Who bought the attorney general?
Matthew Whitaker's anonymous benefactor shows why "dark money" is so dangerous
When a corporation or wealthy individual donates vast sums to promote a political cause or candidate, the Supreme Court has held, it is not a form of corruption. It is free speech — and therefore cannot be limited. Citizens United and related rulings would, perhaps, not have had such a pernicious influence on our country's politics had it not been for the "dark money" loophole in the tax code. "Social welfare" or 501(c)(4) groups, which supposedly devote most of their efforts to charitable good works, are legally allowed to conceal their donors. Hundreds of millions of dollars now flow through groups on both the left and right with such anodyne names as "Freedom Partners" and "Patriot Majority." The acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, was paid $1.2 million by one such "charity" to serve as a TV attack-dog partisan. Who paid Whitaker so generously, and how might those payments now influence his supervision of Special Counsel Robert Mueller? Sorry: That's none of your business.
Anonymous speech, we have learned in recent years, can be a corrosive force. On Facebook and Twitter and in internet chat rooms, nameless or disguised trolls have amplified Russian disinformation and convinced millions of baseless conspiracy theories. They've spread anti-Semitism, racism, and misogyny, and tried to intimidate opponents and journalists with death threats. This is cowardly speech, free of all consequence. Defenders of anonymity argue that corporations and rich people might be subjected to protests, boycotts, and other repercussions if their attempts to buy influence became public. So? In the real world, we all face consequences for exercising our right to speak freely. If you publicly embarrass your employer, you can be fired; if you libel innocent people, you can be sued; if you traffic in hatred, you can be shunned. If we are to have an attorney general beholden to a benefactor, we should at least know who bought and paid for him.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
William Falk is editor-in-chief of The Week, and has held that role since the magazine's first issue in 2001. He has previously been a reporter, columnist, and editor at the Gannett Westchester Newspapers and at Newsday, where he was part of two reporting teams that won Pulitzer Prizes.
-
How the Russia-Ukraine conflict has spread to Africa
The Explainer Ukraine is attempting to strengthen its alliances on the continent to counter Russia's growing presence
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
A history of Guantánamo Bay
The Explainer War of Terror's 'symbol of torture, rendition and indefinite detention' is subject of new Serial podcast series
By The Week UK Published
-
5 fun Easter activities from The Week Junior
The Week Junior Easter Activities Looking for some fun, simple Easter activities to do with the kids? Look no further – The Week Junior has you covered with these five fun and family-friendly activities.
By The Week UK Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Xi-Biden meeting: what's in it for both leaders?
Today's Big Question Two superpowers seek to stabilise relations amid global turmoil but core issues of security, trade and Taiwan remain
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published