This is why The Lever exists.

2026-04-02 3 min read 529 words generic

Thanks for joining. Find out more about who we are.

Hey there — my name is David Sirota. I wanted to thank you for joining The Lever, and tell you more about our mission here.

In 2020, I was demoralized, depressed, and ready to quit journalism and politics for good. The strain of working on Bernie Sanders’ long presidential campaign and the hatred aimed at my political work had left me a shell of myself.

My family and friends intervened — and slowly, I started writing again. I launched this news outlet and began reporting important stories with a scrappy team. Today, The Lever is now comprised of 14 people across the country who investigate the corruption behind the news.

And our work has made a major impact, holding politicians and corporate leaders accountable. We followed the stories that corporate media deemed too frivolous, exposing how big business was buying politicians for corporate gain at the expense of everyone else. Our work has:

Shed light on the massive dark money network that is installing extremist Supreme Court justices and funding campaigns to bring radical pro-business cases before the court.
Driven public awareness and congressional action on regulatory failures at the heart of industrial, transportation, and climate disasters.
Uncovered how insurance, pharmaceutical, and hospital lobbies are working to expand the corporatization of American health care to the detriment of millions of patients.
Exposed how Wall Street vultures are buying up nearly every aspect of the American way of life and stripping it all for parts.
Detailed the secret 50-year history of how zealots and tycoons legalized corruption and took over the U.S. government.

So why does this matter to you? We believe that an effective citizen is an informed citizen. And by uncovering corruption, we can all build the foundation for a better world.

I’d encourage you to check out our two free podcasts, Master Plan, which chronicles how political operatives and oligarchs spent decades orchestrating a system of legalized corruption, and Lever Time, our weekly news show that tackles the hard questions other outlets are afraid to ask.

If you’re inspired by our work, I’d urge you to become a paid subscriber. As a reader-supported publication, we rely on our subscribers to fund our journalism. Plus, you get a number of perks: unlimited access to our website, subscriber-only content, and more.

BECOME A PAID SUBSCRIBER

Ultimately, as one of the few truly independent reader-supported news outlets covering money and politics, here is our commitment:

We will hold politicians accountable, follow the money, challenge power, and expose inconvenient truths — no matter who that angers — and we will inform you about what we discover, so you can take action. That is the ethos of accountability journalism.

Thank you for helping to build The Lever. We’re just getting started.

Rock the boat,

P.S. Don’t worry if you can’t afford a subscription — email us at scholarship@levernews.com and we will set you up with a complimentary subscription.

If you experience any issues, contact us at support@levernews.com.
The Lever, P.O. Box 221696, Denver, CO 80222, United States

# This is why The Lever exists.

Thanks for joining. Find out more about who we are.

![](https://content.app-us1.com/cdn-cgi/image/onerror=redirect,width=650,dpr=2,fit=scale-down,format=auto/xNKw7/2022/09/13/c5118233-61c5-4c0f-a31a-df65b64c21dd.png) 

Hey there — my name is David Sirota. I wanted to thank you for joining _The Lever_, and tell you more about our mission here.

In 2020, I was demoralized, depressed, and ready to quit journalism and politics for good. The strain of working on Bernie Sanders’ long presidential campaign and the hatred aimed at my political work had left me a shell of myself.

My family and friends intervened — and slowly, I started writing again. I launched this news outlet and began reporting important stories with a scrappy team. Today, _The Lever_ is now comprised of 14 people across the country who investigate the corruption behind the news.

And our work has made a major impact, holding politicians and corporate leaders accountable. We followed the stories that corporate media deemed too frivolous, exposing how big business was buying politicians for corporate gain at the expense of everyone else. Our work has:

* Shed light on the massive dark money network that is installing extremist Supreme Court justices and funding campaigns to bring radical pro-business cases before the court.
* Driven public awareness and congressional action on regulatory failures at the heart of industrial, transportation, and climate disasters.
* Uncovered how insurance, pharmaceutical, and hospital lobbies are working to expand the corporatization of American health care to the detriment of millions of patients.
* Exposed how Wall Street vultures are buying up nearly every aspect of the American way of life and stripping it all for parts.
* Detailed the secret 50-year history of how zealots and tycoons legalized corruption and took over the U.S. government.

So why does this matter to you? We believe that an effective citizen is an informed citizen. And by uncovering corruption, we can all build the foundation for a better world.

I’d encourage you to check out our two free podcasts,[ _Master Plan_](https://the.levernews.com/master-plan/), which chronicles how political operatives and oligarchs spent decades orchestrating a system of legalized corruption, and [_Lever Time_](https://www.levernews.com/subscribe-to-lever-time/?vgo_ee=MchMRLgWj739KG3UU8jvqCJnaLYeeV7p4G1ryFkg2vfX9TJYmpi9GQ%3D%3D%3AtBwG4qizUrCwRwl7NEQRNBVP2sfnSG6q), our weekly news show that tackles the hard questions other outlets are afraid to ask.

If you’re inspired by our work, I’d urge you to [become a paid subscriber](https://www.levernews.com/join/?vgo_ee=oFsKiX4Vd8dspKnstQifnTxV%2B%2Fs%2FOAAjzyK%2Bm4Yd6Nn1PuMqOLQ8Cw%3D%3D%3ASUMGvX1XTbeV7UhYUC4RCPUqGKFrlggP). As a reader-supported publication, we rely on our subscribers to fund our journalism. Plus, you [get a number of perks](https://www.levernews.com/join/?vgo_ee=oFsKiX4Vd8dspKnstQifnTxV%2B%2Fs%2FOAAjzyK%2Bm4Yd6Nn1PuMqOLQ8Cw%3D%3D%3ASUMGvX1XTbeV7UhYUC4RCPUqGKFrlggP): unlimited access to our website, subscriber-only content, and more.  

[BECOME A PAID SUBSCRIBER](https://www.levernews.com/join/?vgo_ee=oFsKiX4Vd8dspKnstQifnTxV%2B%2Fs%2FOAAjzyK%2Bm4Yd6Nn1PuMqOLQ8Cw%3D%3D%3ASUMGvX1XTbeV7UhYUC4RCPUqGKFrlggP) 

Ultimately, as one of the few truly independent reader-supported news outlets covering money and politics, here is our commitment: 

We will hold politicians accountable, follow the money, challenge power, and expose inconvenient truths — no matter who that angers — and we will inform you about what we discover, so you can take action. That is the ethos of accountability journalism.

Thank you for helping to build _The_ _Lever_. We’re just getting started.

Rock the boat,

![](https://content.app-us1.com/cdn-cgi/image/onerror=redirect,width=650,dpr=2,fit=scale-down,format=auto/xNKw7/2025/07/15/6e7dd7e4-53d4-4e3d-838e-18acd42644eb.png) 

P.S. Don’t worry if you can’t afford a subscription — email us at [scholarship@levernews.com](mailto:scholarship@levernews.com) and we will set you up with a complimentary subscription.

If you experience any issues, contact us at support@levernews.com.  
The Lever, P.O. Box 221696, Denver, CO 80222, United States

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