Ep 22. Big Sky, Big Money

In season 30 episode 22 of Frontline titled "Big Sky, Big Money," the focus is on the secret world of dark money in American politics. Dark money refers to untraceable donations used to fund political campaigns. This episode takes us to Montana, a state that has been flooded with dark money in recent years.

The episode begins by introducing us to Jonathan Motl, Montana's former commissioner of political practices. He is on a mission to expose the hidden influence of money on politics and has been investigating the use of dark money in Montana for over five years. The state's political landscape has changed dramatically since the 2010 Supreme Court decision in the Citizen's United case, which allowed corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts on political advocacy.

With Montana's relaxed campaign finance laws, Motl has been able to uncover a web of wealthy donors, non-profit organizations, and political action committees that are pouring millions of dollars into the state to influence the outcome of elections. These donations are often made anonymously, making it difficult to trace the source of the money or the agendas behind these contributions.

One of the main focus points of the episode is the 2012 Montana elections, where Republican candidates received an unprecedented influx of money from out-of-state donors. Karl Rove's super PAC, Crossroads GPS, was one of the organizations that spent heavily on the campaign. Despite Montana's reputation as a battleground state, the money flowing in from dark sources had a significant impact on the outcome of the election.

The episode not only highlights the influence of dark money on politics but also delves into the legality of such donations. Motl thoroughly explains the Montana state laws and regulatory framework, but with the rising number of so-called illicit groups that have been popping up, it becomes apparent that the system is too weak to handle this relatively new phenomenon.

In addition to Motl's investigations, the episode introduces us to a few other players in this dark money game. One of them is Jim Murray, a wealthy entrepreneur who has been using his money to influence elections for decades. Murray is one of the original architects of dark money in politics and is now a major player in the national game. According to him, the use of dark money has a positive effect on democracy by leveling out the field for candidates with less money than their opponents.

The other major player introduced in this episode is Steve Daines, the congressman from Montana's at-large district. He is shown having a hard time justifying the use of dark money on his own campaign. The show attempts to reveal the ethical and moral dilemma that lawmakers face when they accept money from organizations and unions whose agenda they may not necessarily agree with.

The focus on Montana is a natural choice since it is a state where the impact of dark money is quite evident. Also, Montana was the first state to file a lawsuit challenging the Citizen's United decision. Despite this, the state has not been successful in challenging the status quo.

In conclusion, "Big Sky, Big Money" is a revealing look into the world of dark money politics and how it is threatening to erode America's democracy. The show underscores how the ability of wealthy donors to manipulate the political process can skew public policy in favor of the rich and powerful. Montana's political history is intricately woven with the issue of dark money and this episode gives insight into the devastating impact it can have on a state's political affairs.