Investigation

What a16z Funds When No One's Watching

AI firms set a new lobbying record, reshaping policy priorities across Washington.

AI firms set a new lobbying record, reshaping policy priorities across Washington.

10 min read

-

Dec 11, 2025

Scroll

Yellow Flower
Yellow Flower
Yellow Flower

Recent Coverage

Recent investigations into AI power, lobbying, and governance.

Who We Are

Model Politics is developed by the same team behind The Midas Project, expanding our commitment to independent, public-interest reporting. Here, we focus on documenting how AI companies influence political systems and democratic processes.

What We Investigate

  • AI lobbying

  • political influence

  • regulatory capture

  • policymaking dynamics

We examine how AI labs interact with policymakers, what information they provide, and how this shapes legislation, standards, and public understanding.

What We Investigate

  • AI lobbying

  • political influence

  • regulatory capture

  • policymaking dynamics

We examine how AI labs interact with policymakers, what information they provide, and how this shapes legislation, standards, and public understanding.

What We Investigate

  • AI lobbying

  • political influence

  • regulatory capture

  • policymaking dynamics

We examine how AI labs interact with policymakers, what information they provide, and how this shapes legislation, standards, and public understanding.

Our Method

  • documents

  • interviews

  • data analysis

Our reporting combines leaked documents, public records, expert interviews, and quantitative tracking to provide a clear and verifiable picture of AI’s political footprint.

Our Method

  • documents

  • interviews

  • data analysis

Our reporting combines leaked documents, public records, expert interviews, and quantitative tracking to provide a clear and verifiable picture of AI’s political footprint.

Our Method

  • documents

  • interviews

  • data analysis

Our reporting combines leaked documents, public records, expert interviews, and quantitative tracking to provide a clear and verifiable picture of AI’s political footprint.

Our Principles

  • independence

  • transparency

  • evidence

We prioritize accuracy over speed, transparency over speculation, and public interest over corporate narratives. No advocacy. No hype. Just documentation.

Our Principles

  • independence

  • transparency

  • evidence

We prioritize accuracy over speed, transparency over speculation, and public interest over corporate narratives. No advocacy. No hype. Just documentation.

Our Principles

  • independence

  • transparency

  • evidence

We prioritize accuracy over speed, transparency over speculation, and public interest over corporate narratives. No advocacy. No hype. Just documentation.

Smooth Scroll
This will hide itself!
Smooth Scroll
This will hide itself!
Smooth Scroll
This will hide itself!