In the HBO documentary "The Dark Money Game," director Alex Gibney examines the history and current influence of dark money in American politics. It is one of several projects Gibney has been working on related to the Trump presidency and crony capitalism.
"The Dark Money Game" includes two documentaries: "Ohio Confidential," about the corruption case of former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, and "Wealth of the Wicked," which traces the history of campaign finance from the creation of the Federal Election Commission in 1975, the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Bill of 2002, and the 2010 Citizens United decision, which has shaped the shape of today's super PACs (political action committees).
Stars: Jane Mayer, Laura A. Bischoff, Russ Feingold
This two-part documentary reveals how an untraceable network of money from wealthy individuals and corporations representing business interests or religious agendas flows through nonprofit organizations and super PACs to support political candidates and movements. The project was inspired by Jane Mayer's 2016 book, "Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right," and includes interviews with journalists, including Mayer, as well as legislators, judges, FBI investigators, whistleblowers, and insiders from both sides of the aisle.
"The use of money in the political process has been underexamined," Gibney says. "Partly because it gets technical and can get a little boring. You start talking about 501(c)(4)s, super PACs, and people start to lose perspective, and I think it's intentional. Those in the money business know how to use that perspective to dispel the outrage that would ensue if citizens actually knew politicians were being bribed to achieve certain outcomes. The stories we tell in these videos give people a foundation for what to look for and how we got here."
Gibney describes the first film, "Ohio Confidential," as a "real-life crime thriller" that will appeal to audiences across both parties.
"Whether you're a Republican, a Democrat, a leftist or a rightist, nobody likes bribes," Gibney says. "The idea that someone has hidden a dollar or many dollars under the table to achieve a result that you can't achieve, and that's outside the democratic process, so that suddenly someone benefits at your expense, is hair-raising for all of us."
HBO moved up the premiere of “The Dark Money Game” due to the documentary’s “relevance” and to “enter into current reality,” according to Gibney.
“In ‘The Dark Money Game,’ we talk about a system of crony capitalism where the wealthy buy the outcomes they desire,” says Gibney. And when I say wealthy, I don’t just mean Republicans. Ultimately, what’s happening is that policies that favor the wealthy, whether they’re left-wing or right-wing, are the ones being adopted, and they’re not providing better healthcare for everyone at a lower cost. That’s not a policy the wealthy are driving, adapting, or helping to fund.
In February, Gibney sold a majority stake in Jigsaw Productions to billionaire philanthropist Wendy Schmidt, allowing her to expand the company and continue producing political content.
“We want to be in a position to capture this moment,” says Gibney. “Many streaming platforms and networks have decided that politically controversial content isn't something they want to engage in for a variety of reasons. Well, it turns out audiences want to see this kind of content. Look how well “No Other Land” is doing in independent theaters across the country.” (“No Other Land” has grossed over $2 million domestically despite not having traditional distribution in the United States.)
Gibney captures the moment through several documentaries, including “The Dark Money Game,” “Musk,” and “Speechless.” While “Musk” examines billionaire tech entrepreneur and President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency director, Elon Musk, “Speechless” investigates the culture wars and threats to free speech on American college campuses. (Gibney directs “Musk” and is an executive producer on “Speechless.”)
“Musk” is distributed through HBO Max, but with major U.S. distributors like Netflix, Amazon, Apple, and Disney no longer supporting controversial political documentaries, there’s a chance the “Musk” documentary could be vetted by Warner Bros.’ top executives before airing. But Gibney isn’t worried, saying HBO has stepped up its efforts.
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