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Sludge
@sludge.bsky.social
A non-partisan, independent news outlet exposing the moneyed interests that control U.S. politics.

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McClain's husband purchased $100,000–$250,000 worth of private xAI stock shortly before the Pentagon announced it would integrate xAI’s Grok models into its GenAI-mil platform.
GOP Leader’s Family Buys xAI Stock Days Before Pentagon Integration
House Republican Conference chairwoman Lisa McClain disclosed the purchase made just days before the Pentagon announced a major integration with xAI.
readsludge.com
January 15, 2026 at 4:01 AM
Dec. 15: McClain's husband purchases non-public xAI stock.

Dec. 22: Department of Defense announced plans to integrate xAI’s Grok.

We reached out to Rep. McClain's office with detailed questions and they did not respond. Free-to-read story:
GOP Leader’s Family Buys xAI Stock Days Before Pentagon Integration
House Republican Conference chairwoman Lisa McClain disclosed the purchase made just days before the Pentagon announced a major integration with xAI.
readsludge.com
January 14, 2026 at 11:12 PM
McClain: "Quite frankly, I think that's a very fair question to ask, especially with all of the insider trading that happens up here. But we got to have our facts straight: the Pentagon doesn't release that information, but I can 100% assure you we didn't have the insider information."
January 14, 2026 at 11:10 PM
Read about the AI industry-friendly legislation proposed by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, the policy approach of moderate Rep. Valerie Foushee, the Big Tech donations to Rep. Zoe Lofgren, and more:
The Democrats’ New AI Panel Is Led by Big Tech Allies
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a co-chair of the AI commission, owns up to tens of millions of dollars worth of stock in tech giants pushing to block states from regulating AI.
readsludge.com
January 8, 2026 at 5:59 PM
Boeing stands out as a top beneficiary of the Gaza war, far outpacing rivals like Lockheed Martin and RTX, we reported in October:
Boeing’s Arms Sales Thrive on Gaza Genocide
With $26.7 billion in approved Israel arms sales since October 7, 2023, Boeing stands out as a top beneficiary of the Gaza war.
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January 5, 2026 at 4:37 PM
The Trump-GOP reconciliation bill added $4 billion in subsidies for the fossil fuel industry, on top of the $34.8 billion annually, according to @oilchange.bsky.social.

Also, Trump's DOJ is working to kill state laws that would force fossil fuel companies like Chevron to pay for climate damages.
January 3, 2026 at 5:48 PM
John B. Hess, CEO of oil company Hess, and his spouse each gave $1 million to MAGA Inc. last month.

Hess' fossil fuel industry lobby groups, such as the American Petroleum Institute, saw their wish lists fulfilled in the Trump-GOP budget bill signed this summer, among other policy wins.
Big Oil Wins in Trump-GOP Megabill
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is chock full of items from the oil and gas industry's wish list.
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January 2, 2026 at 8:33 PM
More MAGA Inc. donors from July 1–Dec. 22:

- $5 million from Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman
- $10 million from private equity investor Konstantin Sokolov
- $1 million from prison contractor GEO Group
- $1 million from Juul Labs

It raised $102.1 million:

docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/form...
January 2, 2026 at 8:33 PM
MAGA Inc. also got $20 million from Crypto .com's parent company in the months after Trump signed the GENIUS Act on stablecoins, bringing its total given so far this cycle to $30 million.

Crypto exchange Gemini gave an additional $1.5 million to Trump's group, which will spend for GOP in midterms.
January 2, 2026 at 8:33 PM
In January, we scrutinized how Trump's AG nominee Pam Bondi was paid nearly $3 million in Trump Media & Technology Group shares last year.
Bondi Paid in Trump Media Shares for SPAC Merger Consulting, Pledges to Divest
The AG nominee was paid nearly $3 million in Trump Media & Technology Group for her consulting work.
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December 31, 2025 at 7:22 PM
We scooped a specific tax break—added at the last minute to the GOP reconciliation bill—for metallurgical coal, benefiting a $50 million investment of Sen. Jim Justice (R-WV).
Coal Tax Break in Senate Bill May Benefit Jim Justice
A new tax break for a specific kind of coal company stands to benefit a GOP senator who had expressed reservations about the bill’s Medicaid cuts.
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December 31, 2025 at 7:22 PM
There are endless stories like this to report, and there simply are not enough journalists on this beat. We truly need more reader support to continue doing this reporting throughout 2026.

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December 31, 2025 at 4:38 PM