When it burst into widespread use as a result of the 1976 movie All the President’s Men, the phrase “Follow the money” referred to political influence or corruption and how to track it.
Fifty years later, the meaning of the phrase hasn’t changed much — but following the money is now magnitudes more complex. With the proliferation of political action committees and the blessing of the U.S. Supreme Court, corporations and wealthy individuals have more ways than ever to spread their political spending. That includes dark money, the practice of giving to nonprofits (which don’t have to disclose donors), which in turn move the money along to giant political fundraising organizations — Super PACs, as they’re known.
