Irresistible (I) (2020)

Trevor Potter: Trevor Potter

Quotes 

• Stewart, Jon : Could something like this happen?

  Trevor Potter : Legally, this could absolutely happen. Somebody could create a political organization... so-called outside group, a super PAC, 527... raise an unlimited amount of money, and then choose to give that money to another organization, a charity, and use it for public purposes. And you don't need the donors' consent to do that.

  Trevor Potter : The problem we have is that none of the pieces of the system are working today. You have regulators like the Federal Election Commission that don't have a quorum, can't meet, and when they do, they disagree on what the law is. You have Congress deadlocked so it can't rewrite the laws. You have the Supreme Court that thinks that almost nothing is corrupt and that citizens won't think the sale of access, what the court calls ingratiation in return for giving money to candidates, is a problem.

  Stewart, Jon : So, to sum up, we currently have hundreds of millions to billions of dollars that is... uh... uh... untraceable, uh... that can pour into groups that are actually coordinating with... with candidates who end up having to spend a good amount of their time raising more and more money to keep up with the arms race that is occurring. Uh... the money continues to pour in and corrupt not just where they spend their time and how they spend their time, but on the types of legislation that they would even bring to the fore. And the one group that would be charged with regulating, uh... this spigot, uh... doesn't meet 'cause there aren't enough of them.

  Trevor Potter : Yes.

  [incredulous laughter] 

  Trevor Potter : I realize that's not helpful to you, but...

  Stewart, Jon : It is very helpful. Thank you.