Caught on tape.

And digging up an email from 2019.   [Mother Jones]( MoJo Reader, Journalism and accountability. That's what [I wrote about]( two weeks ago in kicking off our fall fundraising drive because doing in-depth reporting that can bring about change is why Mother Jones exists. It's what draws people like you to our work. And it has always been a key reason why readers [support our journalism](: To make things better. But there's no denying that accountability and progress feel harder won these days, and a big reason is because the institutions designed to act as a check on abuses of power—Congress, the courts, media—weren't built for the "post-truth" world some would like us to inhabit. Mother Jones, however, was. And last Thursday, two major stories we've been digging deep on for years had their days in the halls of power. In the seditious conspiracy trial of an Oath Keeper member, a [video first reported by MoJo's Dan Friedman]( showing the group engaged in paramilitary training was played in court as evidence that they appeared to be preparing for violence. Prosecutors in the case previously [cited Dan’s reporting]( on Kraken lawyer Sidney Powell paying lawyers for top Oath Keepers, and they recently [cited a tweet]( of his to refute efforts by Stewart Rhodes to claim attorney-client privilege to bar key evidence against him. Meanwhile, at the Capitol, [the explosive leaked audio of Steve Bannon, also obtained by Dan](, was played for a second time during the January 6 hearings in making it crystal clear that Trump's failed coup attempt was premediated. What a day for Dan and for everyone here who helped bring those revelations to light! And what a great reminder that when you [support Mother Jones' journalism](, you make possible fact-finding that might just find its way into major investigations seeking to understand what really happened. The reason why is simple. The key ingredients of landing major revelations like Dan's are time and trust. It takes years of building relationships with sources and assembling an unimpeachable record of reporting the truth—and it's only because we're [supported by readers that we can give our reporters the time it takes to pull back and work on big stories]( instead of cranking out cheap content to chase ever-dwindling advertising revenue. So even if accountability and progress don't come about as swiftly, or often, as we want, I hope you know Mother Jones is chasing after it every single day. Like our reporting, or even [earning the donations we need to do it](, it just takes time and trust—and persistence. Case in point: Back in 2018, [Dan obtained Roger Stone's text messages]( showing Stone trying to threaten his source, Randy Credico, into misleading federal prosecutors looking into the Trump camp's ties to Russia. Those revelations played a part in Stone's conviction. They took ten months of work to get. Accountability was delivered. (Trump, naturally, commuted Stone's sentence.) Dan joined the team at Mother Jones thanks to readers. When Donald Trump fired James Comey, if you can still recall 2017, we sprang into action and [asked readers]( to help us hire a foreign influence and national security reporter. Readers responded in droves, and Dan got the job. Here's what Dan had to say in an email to the MoJo community from 2019: "I did everything I could to get my job when I saw that Mother Jones was hiring a foreign influence and national security reporter as a standalone beat. Specialization like this is rare. I knew I'd get to do in-depth investigative reporting, which isn't guaranteed for most journalists today, and I knew that at Mother Jones, I could cover the Russia scandal and also foreign influence as a broader topic. I would not have gotten those emails and texts if I didn't have the time and space to develop a relationship with Credico. Too many times as a journalist, you know there's more to the story, but you need to move on and crank out the next piece. In the last two years, we've seen that the institutions and norms of our political system provide much less of a check on lawlessness and corruption than most of us thought a few years ago. But I know that doubling down on exposing malfeasance helps reduce it, and I hope you'll join the team [with a donation to support all of us at]([Mother Jones today](. It truly is a team effort. I'm blown away by the reporting my colleagues produce every day. Here in the DC bureau, we are often fired up, angry about powerful liars, and excited because we get to try to set the record straight. Despite the challenges, it's a lot more fun than you'd think." It was true then and it’s true now. But unlike when Trump fired Comey and we rallied so many donations in such little time to bring Dan on board, readers aren't exactly responding to our fundraising in droves right now. I can understand why. The once-shocking becomes normal and following the news can become exhausting. But if you are feeling disempowered and discouraged of late, I hope you don’t forget that throughout American history, major progress often has been made right after a cycle of chaos, violence, and polarization—because people keep fighting. And if you're still reading this and you can afford to part with even just a few dollars during our fall fundraising drive, [I sincerely hope you'll pitch in today](. We're nearing the halfway point of our big push for $325,000 and it's looking rough right now—with just $55,000 already in hand. Thanks for reading, and for everything you do to make Mother Jones what it is. I'm glad you're with us whether or not you can pitch in today or ever. [Monika] Monika Bauerlein, CEO Mother Jones P.S. If you're able to pitch in with [monthly donation](, I'd be particularly grateful. Reliable revenue from sustaining donors gives us the stability to invest in ambitious stories. [Donate](   [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755