148. Dark Money, Influencers, and Republican Trolls
Pick Me Up, I'm Scared.
Madeline Pendleton and David Roberts
4.8 • 783 Ratings
🗓️ 15 September 2025
⏱️ 150 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week, Madeline and David talk about campaign financing and dark money!
PATREON:
https://www.patreon.com/pickmeupimscared/posts
SOURCES:
https://www.usa.gov/campaign-finance-laws
https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/candidate-taking-receipts/contribution-limits/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/11/15/republican-ads-false-flag/
https://www.britannica.com/event/Citizens-United-v-Federal-Election-Commission
https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview/winning-vs-spending
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/secret-spending-states
https://issueone.org/donors-key-findings-and-profiles-of-the-top-15-dark-money-groups/
https://campaignlegal.org/update/how-does-citizens-united-decision-still-affect-us-2025
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Welcome to Pick Me Up, I'm scared. The podcast. |
| 0:28.2 | I'm your host, Madeline. I'm your co-host, David. |
| 0:31.1 | And we are back after our annual August break. |
| 0:35.9 | Are we, this is, I will say. |
| 0:36.5 | What? |
| 0:39.1 | Sure, it's an annual August break We are halfway through September |
| 0:41.7 | Well, you know, there's only like four weeks |
| 0:44.0 | So like you miss one week |
| 0:45.2 | And then you post the next week |
| 0:46.5 | And next thing you know you're halfway through September |
| 0:47.9 | Fair enough |
| 0:50.1 | This year doesn't count |
| 0:52.8 | This is not a real year |
| 0:54.0 | It does not count for any of us I don't know anybody having a good year. I don't know. Oh, really? Well, no, I didn't. Everything I know is having like what is ears in a line? I'm feeling horribly. Oh, okay. All right. But I am coasting in a way that I feel like really positive about. Well, that's good. |
| 1:11.2 | Like where I'm just sort of like... |
| 1:12.6 | Everybody I know is like screaming, crying, throwing up, this is the worst year of their lives. |
| 1:16.9 | Oh, I'm just like, oh, it's always been bad. |
| 1:19.3 | Right. |
| 1:19.9 | But so like... |
| 1:21.3 | Yeah, maybe it's like misery loves company. |
| 1:23.0 | You're like now it's... |
| 1:23.9 | Everybody knows it's bad. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Madeline Pendleton and David Roberts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Madeline Pendleton and David Roberts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.

