Decades ago, the newspaper was the sole investigating agency feared by politicians. Of course, there was no Internet, or cable news shows, cell phones, effective local radio or news operations.
Usually, a reporter would stumble on a township board passing outlandish zoning changes, question the minority supervisors and learn of payoffs in the hundreds of thousnds of dollars. These were in municipalities with 10,000 to 30,000 residents. Corruption in states commanded bigger payoffs to politicians.
I saw one newspaper where every advertiser was called by major politicians and threatened, and they dropped their ads.
I knew one state representative, who was set up when he paid $20,000 in bribes, and his checks were never cashed, but saved to blackmail him on a potential charge of attempted bribery.
I knew a reporter who turned down $50m to kill a story about local bank payments for a client.
Most of the money in this corruption was cash. The payoffs of public campaign contributions were tiny by comparison to the suitcases of cash.
When you expose these crooks, they try everything to destroy you, and nearly everyone caves. You wonder where the friends went, and learn they were threatened or cajoled.
I wish you all success in your crusades at Firedoglake, but don’t underestimate how cruel and blind is vengeance by the vile.