--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The book that I wrote is called Dark…" description: "\"The book that I wrote is called Dark Money, and it's about secret spending that is very hard to follow. [George] Soros's whole thing is about governmen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/jane-mayer-1031_book_the-book-that-i-wrote-is-called-dark-mon_3093791.png" --- # The book that I wrote is called Dark Money, and it's about… ![“The book that I wrote is called Dark Money, and it's about secret spending that is very hard to follow. [George] Soros's whole thing is about government transparency, so he spends very much in the open, and the same with [Tom] Steyer.” quote by Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/jane-mayer-1031_book_the-book-that-i-wrote-is-called-dark-mon_3093791.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/jane-mayer-1031_book_the-book-that-i-wrote-is-called-dark-mon_3093791.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/jane-mayer-1031_book_the-book-that-i-wrote-is-called-dark-mon_3093791.png) > “The book that I wrote is called Dark Money, and it's about secret spending that is very hard to follow. \[George\] Soros's whole thing is about government transparency, so he spends very much in the open, and the same with \[Tom\] Steyer.” [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The piece exposes hidden political spending and contrasts it with donors who openly fund transparency efforts. **In simple terms:** Secret money hides influence; open spending shows transparency. Key Takeaway Support transparent funding, expose hidden influence. Themes politics money transparency influence accountability Mood analytical critical Type investigative expository When to use this quote - campaign finance reform - journalistic research - civic activism Key Concepts economics public policy ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure transparency truly reduces corruption? - What mechanisms can detect hidden spending? A Different Perspective Open spending can still be strategic, not purely altruistic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Transparency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transparency/) ## Related quotes > [I think the other side of this is that while the contradictions matter, one of the things that you cannot lose sight of is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/i-think-the-other-side-of-this-is-that-while-the-contradictions/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [ There's a difference between those two \[George Soroses and the Tom Steyers\] and the Kochs that I think is important. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/there-s-a-difference-between-those-two-george-soroses-and-the-tom/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [Millions upon millions of secret spending by the fossil fuel industry that was unleashed by the disastrous 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/millions-upon-millions-of-secret-spending-by-the-fossil-fuel-industry/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [ I kept thinking maybe in the future editions \[of Dark Money\] I should sell it along with, like, some kind of, you know, Pepto… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/i-kept-thinking-maybe-in-the-future-editions-of-dark-money-i-should/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“The assumption soon proved wrong. Instead, as critics had warned, more and more of the money flooding into elections was spent by secretive nonprofit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/the-assumption-soon-proved-wrong-instead-as-critics-had-warned-more/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [There's not as much big money on the left, but you've got George Soros, who has the Open Society Institute. He's pushing liberal policies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/there-s-not-as-much-big-money-on-the-left-but-you-ve-got-george-soros/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“Heaven ain't some Swiss bank. You can't squirrel away money in some secret account up there and expect to make a withdrawal. You gotta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sakurazaka/heaven-ain-t-some-swiss-bank-you-can-t-squirrel-away-money-in-some/) [Hiroshi Sakurazaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sakurazaka/) > [Interesting thing that is happening in American society is that people are starting to talk about money. I don't know how you feel about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/interesting-thing-that-is-happening-in-american-society-is-that/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [It is obviously no secret that I earn a lot of money. But it is also no secret that I give most of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/it-is-obviously-no-secret-that-i-earn-a-lot-of-money-but-it-is-also/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [One thing I am scared of is the unlimited amounts of dark money that Republicans have access to in terms of the Koch Brothers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/one-thing-i-am-scared-of-is-the-unlimited-amounts-of-dark-money-that/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [Dark money has turned our elections into auctions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-duval/dark-money-has-turned-our-elections-into-auctions/) Fred DuVal > [In many ways, the rotten effects of dark money are seen less in what we do than in what we don't do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/in-many-ways-the-rotten-effects-of-dark-money-are-seen-less-in-what/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [The best way to shine a light on all of this 'dark money' flooding into our elections would be for Congress to pass legislation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/the-best-way-to-shine-a-light-on-all-of-this-dark-money-flooding-into/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [ \[Tom\] Steyer is specifically spending money on candidates who will take action against climate change. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/tom-steyer-is-specifically-spending-money-on-candidates-who-will-take/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [You can't have bank holding companies acting as hedge funds. You can't have them taking a million-dollar pension plan for Joe Schmo the bus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shia-labeouf/you-can-t-have-bank-holding-companies-acting-as-hedge-funds-you-can-t/) [Shia LaBeouf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shia-labeouf/) ## More by Jane Mayer > [“David Brock, a conservative apostate who became a liberal activist, described the Heritage Foundation, where he was a young fellow, as almost completely under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/david-brock-a-conservative-apostate-who-became-a-liberal-activist/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“The early think tank was not a spy operation, but it was funded by wealthy men who had no objections to using pretexts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/the-early-think-tank-was-not-a-spy-operation-but-it-was-funded-by/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“Americans for Prosperity annoyed some of the Tea Partiers,” recalls the libertarian blogger Ralph Benko. “These people drove up, opened the door, put T-shirts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/americans-for-prosperity-annoyed-some-of-the-tea-partiers-recalls-the/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“When Barack Obama took office, the fossil fuel industry was not only eager to preserve its perks but also more militant in its opposition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/when-barack-obama-took-office-the-fossil-fuel-industry-was-not-only/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [If you have an informed electorate, it makes great choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/if-you-have-an-informed-electorate-it-makes-great-choices/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [ One of the oddities of this election is the man that \[Donald\] Trump chose as his vice-president, Mike Pence, is one of the Kochs'… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/one-of-the-oddities-of-this-election-is-the-man-that-donald-trump/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“The candidates promised to cut taxes for those in the highest brackets, preserve Wall Street loopholes, tolerate the off-shoring of manufacturing jobs and profits,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/the-candidates-promised-to-cut-taxes-for-those-in-the-highest/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“Amway in fact was structured to avoid federal taxes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/amway-in-fact-was-structured-to-avoid-federal-taxes/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“radicals in Congress refused to back down, bringing virtually the entire federal government to a halt for sixteen days in October, leaving the country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/radicals-in-congress-refused-to-back-down-bringing-virtually-the/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [What I write about is how much influence it's had in things like state legislatures and governorships and congressional races. The other thing that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/what-i-write-about-is-how-much-influence-it-s-had-in-things-like/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“Two months into their tenure, Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee also led a crusade against alternative, renewable energy programs. 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