weeks before the midterms.

Under the Federal Election Campaign Act, federal officers are prohibited from soliciting, directing, or spending money outside federal contribution limits in connection with federal elections. These restrictions are intended to prevent wealthy donors from circumventing contribution limits by funneling unlimited money through organizations controlled by elected officials. But Donald has repeatedly described MAGA Inc., which can accept those unlimited contributions, as an organization whose spending he personally directs.

Under federal campaign finance law, there is an important distinction between an independent political committee spending money to support a candidate and a federal officer directing how that money is spent. This is how Donald described that arrangement when pressed on it in an interview:

Interviewer: Do you, MAGA Inc., the super PAC that your allies control, have a lot of money and a lot of people?

Donald: Not my allies. I control it.

Interviewer: Okay. You and your allies.

Donald: $800 million.

Interviewer: Are you going to spend it?

Donald: It’s funny. Nobody ever asks that. Of course I’m going to do it.

Interviewer: You’re going to spend it in the midterms.

Donald: I could spend it on pretty much anything I want. I’m going to spend it to help Republicans. And so when you say I don’t care...

Interviewer: No, I didn’t say that. I said some people say that.

Donald: Yeah, look, I mean, I could do a lot easier. I didn’t have to be away in Nevada yesterday. I didn’t have to be in Los Angeles yesterday making speeches. I didn’t have to be supporting all the people. I have a busy schedule.

He controls it. He controls it, not his allies. His allies put the money in, and Donald controls how it’s spent. So, in addition to having to worry that he’s injecting massive amounts of funds into Republican campaigns on the eve of a very crucially important election, what are the odds that he’s taken a cut as well, further enriching himself by scamming off the American people?

In September 2026, the Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging that Donald violated the Federal Election Campaign Act by directing MAGA Inc. spending. Just to be clear, some people are saying that might be the case. The law prohibits federal office holders from soliciting, directing, or spending what’s known as “soft money.” Those are funds raised outside federal contribution limits in order to influence federal elections. Those restrictions were strengthened by legislation signed on March 27, 2002, specifically to prevent wealthy donors and special interests from circumventing contribution limits through organizations controlled by elected officials.

That all came to a crashing halt on January 21, 2010, when the Supreme Court, led by the ignoble John Roberts, issued its egregious and potentially democracy-ending Citizens United decision. Citizens United allowed unlimited independent political expenditures by corporations and unions. The reasoning was that spending conducted independently of candidates would not create the same risk of corruption as direct contributions.

The Campaign Legal Center argues that Donald’s involvement with MAGA Inc. undermines that independence, calling into question the legal basis for allowing the organizations to accept unlimited contributions in the first place. The Citizens United decision has so much to answer for, because according to that same Supreme Court, money is speech and corporations are people. So we are in a situation in which a single individual, in this case Elon Musk, can give upwards of $450 million to any candidates he wants. Please explain to me how that is not a way to influence elections in a manner that is deeply corrupt.

The Campaign Legal Center reports that MAGA Inc. raised more than $400 million during the 2026 election cycle, almost entirely from a small group of ultra-wealthy individuals, corporations, and special interests, which is the exact opposite of how Democrats raise money. Remember that $20 million in taxpayer money the Trump regime used to produce and broadcast political advertisements promoting Donald ahead of the November 3 midterms?

After public backlash, Donald announced on October 5 that MAGA Inc. would pay for the ads instead, raising yet another question about his control over a supposedly independent political committee. Also, by the way, MAGA Inc. did not reimburse the American people for that initial $20 million spent. According to an October 28, 2026 federal court ruling, the ads continued airing at taxpayer expense for at least another week. U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan barred the administration from further developing or distributing them, finding that it had likely violated federal spending laws. Government attorneys had not even attempted to defend the legality of the ads, arguing instead that they had simply stopped running them.

So while a federal judge has intervened over the use of taxpayer money, Donald’s decision to direct MAGA Inc. to pick up the tab raises a separate, unresolved campaign finance question.

Essentially, why is any of this allowed to happen?

Common Cause alleges that Donald’s direction of MAGA Inc.’s advertising spending violated federal campaign finance restrictions. The administration maintains that the original advertisements were legitimate government communications. All of this underscores just what a danger having so much money in our politics presents.

When Democrats get control of Congress and, hopefully, get back into the White House in 2028, this needs to be one of the first orders of business. The way we run elections in this country is absolutely absurd, obscene, and contrary to a healthy democratic process. So if Republicans even come close in 2026 and 2028, it will be because John Roberts created a system in which the rich and powerful have more of a say in how this country is led than all of the rest of us combined.