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4 articles
Federal judgeships are lifetime appointments that shape American law for generations. A growing body of evidence suggests that the selection of candidates for those seats is being systematically influenced by a network of think tanks and policy institutes whose funding sources and coordination mechanisms remain largely invisible to the public.
Tenured professors at major American universities regularly appear before Congress, advise federal agencies, and publish research that shapes national policy—while simultaneously collecting consulting fees from the industries their work affects. VIS News examines how inadequate disclosure requirements and institutional indifference have allowed this dual role to flourish, distorting both scientific inquiry and regulatory independence.
Federal law prohibits foreign nationals from spending money to influence American elections, but a growing body of evidence suggests that prohibition has become increasingly porous at the state and local level. VIS News traced funding networks connected to foreign entities flowing into 2024 ballot initiative campaigns across multiple states, finding that shell corporations and charitable intermediaries have become the preferred instruments for circumventing restrictions designed to keep foreign
Four years after the most scrutinized presidential election in modern American history, states have had ample time — and in many cases, federal funding — to modernize their voting systems and harden them against interference. The results are deeply uneven. Some states have made genuine, measurable improvements to their election infrastructure; others have allowed partisan battles over election administration to crowd out the technical work that security experts say is urgently needed.