The 2024 election underscored the growing power of big money in American politics. This year’s races broke spending records, with the wealthiest donors pouring in more money than ever before. These megadonors back candidates not only to push their special interests but to buy access and influence in our government. At the same time, the rise in untraceable dark money from undisclosed sources has made it increasingly difficult to identify who is really behind this spending.

In a new book, Corporatocracy: How to Protect Democracy from Dark Money and Corrupt Politicians, Stetson University law professor Ciara Torres-Spelliscy reveals how corporations are fueling these trends, from bankrolling politicians to funding candidates with dark money. She draws on key Supreme Court cases to show how corporations have undermined democracy in the past and makes a case for why and how they should be held accountable.

Join us on Thursday, December 12 at 3 p.m. ET for a virtual conversation with Torres-Spelliscy and Natalie Tennant, former West Virginia secretary of state and newly elected Kanawha County commissioner. Together they will explore how to strengthen American democracy against the encroaching threat of corporate control.