Great thread on how much evidence there is that Super PACs and the huge amount big money in our political system results in blatant corruption. This isn’t subtle.
Ian Vandewalker@ianvan.bsky.social · 2d agoThis deeply researched piece has jaw-dropping allegations of pay-to-play deals where tens of thousands in political donations are made right before a company gets tens of millions in contracts for products the DOD didn't want. www.propublica.org/article/fbi-...
This deeply researched piece has jaw-dropping allegations of pay-to-play deals where tens of thousands in political donations are made right before a company gets tens of millions in contracts for products the DOD didn't want. www.propublica.org/article/fbi-...
The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way
After the FBI caught a defense contractor’s CEO making illegal campaign contributions, it sought to launch a sweeping political bribery probe involving Collins and others. Then the second Trump admini...
propublica.org
Rumors about “rigged elections" are now a fixture of U.S. elections, leading to diminished trust in election results & democracy (broadly). These rumors can sometimes be hard to debunk, esp. in their early stages. Our UW team has identified the 6 common ways that election integrity rumors mislead:
And, of course, excluding non-citizens from the census would harm the whole country and break the law. The latest from @lmillerkaralunas.bsky.social: www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...
Tom “T.M.” Wolf@tomtmwolf.bsky.social · 5d agoLooks like Trump’s plan to rig the 2030 census and skew the congressional reapportionment might backfire: Two recent studies show Texas and Florida losing congressional seats if his plan to exclude millions of non-citizens (for the first time ever) goes into effect.
@brennancenter.org tested some of the most popular AI models to learn how they can be exploited to peddle false election narratives in this year's midterms. @larrynorden.bsky.social and David Evan Harris on how AI companies, lawmakers, and civil society can ensure free and fair elections this fall:
The Second AI Election: Testing the Safeguards Before November
Tests of six popular AI models show how easily their election safeguards can be bypassed, and what companies, lawmakers, and civil society should be before November.
justsecurity.org
How will AI be used in the midterms and 2028, and what can be done to mitigate some of the biggest dangers? David Evan Harris and I unpack the findings of our latest study. www.justsecurity.org/154924/ai-di...
The Second AI Election: Testing the Safeguards Before November
Tests of six popular AI models show how easily their election safeguards can be bypassed, and what companies, lawmakers, and civil society should be before November.
justsecurity.org
Brennan Center published a nice article about the dual strategy of disputing established polls and putting out low-quality or biased polls to muddy the waters on leading candidates. One worry is how this might mesh with GOP efforts to contest election results if/when they lose.
Simon Rosenberg@simonwdc.bsky.social · last wk.In the past six days six right-aligned pollsters have begun "flooding the zone," releasing eighteen polls in eleven battleground Senate races. While they've done this before the pace and intensity of this effort is unprecedented, a reflection of their desperation. 1/
Over the next 60, those seeking to undermine our elections are going to ramp up the misinformation, using rumor, AI and misrepresentation to do so. The good news is we have a pretty good idea of what is coming and can prepare for it now. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...
Five False Election Rumors to Watch For
Voters should expect recurring false election narratives to resurface in the coming months — and familiarize themselves with the facts.
brennancenter.org
• A handful of tips focused on foreign interference was spun into a 'massive operation' to steal an election. • Academic research was recast as the work of a “cutout” rather than the protected speech of researchers. • Federal capacity for countering actual foreign propaganda was gutted.
The “GEC Files” Don’t Show a Censorship Operation
The State Department promised proof of a vast censorship scheme. The documents Sarah Rogers released show something else entirely.
lawfaremedia.org
You can read the full report here: www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...
Protecting Judges from Rising Threats
Federal judges and their families are facing extraordinary pressures. Improved security can ensure that they remain safe and that judicial independence remains uncompromised.
brennancenter.org
Our North America team is excited to be partnering with other US fact-checkers to produce a pop-up newsletter debunking deceptive 2026 midterm ads and election disinformation. Subscribe today: u.afp.com/USMidtermsNe...
“Though [AI chatbots] frequently mixed up facts, they resisted election misinformation in general," @larrynorden.bsky.social wrote in @washingtonpost.com. But the lack of strong guardrails against generating deceptive AI content requires urgent fixes.
We Fed Chatbots Election Lies. Here’s What Happened
Leading up to the 2026 midterms and beyond, AI companies and lawmakers must strengthen safeguards against election disinformation.
brennancenter.org
The job of an election official has become more stressful as false information about our elections has increased. You can support our elections by turning to trusted sources for accurate information. bit.ly/45Ri1rF
Behind the Scenes: How Elections Stay Secure
Across thousands of election jurisdictions, officials face rising scrutiny and a flood of misinformation - and they show up anyway. Here's an inside look at how they keep your vote secure.
youtube.com
The latest from @larrynorden.bsky.social:
Brennan Center@brennancenter.org · 4w ago"This year’s election marks the next front in the battle to determine AI’s impact on American democracy," @larrynorden.bsky.social wrote in a new @washingtonpost.com op-ed. "Lawmakers must make sure it does more good than harm."
"The 2026 midterms could be called the first chatbot election," @larrynorden.bsky.social in a new @washingtonpost.com op-ed. He details how AI may help fight and fuel election disinformation, urging for tighter safeguards against AI-generated election lies.
Opinion | Does AI help or hurt misinformation? Here’s what we found.
The 2026 midterms could be called the first chatbot election.
washingtonpost.com
In @postopinions.bsky.social, I discuss the @brennancenter.org’s recent study of AI’s potential impact on the midterm and 2028 elections, and what can be done to minimize the most harmful effects of the technology in the coming weeks and years. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Opinion | Does AI help or hurt misinformation? Here’s what we found.
The 2026 midterms could be called the first chatbot election.
washingtonpost.com
The Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling unleashed a torrent of corporate PAC money that has weakened food safety laws designed to protect the public from food borne illnesses.
Brennan Center@brennancenter.org · last mo.Speed is essential for containing foodborne illness outbreaks. But after intense lobbying from the food industry — which spends millions on political donations — Congress delayed safeguards that might have helped contain cyclospora more quickly. bit.ly/4xN3MQt
As the midterms approach, we tested AI chatbots on election disinformation. Our research found they can challenge conspiracy theories — but they also enable users to generate deceptive election content. Here’s what we found: bit.ly/3TSPbV6
Does AI Fight or Fuel Election Disinformation?
As the midterms approach, our tests reveal that popular chatbots challenge conspiracy theories. Still, they offer users the ability to create deceitful images, audio, and video.
brennancenter.org
Really great rundown by @danw329.bsky.social on voters’ feelings about money in politics in Alaska and beyond - starts at 21:25.
Brennan Center@brennancenter.org · last mo.@danw329.bsky.social joined News Hour to talk about money in politics and corruption in the 2026 midterms. Watch here: www.pbs.org/video/august...
Brennan Center testing found AI chatbots couldn’t recognize images their own tools had made. Co-author @larrynorden.bsky.social: “They were uniformly bad at identifying if something was AI or not,” often “crediting images as photos being taken by real people.”
How AI Is Reshaping Election Information Ahead of the 2026 US Midterms
Justin Hendrix spoke to Larry Norden, vice president of the Elections and Government Program at the Brennan Center, about a new analysis of the subject.
techpolicy.press
“The demolition of the Corporate Transparency Act is just the latest and most dramatic move to cater to the president’s deep-pocketed buddies and fellow cronies,” @cjcmichel.bsky.social argues.
A Green Light for Crooks
The Treasury has made the American economy a safe space for corruption.
bit.ly
Do you know how to tell if a poll is legitimate? A new analysis of how polling works and how it’s being undermined could help you spot any fakes: bit.ly/3SuDWBS
How Polls Can Help or Hurt Democracy
Attacks on legitimate polls and the rise of fake polls make it hard for voters to know what to believe.
brennancenter.org
I have long been a fan of @techpolicypress.bsky.social and @justinhendrix.bsky.social, so this wide ranging conversation about election security, technology, disinformation and the new role of AI was a treat.
Tech Policy Press@techpolicypress.bsky.social · last mo.Americans are relying more and more on AI to get information, including on elections. Every chatbot the Brennan Center for Justice tested pushed back on election conspiracy theories, Larry Norden tells Justin Hendrix. But half of all responses still contained an inaccuracy or bad citation.
Superb interview of @larrynorden.bsky.social , who has been fighting this fight from the beginning and kicking butt the entire time. Larry is a real treasure.
Tech Policy Press@techpolicypress.bsky.social · last mo.Americans are relying more and more on AI to get information, including on elections. Every chatbot the Brennan Center for Justice tested pushed back on election conspiracy theories, Larry Norden tells Justin Hendrix. But half of all responses still contained an inaccuracy or bad citation.
The results of our study on the potential impact of AI on elections were in some ways encouraging and in others unnerving. bit.ly/4qiFP1e
How AI Might Affect Elections
A new study shows the promise and peril of artificial intelligence.
brennancenter.org
Today, the Brennan Center releases a major study on AI and its potential impact on election disinformation in the midterms. Our months-long study produced some surprising results. Some good, some alarming. 🧵 www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...
Does AI Fight or Fuel Election Disinformation?
As the midterms approach, our tests reveal that popular chatbots challenge conspiracy theories. Still, they offer users the ability to create deceitful images, audio, and video.
brennancenter.org
Is U.S. democracy ready for AI? We tested how chatbots respond to election disinformation — and whether they would help create it. Here are the results: bit.ly/3TSPbV6
