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Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em Podcast

193. Lee Fang on the Dark Money Behind Power

Apr 1, 2025
22:45
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit smokeempodcast.substack.com

Investigative reporter Lee Fang talks with Nancy and Sarah about his latest Substack story, “Democrats' Dark Money Fund for TikTok Influencers,” about secret forces behind the sudden media enthusiasm of Kamala Harris’ presidential announcement. “As it turns out, the tidal wave of enthusiasm was not entirely genuine. Much of the content,” writes Fang, “was quietly funded by an elusive group of Democratic billionaires and major donors in an arrangement designed to conceal the payments from voters.”

Fang may be familiar to listeners from a kerfuffle in summer 2020, when his colleagues at The Intercept turned on him publicly after he tweeted about riots amid the George Floyd moment. Fang talks about how he came to journalism, how to remain an honest broker, and why he’s fascinated by the money behind power.

Also discussed:

* “Tits,” “rack,” and “bosom” all on-air in record time!

* Fang, raised on WaPo and cereal

* The eerie brilliance of Michael Savage

* On being addicted to conservative radio

* Fitness bloggers and Mommy bloggers go pro-Kamala!

* Nancy has other thoughts about Kamala in the kitchen …

* Why do conservative voices dominate the podcast space?

* Kamala as “intersectional dream” and “where intersectionality goes to die”

* “Call Lee Daddy”

* Sarah’s been pimping Diet Coke for 20 years and got bupkis

* Going viral on Twitter. (Lee does not recommend.)

* Sarah repeatedly refers to “Twitter Files” as “WikiLeaks” (durr)

* That time Nancy and Lee went to Israel…

* Sarah dives back into Depp/Heard; comes back with new information!

* The possible Pfizer vaccine hold-up of 2020

Plus, Lee recounts “The Intercept Incident,” why dark money won’t see the light of day any time soon, Lee dispels conspiracy theories about him, and much more!

REMINDER: First Sunday Zoom is this Sunday, April 6, 8pm ET/5pm PT, for paid subscribers only. We’ll send the link day-of.

Watch the video that caused so much trouble for Lee but made him a better journalist. Become a paid subscriber …

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