The true story behind HBO's The Dark Money Game

The Dark Money Game is an HBO Original containing two documentary films, released back to back on April 15 and April 16, 2025, respectively, at 9 pm EST on HBO. Both films have been made available to stream on Max.

The two documentaries in The Dark Money Game are named Ohio Confidential and Wealth of the Wicked and have been directed by Alex Gibney (known for The Crime of the Century and Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos).

Both of these documentaries delve into the role of finance in politics and the flow of "dark money." They shed light on how money travels from the wealthy donors and corporations to fund political campaigns in the US.

The documentaries shed light on how the finances are routed through non-profits and super PACs (Political Action Committees), especially after the landmark ruling on the Citizens United v. FEC case of 2010.

The Dark Money Game has been inspired by Jane Mayer’s book Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right. It tries to unravel the convoluted and intertwined world of US politics, corruption, and conspiracies, with illegal money at the center of it all.

Fans can read on to find out the truth that has spurred the creation of these documentaries.

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The Dark Money Game: Ohio Confidential

Ohio Confidential is the first film that was released on April 15 at 9 pm EST, with a run time of 116 minutes. It is a deep dive into the case of Ohio's largest public corruption scam.

The case, popularly known as the Ohio nuclear bribery scandal, involves the electric energy company FirstEnergy and Larry Householder. Householder was the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives at the time and was later charged with racketeering for his involvement in this case.

Householder reportedly laundered $60 million for his campaign through his non-profit organization, Generation Now, from FirstEnergy during the 2018 election in Ohio. This money was repaid to the company in the form of a $1.3 billion bailout, a burden borne by the hardworking and taxpaying citizens of the state.

The documentary delves into details of the entire conspiracy, with inputs from author Jane Mayer, former Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, former FBI agent Jeffrey Williams, and former Republican campaign manager, Tyler Fehrman.

It also contains testimonies from former US Attorneys from the Southern District of Ohio, as well as Laura A. Bischoff, journalist at The Columbus Dispatch.

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The Dark Money Game: Wealth of the Wicked

The second documentary by Gibney, premiered on HBO on April 16, 2025, at 9 pm EST. It highlights the history of campaign financing from 1975, when the Federal Election Commission (FEC) was formed, right up to the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Bill of 2002.

In an interview with Democracy Now, Gibney talks about going all the way back to the Powell memo of 1971, which sought to empower large corporations and eventually paved the way for the ruling in the Citizens United case in 2010, bringing power back to corporations.

The documentary also looks into how this has changed the political scenario over the years, with bribes being essentially legalized in the form of "gratuities," especially from special-interest groups or religious groups. Over time, this has enabled the free flow of "dark money" into the political system without any repercussions.

Former US Senator, Russ Feingold, is joined by Rev. Robert Schenck, James Bopp, attorney for the National Right to Life Committee, David M. McIntosh, co-founder of The Federalist Society, Jonathan Riehl, author of Inside The Federalist Society, Maureen O’Connor, and Jane Mayer in this second documentary of The Dark Money Game.

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Fans can watch The Dark Money Game on Max from April 15, 2025.