Israeli government money is reaching a pro-Ted Cruz super PAC through ads on his podcast, and regulators say nothing about it breaks the law — bad news for anyone who thinks campaign finance rules still work.

• Ads bought by Israel run on Cruz's podcast, and iHeart Media sends the ad money to Truth and Courage PAC, which exists to reelect him.
• Around $2 million has flowed that way since 2023, and the PAC is staffed by Cruz's former aides.
• The FEC dismissed complaints, saying Cruz never asked for or handled the money — his only job was hosting the show.
• The ads are part of a $7 million campaign to get American Christians to visit Israel, aimed at winning back evangelicals.
• Support for Israel among evangelicals under 35 has collapsed, and Israel is also paying Christian Zionist groups in the US to reverse that.

Outlook: Expect more scrutiny of this arrangement, but with the FEC already siding with Cruz, the money is likely to keep flowing.