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Two groups file as Super PACs
By Bill Allison Dec 1, 2010 12:07 p.m.The mid-term elections are over and the 2012 contest is 23 months away, but the independent groups that played an outsized role in the former are already gearing up for the next contest. Protecting America's Retirees and America's Next Generation filed letters last month with the Federal Election Commission declaring their intent to take unlimited contributions from any source.
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A history of discipline in the House
By Aaron Bycoffe Nov 18, 2010 11:29 a.m.According to the Congressional Research Service, 35 members have been censured, reprimanded or expelled in the history of the House of Representatives. Here's a breakdown, according to a 2005 report:
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In defense of Charlie Rangel: Does everybody do it?
By Bill Allison Nov 15, 2010 9:23 a.m.Rep. Charles Rangel faces an adjudicatory hearing before the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct--better known as the House Ethics Committee--this morning. We'll are covering the whole hearing on Sunlight Live, delving into the charges of violations of ethics rules that in some cases go back years. Rangel stands accused of everything from soliciting donations to a nonprofit center that bears his name from interests with business before the Ways and Means Committee, which he chaired at the time, to abusing his parking privileges in the House garage. (A full list of charges is available here).
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New GOP wave could slow the pace of healthcare reform
By Sarah Dorsey Nov 4, 2010 12:50 p.m.House Republicans will begin planning their agendas this week. Many of these candidates made their opposition to the President's health care law a central issue in their campaigns. But to what extent will Tuesday's elections actually affect the course of reform?
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Did outside money pay off?
By Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group Nov 4, 2010 11:12 a.m.More than $400 million in outside money was spent in the general elections for House and Senate this year. Here's a look at the top outside spenders and how much they spent in races where each party won.
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Big spenders: How candidates backed by outside groups fared
By Anupama Narayanswamy Nov 3, 2010 5:59 p.m.Yesterday’s big win for the Republicans was also a major victory for some the outside groups that have spent liberally on the election.
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Dark money groups spend $110 million in 168 races
By Anupama Narayanswamy Oct 28, 2010 3:53 p.m.Outside groups that have not disclosed their donors have dumped more than $1 million into each of 14 Senate and 18 House races. As much as $110 million has been pumped into the elections so far by political groups that have yet to disclose their donors, reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission show, and this "dark money" from unknown contributors has impacted 168 congressional races across the country.
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RightChange.com Inc. funded by pharmaceutical industry figure
By Ryan Sibley Oct 28, 2010 9:41 a.m.Fred Eshelman, CEO of North Carolina-based Pharmaceutical Product Development, has given $3.38 million to RightChange.com, an organization taking part in the onslaught of outside spending this election cycle, according to documents filed with the IRS. Almost all of the money going to RightChange comes from Eshelman; the organization is a vehicle for him to air his political views, which happen to align with the GOP's.
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Surprise! The National Education Association funds the National Education Association Advocacy Fund
By Ryan Sibley Oct 27, 2010 2:27 p.m.The National Education Association Advocacy Fund, a Super PAC which has spent $4.2 million to influence the 2010 election cycle so far, receives all of it's funding from the National Education Association, a labor union—or a 501c6—and also its parent organization. No individual donors are listed.
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Did the dog eat American Action Network's disclosure reports?
By Nancy Watzman Oct 26, 2010 11:22 a.m.Editor's note: As of today (10/27), American Action Network's buy in Colorado now shows up on Federal Election Commission disclosures, $725,000 dated October 12. The Denver Post reports today that channel 9 (ABC) pulled the ad posted below for false claims.
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DCCC accuses McCain of flouting election laws he helped create
By Lindsay Young Oct 26, 2010 10:09 a.m.Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is the only member of Congress that is using his campaign committee to make independent expenditures for other federal candidates which the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) claims is a violation of the McCain-Feingold Act because it exceeds the value of non-cash contributions.
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Super PAC discloses donors?
By Bill Allison Oct 25, 2010 5:58 p.m.Update: America's Families First Action Fund, an independent expenditure committee associated with a 501(c)4 organization that doesn't have to disclose its donors, discloses its donors. Their plan to avoid 1994 in 2010 is here. My sharp eyed colleague Aaron Bycoffe noticed this in the document the Times acquired: "The project team has established both a federal independent expenditure committee, America's Families First Action Fund (AFFAF) and a 501c4 advocacy organization, America's Families First. Gifts to the independent expentiture committee are disclosed but can be unlimited. Gifts to a 501c4 advocacy organization can be anonymous."
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Dems narrow the outside spending margin
By Anupama Narayanswamy Oct 22, 2010 3:06 p.m.Ten days before the mid-term elections, and left leaning outside groups still lag behind their conservative counterparts, and are being outspent by $43 million. But spending by the two Democratic party committees--the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee--have narrowed the gap, leaving them $23 million behind all Republican spending. Just five days ago, Democrats trailed overall by $37.6 million.
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Republican leaning groups spend heavily on Nevada Senate race
By Lindsay Young Oct 22, 2010 10:14 a.m.The Nevada Senate toss-up between Majority Leader Harry Reid and Tea Party candidate Sharron Angle is one of the races which has seen close to $10 milion spent by outside groups to influence voters. The stakes are high and the ads are scathing. So far, the spending is skewed in favor of Angle where Republican-leaning groups have spent over $7.8 million, according to data reported to the Federal Election Commission.
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