Federal lawmakers can protect the American public by passing a new law to fully implement the Constitution’s oldest anticorruption safeguards.

Federal lawmakers can protect the American public by passing a new law to fully implement the Constitution’s oldest anticorruption safeguards.

The pardon follows months of efforts by Changpeng Zhao to boost the Trump family’s own crypto company.

Listen to this episode from The Briefing with Michael Waldman on Spotify. We are living in a new era of corruption, one that combines personal self-dealing and vast funds pouring into the political process. Whether it’s the crypto industry dominating Congress, the world’s wealthiest man bankrolling the winning presidential campaign, regulatory decisions used to pressure businesses, or the government quashing the bribery investigation of a top official, public power and private gain are fusing into one. Experts lay out a plan to end the culture of kleptocracy. Speakers:Jane Mayer, Staff Writer, The New YorkerDaniel I. Weiner, Director, Elections and Government Program, Brennan CenterHost, Michael Waldman, President and CEOIf you enjoy this program, please give us a boost by liking it, subscribing, and sharing it with your friends. If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts, please give it a five-star rating. Recorded on October 15, 2025.Keep up with the Brennan Center’s work by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, The Briefing, at https://go.brennancenter.org/briefing.The Brennan Center is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to repair, revitalize, and defend our systems of democracy and justice so they work for all Americans. The Brennan Center cannot support or oppose any candidate for office.

Our new recurring feature covers key stories from the world of campaign finance and influence buying, from the AI industry to super PAC support for a lame-duck president.

I asked Dan Weiner of the Brennan Center to write a bit about the interesting position they’ve taken in the NRSC campaign finance case. Here is his guest post: On Monday the Brennan Center for Justice...

Experts lay out a plan to end the culture of kleptocracy.

Mounting forces of violence and fundraising pressure have made Congress increasingly inhospitable to change.

All practicing lawyers within and outside the government are bound by ethical rules, standards, and commitments that protect against abuses of power.

<p>MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle examines the disappointing job numbers the Trump administration just received. <em data-start='153' data-end='175'>The Brennan Center’s</em> Dan Weiner details the congressional stock ban now being reconsidered.</p><p>See <a href='https://omnystudio.com/listener'>omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

President Donald Trump said Chicago is his next likely target to crack down on urban crime. Military planning has been ongoing for weeks, officials say.

It hurts ordinary Americans in concrete ways, and the risk has never been greater given today’s unprecedented mixing of private wealth with political power.

Local election officials are concerned about the loss of federal support for election security and hope state and local governments will step in to fill the void.

The Republican-led U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to remove a 10-year federal moratorium on state regulation of artificial intelligence from President Trump's sweeping tax-cut and spending bill.

The legislation would make it harder for judges to hold defiant parties, including government officials, in contempt.