Forget scorecards and accountability assemblies. These polite tactics assume shame still works on politicians who’ve proven themselves shameless. That’s bringing a pencil to a gunfight. This is political asymmetric warfare, and anti-authoritarians need to weaponize every legal mechanism available. Every tactic described here operates within existing law.

Consult local statutes and file only legitimate, good-faith complaints. But file them relentlessly.

Ethics complaints, criminal referrals, FOIA bombardments, bar complaints, IRS whistleblower reports: these are the tools that actually destroy political careers. Corrupt politicians have vulnerabilities: campaign finance violations, unreported income, conflicts of interest, misuse of office resources. These corrupt practices are often integral to their systematic exploitation.

Criminal complaints also work. Bob Menendez got 11 years. Duncan Hunter got 11 months in prison for stealing over $250,000 in campaign funds. File criminal referrals with state attorneys general. Even unsuccessful investigations drain resources. Politicians routinely spend six figures to millions on defense lawyers while under investigation. Trump spent over $100 million on legal fees during his criminal investigations and civil lawsuits from 2022-2024. Force them to lawyer up repeatedly.

FOIA functions as a powerful tool. Scott Pruitt’s career ended after Sierra Club’s relentless FOIA campaign exposed his secret calendars and industry meetings. Hillary Clinton’s email scandal started with a FOIA request filed by journalist Jason Leopold. File requests for calendars, emails, text messages, visitor logs. Appeal every denial. Litigate when necessary. Organizations like CREW maintain hundreds of active FOIA requests and lawsuits, creating constant pressure.