The vast majority of people don't have to pass intensive government background checks or face potential rejection during a political vetting process. (And I'm talking about in the United States, where questions raised about personal peccadillos during this process wouldn't necessarily result in the sort of watchlisting they would in most nonwestern countries).

The fear of having oneself audited is the main reason more people don't run for office.

Yes, some narcissistic maniacs have managed to slip through by portraying themselves as victims of witch hunts, but the average married person will not run for office if it means their spouse will find out they went to a strip club.

Everyone is susceptible to blackmail. The digital trail of expenditures is the key to letting the people with access to that data remain in power.