I saw one and I think it was actuall 450,000 for some reason. 

Once Congress approved itself for party officials (majority and minority leaders), to collect money but then distribute to lesser members of their party they just obscured any simple of way of tracking of tracking  spending..   The alert 'realist' would probably say that graft is impossible to stop, that it's so prevelent that is can't be changed.    Honestly, since it is congress that has to change the very rules that govern themselves, makes it highly unlikely the spigot will get turned off.

The reformers need some hero's.    Not one bigh personality like Trump, (and only the the very optimistic would think he would do a darn thing to limit the influence of money).   but a group willing to give their, 'treasure' to reveal blatant influence peddling.   I'm more idealistic than you I suspect, but that kind of work is ignored by the media and if it's over 60 seconds 'the public' doesn't have the attention span.