Party Foul: Inside the Rise of Spies, Mercenaries, and Billionaire Moneymen

Why parties no longer control American politics

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Lexey Swall for TIME

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The Kochs aren't alone. On the left, billionaire Bay Area activist Tom Steyer, who forked over millions as part of a quest to enact environmental protections, has launched a larger effort to support politicians focused on combatting climate change. Steyer subscribes to what he calls the "acceleration theory of politics," says top adviser Chris Lehane, in which money can drive a national movement outside the party structure.

A defining feature of most of these efforts is the anonymity of the donors behind them. America Rising, which sent the spy to an Iowa brewery, has not disclosed the names of those behind its anti-Clinton effort. And while politicians can usually figure out whose money is working against them, the electorate is often left to guess. "Secret money," says Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, a campaign-finance watchdog group, "is only secret from voters." In the postparty era, the paymasters of American politics are often as anonymous as the spies who now toil in its trenches.

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