follow the money

present singular third person follows the money · participle present following the money · participle past followed the money · past followed the money

1. idiomaticTo analyze money flows in order to uncover corruption or other criminal activities.

   No, I have to do this my way. You tell me what you know, and I'll confirm. I'll keep you in the right direction if I can, but that's all. Just… follow the money.

   1976, William Goldman, All the President's Men, spoken by Deep Throat

   2 more examples

   Then follow the money: We know that President Bashar Assad turned an ophthalmologist's blind eye to Saddam's use of the Syrian port of Tartus to import missile fuel components from China and night-vision goggles from Russia.

   2003 April 21, William Safire, “Follow the Money”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   His success in tackling and convicting members of Cosa Nostra was by following the money; this is the only way leading members of organised crime syndicates will ever be convicted.

   2018 April 29, Aubrey A Jones, “Letters: beat fraud: follow the money”, in The Guardian