Canary in the Coal Mine: The 2017 Article That Foretold the GOP's Implosion

Revisiting an early exposé on the GOP's corruption, foreign entanglements, and the threats to democracy that have only grown more urgent.

Seven years ago, in the aftermath of the 2016 election, I published an article that was among the first to sound the alarm about the growing rot within the Republican party and the corrupting influence of Russian money and interference. With the benefit of hindsight, this piece was prescient in identifying many key players and dynamics that would later be confirmed and further exposed. As we grapple with the fallout and the ongoing threats to our democracy, I believe it's worth revisiting this article to understand the roots of where we find ourselves today.

For paid subscribers, I'm republishing the full piece below. It serves as a reminder of the importance of fearless, ahead-of-the-curve reporting and analysis, even—perhaps especially—when the full picture is still emerging. If you're a free subscriber, I hope you'll consider upgrading to a paid subscription, which gives you access to this article and hundreds more like it in the archives and the same type of prescient reporting of …