The X-Ray

In episode 28 of Swamp Stories, Weston chats with former Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD) about what it was like being a member of Congress, how she would fix our broken political system, and the RV trip that she took across America alone after the 2016 election to better understand the rise of Donald Trump.

This is the fourth episode in our periodic series of longform conversations between host Weston Wamp and leaders in the political reform movement.

Guest:

• Former Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD)

To learn more about How Do We Fix It?, another show in the Democracy Group podcast network, visit: https://www.democracygroup.org/shows/how-do-we-fix-it

More than $1 billion worth of unaccountable "dark money" flowed into the 2020 election at the federal level. This secretive spending by groups with anonymous donors has a corrosive influence on American politics and leaves voters and candidates in the dark about who is attempting to influence their votes and the outcome of an election.

As Congress considers campaign finance and other political reforms, Weston chats with two experts about how this undisclosed cash is thriving and why both political parties should join together to promote greater transparency in campaign spending.

Guests:

• Michael Beckel, Research Director at Issue One
• Anna Massoglia, Investigative Researcher at OpenSecrets

To learn more about Democracy in Danger, another show in the Democracy Group podcast network, visit: https://medialab.virginia.edu/democracyindanger

COVID-19 has changed many aspects of everyday life, including the way many Americans are voting. Because of this, people have increasingly begun to wonder about delayed election results, or contested outcomes, or even the possibility that a candidate may not concede. But in the middle of all this, a group of well-respected Americans has come together to defend the integrity of our elections, ensure that every American's vote is counted this November, and instill confidence that we can hold a safe, secure, and successful election this year — just like we did through both world wars and another pandemic. Listen to Weston speak with two of them in this episode.

Guests:

• Former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), Member of the National Council on Election Integrity
• Former Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), Member of the National Council on Election Integrity

A unique bipartisan group of over 200 former members of Congress, governors, and Cabinet officials has come together to build off their experiences while in office and advocate for solutions to fix our broken political system. Weston chats with a few of these ReFormers about their time in Washington, their personal swamp stories, and what they’re doing to help increase transparency, improve civic participation, and make our political leaders more accountable to the American people.

Guests:

• Former Amb. Connie Morella (R-MD), Issue One ReFormers Caucus Co-chair
• Former Amb. Tim Roemer (D-IN), Issue One ReFormers Caucus Co-chair
• Former Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC), Issue One ReFormers Caucus Member

The 2020 election season, while carried out successfully by dedicated election officials and poll workers, exposed one glaring problem with the U.S. system of elections: it is chronically underfunded.

Though Congress allocated $400 million for election assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was far short of what experts and election administrators said was needed to pull off an election in a pandemic. Private philanthropy, from folks like Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, stepped in to help fill the gap. These investments didn’t come without scrutiny.

In episode 41, Weston speaks with members of the nonprofits that distributed grants to election departments around the country in both red and blue states to set the record straight about the role private philanthropy played in the 2020 election, and the need for increased federal investment in our nation’s election infrastructure.

Guests:

• Tiana Epps-Johnson, CEO of the Center for Tech and Civic Life
• Sam Oliker-Friedland, Executive Director of the Institute for Responsive Government

The episode also features interviews Issue One conducted with Republican election officials, including:

• Bill Gates, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for Maricopa County, AZ
• Neal Kelley, Former Registrar of Voters for Orange County, CA
• Carly Koppes, Clerk and Recorder for Weld County, CO
• Shane Schoeller, Clerk for Greene County, MO