Kenneth Vogel covers the confluence of money, politics, and influence for Politico.

In Big Money: 2.5 Billion Dollars, One Suspicious Vehicle, and a Pimp—on the Trail of the Ultra-Rich Hijacking American Politics , Vogel examines the billionaire megadonors on both sides of the aisle pouring millions into the political campaigns, and the extent of power that that accompanies the increasingly unlimited sums being spent to influence American elections.

During an interview by Leonard Lopate, Vogel spoke about how very wealthy donors have “suddenly become the new kings of politics", how heavily they are courted by candidates, parties, and special interest groups, and the impact that these big donors are having on the election process.

“You have some of these big donors who are meddling in a very real way that they wouldn’t have been able to before – shaping ads, shaping strategy. Oftentimes, again, totally divorced from what works, what the voters want to hear, or what the political operatives would prefer to do with their money.”

Hear the full interview from The Leonard Lopate Show here .