Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group

1. Health group airs ad backing Obama EPA nominee

   By Jacob Fenton May 21, 2013 3:52 p.m.

   The American Public Health Administration has begun airing a new TV ad supporting Pres. Obama's nominee for EPA Administrator, Gina McCarthy. It's the first time the nonprofit group has aired an ad backing a specific nominee, according to a spokeswoman.

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2. TV stations ignore ad disclosure requirements

   By Jacob Fenton Mar 5, 2013 11:12 a.m.

   A decade after a landmark campaign finance reform law mandated that TV stations collect the names of board members or executive officers of groups running political ads for federal candidates or any "national legislative issue of public importance," records show broadcasters often ignore the rules.

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3. Al Jazeera lands heavyweight Republican lobbyist

   By Jacob Fenton Feb 20, 2013 12:15 p.m.

   Tom Korologos, a Republican so admired by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle that he's been called "the 101st senator," is going to lobby for Al Jazeera.

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4. At least $200K spent in DC on Super Bowl political ads

   By Jacob Fenton Feb 4, 2013 2:31 p.m.

   Sunday's Super Bowl was the country's top rated sporting spectacle--but viewers in Washington area got something extra: more political ads. Three groups spent a total of $200,000 to air political ads for DC-area super bowl viewers. For the first time this year, these ad contracts are available online, thanks to an FCC order that went into effect last summer.

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5. Among Hagel attackers: Shadowy group run by aide to Ron Lauder

   By Jacob Fenton Jan 31, 2013 9:36 a.m.

   As former Sen. Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama's pick for secretary of defense, faces a Senate confirmation hearing today, he's under online attack from a group that's previously been criticized for a "mostly false" TV ad and "laughably bogus" polling. Though the group, Secure America Now, doesn't disclose its donors, and has yet to file a full year's tax return for either of its non-profit arms, Sunlight has learned it is run by a longtime political aide to Ronald Lauder, a cosmetics heir who has become a patron of Jewish causes and Republican candidates.

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6. Ad site snafu raises questions about FCC oversight

   By Jacob Fenton Jan 17, 2013 8:47 a.m.

   For the first time last year, the Federal Communications Commission began requiring certain TV stations to post political ad buy contracts online. Yet an apparent snafu at a Florida station that kept all buys made in the final month of the election offline until earlier this month raises questions about just how well that system is working.

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7. Secret money fuels Freedomworks

   By Jacob Fenton and Keenan Steiner Dec 7, 2012 10:37 a.m.

   New filings show that Freedomworks, the Tea party-aligned super PAC that's in the midst of a messy leadership breakup, got more than $12 million from two shadowy companies set up just this fall.

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8. 'Tis the season: Ads targeting 2014 Senate candidates already on air

   By Jacob Fenton Nov 30, 2012 10:58 a.m.
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9. Karl Rove's super PAC breaks $100 million in spending

   By Jacob Fenton Nov 6, 2012 11:02 a.m.

   American Crossroads, the super PAC run by Karl Rove, has spent more than $100 million.

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10. Mayor Mike Bloomberg's superstorm of 11th hour political donations

    By Jacob Fenton Oct 31, 2012 3:44 p.m.

    With New York City struggling to recover from Hurricane Sandy, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is set to begin airing political ads for his favorite candidates around the country through his newly-created super PAC.

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11. Businesses give $33 million to super PACs

    By Jacob Fenton Jul 24, 2012 6:46 a.m.

    Businesses have given more than $33 million to super PACs since the beginning of this campaign cycle, according to a Sunlight analysis of campaign finance reports. Trade unions gave at least $15 million in the same time period.

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12. Super PACs raise $55 million in June

    By Jacob Fenton Jul 21, 2012 2:01 a.m.

    Super PACs had their biggest month ever, raising over $55 million in June. That impressive haul brought super PAC's total fundraising since Jan 1. 2011 to more than $313 million. As of around June 30, super PAC's had about $110 million in the bank (that total includes groups filing reports due between June 27 and July 13). Monthly filers reporting the biggest June takes were Restore Our Future ($20.7 million), which backs Mitt Romney; Priorities USA ($6.2 million) which backs Barack Obama; and American Crossroads, ($5.8 million) lead by GOP strategist Karl Rove.

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13. College Republican doubles down on super PAC

    By Jacob Fenton Jul 19, 2012 11:35 a.m.

    The college student whose super PAC helped propel a little-known Kentucky Republican to victory with $600,000 in outside spending has doubled down -- and then some.

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14. Pro-gay GOP super PAC has one donor

    By Jacob Fenton Jul 19, 2012 11:32 a.m.

    Last month, Republican billionaire Paul Singer made news with the announcement of a new, unlikely super PAC: American Unity Inc. It's mission, according to the New York Times, which ran a story about the PAC on June 9, is to "encourage Republican candidates to support same-sex marriage."

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Investigations by Sunlight Foundation reporter Jacob Fenton