By David Byler in The Washington Post. Here is an extract:

The corrupting influence of big political donors has become a rare area of bipartisan agreement. Fifty-five percent of Republicans and 63 percent of Democrats say “reducing the influence of money in politics” should be a top concern for Congress.

But that’s not stopping America’s megadonors. In fact, wealthy contributors have been increasingly pumping cash into the political system — circumventing campaign finance laws in doing so.

Overall, political spending has ballooned in recent years:…

One big reason for this has been an innovation known as “joint fundraising committees.” Both parties use them. And their influence is growing.

Read the full article here.