Shane Smith Has Questions The Case That Could Take Down Super PACs & Stop Dark Money ft. Lawrence Lessig | Shane Has Questions
Nov 13, 2025
Lawrence Lessig, a Harvard Law professor and democracy reform advocate, discusses the troubling effects of money in American politics. He highlights a little-known lower-court ruling that exacerbated super PAC influence and introduces Maine's groundbreaking initiative aiming to limit such spending. The conversation explores the Supreme Court's expanding power, the impact of crypto and AI on policy, and the urgency to tackle dark money before 2028. Lessig argues campaign finance reform might be our best hope for restoring democracy.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Money Controls The Nomination Process
- Money shapes who gets nominated and narrows who voters can choose between.
- Lawrence Lessig says this creates a democracy where politicians depend on the rich more than ordinary people.
Court As Policymaker Not Referee
- The Supreme Court has increasingly acted as a policymaker beyond the framers' intent.
- Lessig argues this shift places judges at the center of decisions that should be political judgments.
Super PACs Were Born From A Lower-Court Mistake
- Citizens United did not create super PACs; a lower court SpeechNow decision removed contribution limits to independent committees.
- That mistake enabled billionaires to fund outsized political spending and dark money.