Michael Beckel
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mjbeckel.bsky.social
Michael Beckel
@mjbeckel.bsky.social
Research Director: @issueonereform.bsky.social. Following money in politics and dark money since 2009. Alum: @opensecrets.org
How do donor-advised funds help secretly funnel money from big donors into politics? Don't miss this previously unreported example from @thefp.com about how Fidelity helped steer $37.5 million to a pro-Harris 501c4 called Bright Future Fund www.thefp.com/p/a-dark-mon...
A Dark Money Group That Backed Kamala Harris Faces Questions over a Giant Donation
Tax experts and conservatives say the $37.5 million grant raises concerns about voter registration efforts during the 2024 presidential campaign, reports Gabe Kaminsky.
www.thefp.com
February 10, 2026 at 9:23 PM
Bipartisan group of election officials to Congress: "Free, fair, and secure elections depend on respecting states’ primary authority to run elections, public trust, and the careful protection of voters’ personal information” issueone.org/press/electi...
Election Officials Urge Congress to Confront Voter Data Power Grab Before Bondi Hearing - Issue One
Ahead of Attorney General Pam Bondi’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee this week, current and former election officials are urging Congress to step in and demand answers from the…
issueone.org
February 10, 2026 at 9:14 PM
Ahead of hearing with AG Pam Bondi, a cross-partisan group of election officials who are members of @issueonereform.bsky.social's Faces of Democracy campaign are urging Congress to confront the executive branch's voter data power grab issueone.org/press/electi...
Election Officials Urge Congress to Confront Voter Data Power Grab Before Bondi Hearing - Issue One
Ahead of Attorney General Pam Bondi’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee this week, current and former election officials are urging Congress to step in and demand answers from the…
issueone.org
February 10, 2026 at 7:58 PM
How toxic will campaign cash from ICE contractors to candidates and groups be this election cycle?

We may be about to find out.
From 2017 through at least 2025, @DemGovs took in more than $1.2m over 46 donations from a longtime ICE contractor that runs some of its most criticized detention facilities.

DGA spox says they’re keeping the money:

www.politico.com/newsletters/...
Exclusive: Democrats reckon with ICE contractor donations
And a federal judge bars the Trump administration from freezing $16 billion in funding for the huge Gateway tunnel project...
www.politico.com
February 10, 2026 at 5:23 AM
Reposted by Michael Beckel
New: Binance holds 87% of the Trump family's stablecoin—$4.7 billion—a higher concentration than any other major stablecoin has at any single exchange.

Its U.S. affiliate holds $1,119.

me, for @forbes.com
Trump's Stablecoin USD1: Binance Holds 87% After Founder's Pardon
World Liberty Financial's founding document describes the company as "pioneering a new era of Decentralized Finance." Its flagship stablecoin is anything but.
www.forbes.com
February 9, 2026 at 7:48 PM
👀
ICE has now spent over half a BILLION dollars just on purchasing warehouses around the country to convert into detention camps.

If these mega-camps are utilized to the full capacity ICE intends, they'll be the largest prisons in the country, with little real oversight. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
ICE to begin detaining immigrants inside Social Circle warehouse in April
Homeland Security plans to build warehouse detention facilities in other cities being met with opposition.
www.ajc.com
February 9, 2026 at 7:34 PM
Must read from @issueonereform.bsky.social: "Election Officials Are Under Siege. Here’s How We Can Support Them." thereformcompass.substack.com/p/election-o...
Election Officials Are Under Siege. Here’s How We Can Support Them.
New report shows why protecting election officials can’t wait
thereformcompass.substack.com
February 9, 2026 at 5:42 PM
DraftKings also formed a PAC last year to make donations to candidates and political groups.

As of Dec. 31, according to the most recent FEC filings, it was sitting on about $127,000

www.fec.gov/data/committ...
DRAFTKINGS INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE DBA DRAFTKINGS PAC - committee overview - FEC.gov
Explore current and historic federal campaign finance data on the new fec.gov. Look at totals and trends, and see how candidates and committees raise and spend money. When you find what you need, expo...
www.fec.gov
February 9, 2026 at 3:29 PM
Reminder: DraftKings donated $502,000 to Donald Trump's inauguration last year, in the form of "in-kind" event staging expenses

docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/form...
February 9, 2026 at 3:27 PM
We at @issueonereform.bsky.social produced this report because high turnover rates among election officials are alarm bells that should not be ignored.

Election officials are the unsung heroes of our democracy, and they need additional support now more than ever.

issueone.org/articles/tur...
Turning the Tide on Turnover
Understanding and mitigating election official turnover to build election workforce resiliency.
issueone.org
February 9, 2026 at 3:19 PM
In New Mexico — which has one chief local election official per county — 91% of counties experienced turnover among chief local election officials between November 2020 and November 2025.

Uniquely among states in the region, 77% of this turnover was due to term limits.

issueone.org/articles/tur...
February 9, 2026 at 3:18 PM
In Washington — which has one chief local election official per county — 26% of counties experienced turnover among chief local election officials between November 2020 and November 2025.

This was the lowest turnover in the region.

issueone.org/articles/tur...
February 9, 2026 at 3:18 PM
In Wyoming — which has one chief local election official per county — 39% of counties experienced turnover among chief local election officials between November 2020 and November 2025, @issueonereform.bsky.social found

issueone.org/articles/tur...
February 9, 2026 at 3:17 PM
In Idaho — which has one chief local election official per county — 39% of counties experienced turnover among chief local election officials between November 2020 and November 2025, @issueonereform.bsky.social found

issueone.org/articles/tur...
February 9, 2026 at 3:17 PM
In Colorado — which has one chief local election official per county — 44% of counties experienced turnover among chief local election officials between November 2020 and November 2025, @issueonereform.bsky.social found

issueone.org/articles/tur...
February 9, 2026 at 3:16 PM
In Montana — which has one chief local election official per county — 45% of counties experienced turnover among chief local election officials between November 2020 and November 2025, @issueonereform.bsky.social found

issueone.org/articles/tur...
February 9, 2026 at 3:16 PM
In Oregon — which has one chief local election official per county — 47% of counties experienced turnover among chief local election officials between November 2020 and November 2025, @issueonereform.bsky.social found

issueone.org/articles/tur...
February 9, 2026 at 3:15 PM
In California — which has one chief local election official per county — 53% of counties experienced turnover among chief local election officials between November 2020 and November 2025, @issueonereform.bsky.social found

issueone.org/articles/tur...
February 9, 2026 at 3:15 PM
In Utah — which has one chief local election official per county — 62% of counties experienced turnover among chief local election officials between November 2020 and November 2025, @issueonereform.bsky.social found

issueone.org/articles/tur...
February 9, 2026 at 3:14 PM
In the battleground state of Nevada — which has one chief local election official per county — 65% of counties experienced turnover among chief local election officials between November 2020 and November 2025, @issueonereform.bsky.social found

issueone.org/articles/tur...
February 9, 2026 at 3:13 PM
In the battleground state of Arizona — which typically has two chief local election officials per county — 100% of counties experienced turnover among at least one chief local election official between November 2020 and November 2025

issueone.org/articles/tur...
February 9, 2026 at 3:12 PM
A case study analysis from @issueonereform.bsky.social found that 50% of chief local election officials in Western states left their jobs between November 2020 and November 2025, often leaving their positions partway through their terms for personal reasons

issueone.org/articles/tur...
February 9, 2026 at 3:10 PM
In the face of heightened political rhetoric, harassment, and threats since the 2020 election, election officials across the country have been leaving their jobs and taking with them immense amounts of institutional knowledge.

A new report from @issueonereform.bsky.social details the turnover 🧵
February 9, 2026 at 3:09 PM
Yet another new frontier for big-money special interest to curry favor with the Trump administration, via @kenvogel.bsky.social @nytimes.com 👇🏼
SCOOP: Freedom 250 — the group launched by Trump to oversee projects including the @UFC fight on the WH lawn & his arch overlooking DC — is offering access to him for donors who give $1M.

For $2.5M, donors are being offered the chance to speak at the national July 4 celebration. 🎁🔗
For $1 Million, Donors to U.S.A. Birthday Group Offered Access to Trump
www.nytimes.com
February 8, 2026 at 6:51 PM
Reposted by Michael Beckel
Britain has dethroned a prince, forced Mandelson to resign, & lost confidence in Starmer because Rep. Thomas Massie & I forced the release of the Epstein files.

What is America doing to hold the Epstein class accountable?

We need to haul these powerful men before Congress.
February 6, 2026 at 5:28 PM