Master Plan
The Lever
A secret plot. A public theft. A democracy corrupted. Discover the truth on Master Plan, winner of the 2024 Signal Awards for News & Politics and Best Writing. Hosted by David Sirota, former speechwriter for Bernie Sanders and Oscar-nominated co-writer of Don’t Look Up, Master Plan uncovers a deliberate scheme to legalize corruption in the U.S., enabling the wealthy to buy policies that serve them at the public’s expense. How did our democracy become a kleptocracy? The Lever has unearthed never-before-reported documents revealing this 50-year plot as a coordinated effort by wealthy individuals and political ideologues. Across 11 episodes, the seri...
An Announcement About Master Plan
Master Plan host David Sirota has a big announcement about a possible Master Plan Season 2. But we need your help. Go to masterplanpodcast.com
Dec 29, 2024 • 3:15
From Lever Time: Sirota—The Health Care Crisis Is The Democracy Crisis
In this special episode from Lever Time, David Sirota reflects on the shocking murder of United Health CEO Brian Thompson and the surge of public anger it unleashed against America’s broken health insurance system. Tracing decades of broken promises and corporate influence—from the Clinton and Obama administrations to today—this audio essay explores the health care crisis as a symptom of a deeper democracy crisis and asks what it will take for Americans to finally demand change.Listen t
Dec 17, 2024 • 16:19
From Drilled: The Big Oil Origins of Corporate Free Speech
Today, we’re sharing an episode of Drilled, a podcast about climate change hosted by investigative journalist Amy Westervelt. This is the first in a three-part miniseries on how Mobil Oil VP Herb Schmertz helped pave the way for corporate free speech, linking the Powell Memo to key Supreme Court cases like Bellotti and Citizens United. These efforts in the 1970s set the stage for the climate lawsuits moving through U.S. courts today. Explore the rest of Drilled Season 9 at https://drill
Dec 3, 2024 • 35:25
Decoding Project 2025 (via Lever Time)
Donald Trump’s campaign promises include mass deportations, targeting journalists, and other extraordinary acts. His blueprint? Project 2025—a 900-page Heritage Foundation policy manifesto aimed at reshaping the federal government, centered on "Schedule F," a directive that would expose federal workers to political influence and grant Trump sweeping control in his second term.We’re sharing the first half of an episode that dives deep into Project 2025, produced by Arjun Singh for Lever
Nov 7, 2024 • 17:56
BONUS: The Master Planners’ Election (With Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse)
In a special Master Plan bonus episode, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse joins David Sirota to break down the impact of the Supreme Court’s’ 2010 Citizens United ruling on 2024's super PAC spending spree. The two dig into billionaires like Elon Musk openly backing candidates and the hidden power of dark money, and discuss current reforms efforts to bring transparency back to democracy. Plus, the Master Plan team answers audience questions.Binge the entire season of the award-winning Master Pl
Nov 4, 2024 • 52:55
Hell Or High Water
We all live in the master planners’ world now, immersed in an ocean of corruption. The 2024 Republican presidential campaign is bankrolled by billionaires, while corporate interests’ power was in full display at the 2024 Democratic National Convention. What will it take to reclaim our democracy? Is there any hope of reversing the master plan? Follow us on socialX: @LeverNewsYoutube: @LeverNewsInstagram: @LeverNewsFacebook: /TheLeverNewsSend feedback, questions, or ideas to podcasts@lev
Oct 29, 2024 • 1:02:56
The Heist
Unleashed by the Citizens United ruling, the master planners launch a three-part heist to crack the vault protecting democracy itself. First, the schemers take out the security cameras monitoring dark money. Then, they disarm the last campaign finance cops on the beat. Finally, they pull off a getaway so prosecutors can’t charge them as they run off with the loot. Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and suppo
Oct 22, 2024 • 1:02:02
Going Big
An anti-abortion legal activist starts using the federal courts to chip away at campaign finance restrictions, setting his sights on the Supreme Court. Indiana lawyer James Bopp Jr. engineers the Citizens United case and hand-tailors it for Justice Anthony Kennedy’s storied swing vote — setting him up for an explosive 5-4 ruling that would devastate campaign finance law.Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and
Oct 15, 2024 • 59:20
Shock and Awe
As President George W. Bush declares “Mission Accomplished” in the Iraq War, his administration wages a different war with swing-state senators defying his judicial nominees. Operatives like Leonard Leo and Brett Kavanaugh seize the moment to try to dramatically shift the balance of the Supreme Court. But when Bush goes off script and nominates a trusted legal aide for a Supreme Court vacancy, the conservative legal movement launches an insurgency. This is part two of our story about th
Oct 8, 2024 • 48:07
Rise of the Machine
After a series of setbacks in the push to legalize corruption, the master planners know they must take over the U.S. Supreme Court and halt the trend of Republican-appointed justices siding with campaign finance reformers. So in the early 2000s, they deploy their new judicial machine in an epic battle to try to permanently change the courts from the bottom up. This is part one of a two-part story about how the Roberts Court was built.Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becomin
Oct 1, 2024 • 53:29
The Maverick
When five U.S. senators get caught pressuring a regulator on behalf of a financial magnate, they become known as the “Keating Five.” The public is predictably outraged. But what no one expects is that one of those senators will learn from his mistakes and become the staunchest campaign finance reformer in decades. Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit masterplanpodcast.com Follow us
Sep 24, 2024 • 57:46
Corporations Are People, My Friend
You might remember Mitt Romney’s infamous line: “Corporations are people, my friend.” But where did this idea come from? In this episode: how the Ford Administration and the Powell Memo movement turned to the Supreme Court to establish the precedent that legalized corruption: money is speech, and corporations are entitled to First Amendment rights. Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, score exclusive content, and support this sh
Sep 17, 2024 • 48:06
The Secret Task Force
How did corporate executives and politicians turn Lewis Powell’s memo from a blueprint into a master plan — and begin executing it? In this episode, we uncover proof of a secret “Powell Memo Task Force,” as well as clandestine meetings involving America’s most powerful businessmen, a future president, and an ambitious young media consultant. The results would change history.Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content,
Sep 10, 2024 • 46:02
The Powell Memo
A seemingly moderate corporate lawyer grows alarmed by anti-corruption reformers’ policy wins and writes a manifesto detailing how corporations and oligarchs can dominate American politics. Months later, he’s confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court by senators unaware that his manifesto is going viral among the business elite. View related materials here. Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this sho
Sep 3, 2024 • 51:09
The Other Watergate
There’s a lost tale behind Watergate: corporate bagmen, suitcases of illegal cash, and Nixon circumventing the very campaign finance rules he’d just signed into law. Amid the blowback, Nixon leaves a ticking time bomb in the heart of Washington.Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit masterplanpodcast.com Follow us on socialX: @LeverNewsYoutube: @LeverNewsInstagram: @LeverNewsFacebook
Aug 27, 2024 • 43:59
Milk Money
Ever wonder how America became so corrupt? It didn’t have to be this way. Our series begins in 1971, a time when hot pants were hot, bell bottoms were swinging, and campaign cash flowed like… milk. Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content and support this show. Visit masterplanpodcast.com Follow us on socialX: @LeverNewsYoutube: @LeverNewsInstagram: @LeverNewsFacebook: /TheLeverNewsSend feedback, questions, or idea
Aug 27, 2024 • 31:48
Episode 1: Milk Money (Preview)
Ever wonder how America became so corrupt? It didn’t have to be this way. Our series begins in 1971, a time when hot pants were hot, bell bottoms were swinging, and campaign cash flowed like… milk. This is a free preview. Listen to the full episode NOW by becoming a premium subscriber at masterplanpodcast.comThe Lever’s paid subscribers get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free, along with bonus episodes, other Lever premium podcasts, exclusive content, and full access to all of The Lever's inv
Aug 13, 2024 • 5:02
