Summary

In the 2012 presidential election, voter turnout swayed in favor of the Democrats, aiding substantially to Obama’s reelection. However, a carefully constructed plan developed at one of the Kochs’ donor summits had been in effect for years, working covertly at the state and local levels. This plan involved using congressional redistricting as a weapon to secure as many seats as possible in state legislatures. Mayer focuses her examination of this plan on North Carolina, a once-purple state now deep red thanks to the influence of dark money. The biggest influence and benefactor from the conservative takeover of North Carolina was Art Pope, a man who viewed his fortunate inheritance as the well-deserved result of a solid work ethic and fierce intelligence. Pope bankrolled the new governor’s campaign, and subsequently gained a position as the state’s budget director. Because of...