The landscape surrounding the site of Pebble Partnership's proposed mine at the headwaters of Bristol Bay in southwest Alaska. (Alex Milan Tracy/Sipa/AP)

Environmentalists posed as potential investors in a controversial Alaska gold mine and secretly recorded conversations with top executives who are trying to get federal approvals for the project. The recordings provide a rare glimpse at how the men behind Pebble Mine have wielded political influence, getting access to the White House and making donations to reward some lawmakers while punishing others.