2someone or something who gets most of the criticism, blame, or public attention when there is a problem, although they may not be responsible for it 众矢之的;代人受过者,替罪羊
be a lightning rod for something
The senator has become a lightning rod for criticism.
该参议员成了众矢之的。
Examples from the Corpus
lightning rod• Since then, she has become a lightning rod for a national debate on immigration.• It was like a lightning rod that drew to itself all the negativeimpulses of a hyperactive time.• One of the summer associates in another firm told me that a partner there had proved a real lightning rod for trouble.