Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group

Utah sees $1.6 million in outside spending, including a corporation

Spending by outside interest groups helped force Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, into a primary, but the veteran lawmaker, comfortably ahead in Tuesday's race according to an election eve poll, is benefiting from some home state corporate love.

Charlie Rangel's challenge: The end of an era?

It has the potential to be a primary that makes history. The seat at stake, in New York's 13th Congressional District, has been a place where black politicians have flourished -- the place where Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. became the Empire State's first African American elected to Congress.

Montana decision puts campaign finance reform in Congress's court

With the Supreme Court's decision Monday not to revisit Citizens United, the high court appears to be a dead end for those seeking to address the problem of dark money in elections. Now, key congressmen and reformers say, Congress must act. But the prospects for lawmakers doing so appear slim.

$12 million in the dark

So far this year, groups that do not disclose their donors, and legally are not required to do so, have reported almost $12.4 million in political spending to the Federal Election Commission, much of it made possible by the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision. 

Supremes: Not backing down from Citizens United

The Supreme Court today summarily dismissed Montana's challenge to the Citizens United case, in a 5-4 vote that made it plain the justices who opened the door for massive corporate contributions are in no mood to revisit the issue, despite the fact that the transparency they predicted in their opinion has not materialized.

Romney's elite retreat: Who could be on the list?

All eyes this weekend are set on Mitt Romney’s weekend retreat in Utah, where his campaign has reportedly invited a group of donors with fat wallets to meet the candidate, some of his potential runningmates, and top GOP strategists. A number of media outlets have reported that the minimum price of admission is a $50,000 contribution to his campaign. 

Immigration shift: As Obama, Romney court Hispanics, are state lawmakers doing the same?

Immigration is in the headlines this week, with President Barack Obama and his Republican rival, Mitt Romney, aggressively courting the Hispanic vote in back-to-back addresses to a conference of Latino politicians and the Supreme Court expected to rule next week on a controversial Arizona law aimed at illegal immigrants.

Supremes hand setback to Obama super PAC bankroller

The Supreme Court on Thursday handed a setback -- and an ominous warning -- to a labor giant that has been one of the most generous bankrollers of the super PACs backing President Obama and other Democratic candidates.

Did mystery Romney donors also play in Texas?

A subsidiary of the Reynolds and Reynolds Company--which was apparently behind $1 million in contributions to the super PAC backing Mitt Romney through three shell companies last month--also gave at least $250,000 to super PACs earlier this election cycle through another subsidiary.

Music giant Universal and EMI owner lavish contributions on Senate anti-trust panel

(Clarification: This story has been updated to more accurately reflect the timing of Citigroup's donations)

Who's behind $1 million in corporate donations to Romney-aligned super PAC?

House committee restores funding for political ad disclosure

A key member of Congress bowed to pressure Wednesday and withdrew a measure aimed at blocking online disclosure of political advertisements. 

Scouting expedition: How Sunlight's newest tool can make you a better watchdog

Got an issue you care about? A bill you need to track? Can't afford to hire your own team of lobbyists? No problem.

Senate hears from heavy hitters on both sides of fracking debate

The effect on the water supply of hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking -- a method for extracting heretofore hard to reach natural gas reserves -- has caught national attention, even inspiring a fiercely critical movie. Now, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is looking into the effect of fracking on the air -- and getting an earful from witnesses from organizations on both sides of the debate with long track records in Washington's influence game..