Scholars for Sale
Academics get paid by financial firms to testify against Dodd-Frank regulations. But do they kiss and tell?
Lee Fang
Lee Fang is a journalist with The Intercept with a longstanding interest in how public policy is influenced by organized interest groups and money. He was the first to uncover and detail the role of the billionaire Koch brothers in financing the Tea Party movement. His interviews and research on the Koch brothers have been featured on HBO’s “The Newsroom,” the documentaries “Merchants of Doubt” and “Citizen Koch,” as well as in multiple media outlets. He was an investigative blogger for ThinkProgress (2009-2011) and then a fellow at the Investigative Fund of the Nation Institute and contributing writer for The Nation. In 2012, he co-founded RepublicReport.org, a blog to cover political corruption that syndicates content with TheNation.com, Salon, National Memo, BillMoyers.com, TruthOut, and other media outlets. His work has been published by VICE, The Baffler, the Boston Globe, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Progressive, NPR, In These Times, and The Huffington Post. His first book, The Machine: A Field Guide to the Resurgent Right, published by The New Press, explores how the conservative right rebuilt the Republican Party and its political clout in the aftermath of President Obama’s 2008 election victory. He is based in San Francisco. Last updated July 2017
Rep. Pompeo Explains Why He Wants to Defund Health Program He Supports
The congresman says he supports money for federal health centers, but opposes federal money for the same program if it comes from the Affordable Care Act.
Leading ‘Clean CR’ House Republican Explains His Limitations: Party Loyalty
Rep. Peter King has talked tough about re-opening the government, but hasn’t been able to deliver.
Meet the Evangelical Cabal Orchestrating the Shut Down
The Conservative Action Project, the organization orchestrating the shut down strategy, is run by a secret group of evangelical and radical right leaders.
The Hidden Danger in the Supreme Court’s McCutcheon Case
A Supreme Court case about campaign contribution limits could also deal a blow to other good government laws.
Lobbyists Author Lawmakers’ Letter on Med Device Tax Repeal
A letter signed by over seventy right-wing lawmakers was authored by a medical device tax industry group, metadata shows.
Palin Adviser Used Dark Money Group to Fund “Mystery” Attack Ads
Sarah Palin’s main political adviser used a dark-money group to finance undisclosed campaign ads last year, new documents show.
GOP Lawmakers Play Politics With Human Lives
Republicans have acknowledged that the health reform programs they intend to defund help save lives.
Koch-Funded Group to Youth: You’re Better Off Uninsured
Generation Opportunity has launched a campaign to oppose health insurance.
Jeff Bezos’s Other Endeavor: Charter Schools, Neoliberal Education Reforms
Will Bezos’s interest in changing education policy affect his control of the Washington Post?
