On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, RCI Editor J. Peder Zane and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney speak with Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, about his government watchdog organization’s effort to clean-up voter rolls and support other measures to improve election integrity. On the news roundup, Zane and Varney discuss a RealClearInvestigations article which reports how and why the role of money in determining elections is overstated; an investigation by the Guardian detailing the financial incentives that appear to be perverting the course of justice in eviction hearings in Louisiana; and a New York Times article reporting that President Trump pardoned a Venezuelan billionaire after the man’s daughter offered one of the president’s close allies, Alina Habba, a four-year contract for legal services that will pay her $50 million. 00:00 Cold Open & Welcome 01:55 Does Money Really Win Elections? (RCI Analysis) 08:41 Louisiana's Eviction Courts and the Judge Paid by Landlords 13:31 The Pardon, the $50 Million Job Offer, and Trump's Former Lawyer 19:27 Meet Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch: Can We Trust the Midterm Results? 22:55 Voter ID, Disenfranchisement Claims, and Dirty Voter Rolls 28:48 Why Courts Are Blocking the Trump DOJ's Voter Roll Lawsuits 35:43 Non-Citizen Voting in Virginia, New Jersey, and D.C. 38:28 Why No One Is Checking Elections, and the Bank Analogy 44:36 FBI Stonewalling: Butler Records, "Lawfare" Files, and FOIA Delays Material Discussed in This Podcast: · Tom Fitton: Judicial Watch Official Website https://www.judicialwatch.org/ · RCI: The Overstated Role of Money in Politics https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2026/10/22/the_overstated_role_of_money_in_politics_1213076.html · Guardian: Louisiana Evictions Mean Millions in Fees for Judges https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/oct/20/louisiana-justice-of-peace-courts-evictions-fees · New York Times: Billionaire Secures Pardon After $50M Deal with Trump Pal https://archive.is/oJJoL