Investigations
Follow the money. In-depth reporting on the donors, PACs, lobbyists, and networks that shape American policy — with every dollar amount sourced from federal filings.
PowerMap investigations follow the money from donor to politician to policy outcome. Each investigation is built on public filings, FEC data, lobbying disclosures, and government contract records — cross-referenced and analyzed to reveal the hidden connections between wealth and power.
Our team has traced over $15 billion in political spending across the 2024 cycle, identifying patterns of influence that traditional reporting misses. From quid pro quo arrangements hidden behind layers of PACs to revolving-door officials who write rules for their future employers — these investigations expose the machinery of modern political corruption.
Currently tracking 23 investigations across 6 categories. New investigations are published as patterns emerge from the data.
The AI Lobbying Explosion
Meta spent $26.3 million — more than any company in any industry. OpenAI's lobbying surged 7x. Inside Big Tech's race to write the rules of artificial intelligence.
Crypto Buys Congress
Fairshake PAC spent $133 million with a 91% win rate. Now it has a $193 million war chest for 2026. How cryptocurrency became one of the most powerful forces in American politics.
How Pharma Kills Drug Pricing Reform
The pharmaceutical industry spent a record $387 million on lobbying in 2024 — surpassing even its spending during the ACA fights. Here's how the money translates to policy.
Oil Money in the White House: From Koch Donors to Energy Secretary
How Chris Wright — a Koch network donor and fracking CEO — became Energy Secretary, and how fossil fuel money reshaped American energy policy from the inside.
The NRA's Decline: From $29M to $10M
How internal corruption, legal scandals, and leadership failures brought the most powerful lobbying organization in America to its knees — and what replaced it.
Google's $13M Lobbying Machine: Fighting Antitrust on K Street
How Google spends $13 million a year on lobbying to fight the biggest antitrust case since Microsoft — while a federal judge has already ruled it an illegal monopoly.
Meta: $26M — The Most Lobbying of Any Company in America
Meta Platforms spent a record $26.2 million on federal lobbying in 2024 — more than any other company — while facing antitrust lawsuits, content moderation battles, and youth safety legislation.
Defense Tech's Rise: Palantir, Anduril, and the New Military-Industrial Complex
A new generation of Silicon Valley defense startups — led by Palantir, Anduril, and Shield AI — is disrupting the traditional military-industrial complex with AI-powered weapons, autonomous drones, and billions in Pentagon contracts.
$452M vs the Public: How Pharma Kills Drug Pricing Reform
The pharmaceutical industry spent a record $452 million on lobbying in 2024 — deploying 1,883 lobbyists to fight drug pricing reform while Americans pay 2-3x more than any other country for prescription medications.
The Foreign Influence Map: $5B in Foreign Lobbying
Foreign governments and corporations have spent over $5 billion lobbying the U.S. government since 2017, with Saudi Arabia, China, and Japan leading the pack — all tracked through FARA disclosures.
David Sacks: 449 Companies, 1 Conflict of Interest Waiver
How the White House AI & Crypto Czar holds investments in 449 AI and technology companies — the most extensive conflict of interest portfolio of any government official in history — while making policy that directly affects their value.