Dark Money

**#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND TOP 10 BOOK OF THE YEAR • A groundbreaking exposé of the American oligarchs using their fortunes to dominate the nation’s political agenda, from “one of the very few utterly invaluable journalists this country has” (Esquire) “Dark Money is more than just a work of political journalism—it’s a vital portrait of a nation that, as perhaps never before, is being shaped by a few very rich, very conservative businessmen.”—San Francisco Chronicle WINNER: New York Public Library’s Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism • FINALIST: National Book Critics Circle Award, Los Angeles Times Book Prize, PEN/Jean Stein Book Award; Shortlisted for the Lukas Prize** Why is America living in an age of profound and widening economic inequality? Why do billionaire candidates and contributors dominate our elections? Why have even modest attempts to address climate change been defeated again and again? Why do hedge-fund billionaires pay a far lower tax rate than middle-class workers? In this riveting and indelible feat of reporting, Jane Mayer illuminates the history of an elite cadre of plutocrats—headed by the Kochs, the Scaifes, the Olins, and the Bradleys—who have bankrolled a systematic plan to fundamentally alter the American political system. Through vivid portraits of these secretive figures and their carefully concealed agendas, Mayer traces a byzantine trail of billions of dollars spent by the network and reveals a staggering conglomeration of think tanks, academic institutions, media groups, courthouses, and government allies that have fallen under their sphere of influence. Drawing from hundreds of exclusive interviews, as well as extensive scrutiny of public records, private papers, and court proceedings, Dark Money is an essential book for anyone who cares about the future of American democracy. Richard Mellon Scaife, the mercurial heir to banking and oil fortunes, had the brilliant insight that most of their political activities could be written off as tax-deductible “philanthropy.” These organizations were given innocuous names such as Americans for Prosperity. Funding sources were hidden whenever possible. This process reached its apotheosis with the allegedly populist Tea Party movement, abetted mightily by the Citizens United decision—a case conceived of by legal advocates funded by the network. The political operatives the network employs are disciplined, smart, and at times ruthless. Mayer documents instances in which people affiliated with these groups hired private detectives to impugn whistle-blowers, journalists, and even government investigators. And their efforts have been remarkably successful. Libertarian views on taxes and regulation, once far outside the mainstream and still rejected by most Americans, are ascendant in the majority of state governments, the Supreme Court, and Congress. Meaningful environmental, labor, finance, and tax reforms have been stymied. Jane Mayer spent five years conducting hundreds of interviews-including with several sources within the network-and scoured public records, private papers, and court proceedings in reporting this book. In a taut and utterly convincing narrative, she traces the byzantine trail of the billions of dollars spent by the network and provides vivid portraits of the colorful figures behind the new American oligarchy. Dark Money is a book that must be read by anyone who cares about the future of American democracy.