Welcome to the Money in Politics Podcast, hosted by Andrew Blumenfeld! Join us for interesting conversations and takes on one of the most significant and misunderstood elements of our political system: money. You will hear from a variety of perspectives-- such as professional fundraisers, major donors, compliance experts, candidates and their campaigns, and the leaders of some of the most influential organizations in Democratic politics. If you work in or around politics- or just care about the health of our democracy!- this podcast is for you.  

How are campaigns navigating the coronavirus pandemic? Are they fundraising? How? Kelly Dietrich is the CEO and founder of the National Democratic Training Committee, the largest Democratic campaign training program in the country. He joins the Money in Politics Podcast to discuss what he is hearing from campaigns as they retool and recalibrate, and shares how he is coaching campaigns during these uncertain times.

Is there a gender gap in political fundraising? Amanda Renteria is a Senior Advisor and former Interim President of Emerge America, a national organization that recruits, trains, and provides a powerful network to Democratic women who want to run for office. She is also a former candidate for congress and governor in California. Amanda joins the Money in Politics Podcast to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities that women face when it comes to raising and spending money in politics. 

Since August 2019, the Federal Elections Commission has lacked the minimum number of commissioners it needs to undertake some of its most essential operations, including the enforcement of America's federal election laws. With the 2020 campaigns well underway, Blair Schuman, a compliance expert and the founder of Roger That Compliance, joins the Money in Politics Podcast to talk about why this matters, how we got here, and what may be in store for the future of the FEC. 

How donors think can feel like a bit of a mystery. Hannah Linkenhoker has spent her career advising donors on their political giving, and as Senior Political Strategist at ICM Partners, she now works at the crossroads of Hollywood and politics. Hannah joins the Money in Politics podcast to discuss how she advises clients, what makes donors tick, and how more people can and should get involved in funding campaigns. 

There's a lot about money in politics that is flawed. But how do we fix it? Betsy Sweet is running for U.S. Senate in Maine with a passion for getting money out of politics, and she has a history of work on the issue. Betsy helped write the Clean Elections Act in Maine, the nation's first full public funding system for state legislative and gubernatorial races. She ran for governor as a "Clean Elections Act" candidate and is now hoping to secure the Democratic nomination to take on Senator Susan Collins in 2020, a must-win seat for Democrats in their bid to retake the majority in the Senate. Betsy joins the Money in Politics podcast to discuss how money can corrode politics, and some ideas she has to "reform Democracy." 

Money can play a big role in how the media covers campaigns. How much money have you raised? How much have you spent? Who's donating? Emily Glazer is one of the reporters covering the 2020 election for the Wall Street Journal and writes about the convergence of money, politics, and tech. She joins the Money in Politics podcast to share how she thinks about her coverage, and insights from her coverage of the Buttigieg and Biden campaigns, as well as those up and down the ballot that are retooling in light of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Fundraising can be a daunting task for any campaign, but especially for a first-time candidate. Karl Frisch was recently elected to the Fairfax County Public School Board in Virginia - the 10th largest school division in the United States that serves more than 188,000 students. He not only ran as a first-time candidate, but in the process, he raised an unprecedented amount of money. Karl joins the Money in Politics Podcast to talk about how he prepared to fundraise for the first time, to help dispel some first-time fundraising myths, and to discuss the influence of money in local elections.