Citizen Koch

In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court made one of its most polarizing decisions via Citizens United: the justices voted to lift a 100-year-plus ban on unlimited spending on elections. This opened the floodgates to massive political corruption by enabling special-interest campaign finance. Ultimately, the conflict came to a head in Wisconsin; Governor Scott Walker, undergirded by monies from out-of-state billionaires, forcibly removed union rights from state employees in 2011. As co-directed by Carl Deal and Tia Lessin, this documentary travels inside of the controversy. The filmmakers visit Wisconsin and speak with furious residents, including Republicans now fiercely divided over whether to support Tea Party favorite Walker's reelection. Later, the film ventures to Louisiana, where ex-governor Buddy Roemer aggressively rejects donations over $100 and gets trounced by PAC-supported opponents. Ultimately, Deal and Lessin raise serious questions about whether regular citizens or special interest groups have greater voting power.