Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group

1. Americans for Prosperity takes aim at farm bill

   By Jake Harper Jun 18, 2013 11:25 a.m.
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2. Study finds link between who gives to judicial candidates and how they decide

   By Jake Harper Jun 12, 2013 10:07 a.m.

   A rising tide of campaign contributions to candidates for states' top courts appears to be influencing the way those courts mete out justice, a new academic study finds.

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3. Verizon lobbyists host fundraisers for Intelligence Committee members

   By Jake Harper Jun 6, 2013 5:07 p.m.

   Lobbyists for Verizon Communications, which is refusing comment on a now-confirmed report that the telecommunications giant turned millions of its customers' records over to the National Security Agency, have thrown fundraisers for members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, records compiled by the Sunlight Foundation show. According to the Political Party Time database, which tracks candidate fundraising events, lobbyists for Verizon Communications have hosted at least five fundraising events for Sens. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., and Susan Collins, R-Maine. Louis Dupart, of the lobbying firm The Normandy Group, hosted at least three events, two for Mikulski and one for Collins, while Wayne Berman hosted two more for Collins, including a birthday reception in 2010. Both senators voted in 2008 in favor of  the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which shielded telecom companies, including Verizon, from lawsuits related to an earlier wiretapping controversy.  Lobbyists for Verizon have also hosted a fundraiser for Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., an ex officio member of the Senate committee, and Rep. Thomas Rooney, R-Fla., a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. 

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4. Shalesmanship: Ralph Hall's Energy act might have benefited his own bottom line

   By Jake Harper Mar 1, 2013 8 a.m.

   Veteran Rep. Ralph Hall appears to be profiting from legislation he helped write. But the Texas Democrat-turned-Republican didn't want to discuss his profits from the Barnett Shale.

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5. Two freshmen seek end to corporate personhood

   By Jake Harper Feb 11, 2013 2:42 p.m.

   Two new members of Congress, Reps. Rick Nolan, DFL-Minn., and Mark Pocan, D-Wis., will introduce a resolution on Tuesday aimed at reducing corporate influence in politics through an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. 

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6. Emergency Committee for Israel keeps spending in fight against Hagel

   By Jake Harper Feb 8, 2013 2 p.m.
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7. Bloomberg spending in Chicago congressional race

   By Jake Harper Feb 7, 2013 6:30 p.m.
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8. On Wisconsin: Badger State gets no break from political air wars

   By Jake Harper Feb 6, 2013 5:45 p.m.

   (Updated Feb. 8, 2:45 p.m. ET)

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9. Anti-Hagel ad spending tops $200K

   By Jake Harper Feb 6, 2013 2:20 p.m.
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10. Total 2012 election spending: $7 billion

    By Jake Harper Jan 31, 2013 11:47 a.m.

    A new estimate from the Federal Election Commission puts total spending for the 2012 election at more than $7 billion -- $1 billion more than previously thought. 

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11. New members of the 113th: What they own and whom they owe

    By Jake Harper Jan 28, 2013 2:21 p.m.

    Even before he was elected last November to represent Chicago's southern exurbs in the House, Illinois Democrat Bill Foster decided to sell his stake in Electronic Theatre Controls, a company he founded with his brother. Foster jettisoned the shares -- worth at least $5 million -- "to minimize potential conflicts of interest when voting on legislation that might impact his personal finances," according to his press secretary. 

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12. Roe v. Wade at 40: Abortion debate fuels multi-million-dollar influence effort

    By Jake Harper Jan 24, 2013 9:30 a.m.
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13. Firing, fast tracked bill show clout of copyright holders

    By Jake Harper Dec 19, 2012 8:17 a.m.

    If there were any question of the clout big media wields in Washington, the fate of Derek Khanna, the House Republican staffer who called for scaling back the copyright protections these interests benefit from, should leave no doubt. Khanna, whose copyright paper was mistakenly published online by a House Republican policy making body, then quickly withdrawn after protests erupted from major media firms and their congressional allies, was fired earlier this month.

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14. Wealthy two dozen: 24 super PACs that got the most last-minute money

    By Jake Harper Dec 7, 2012 11:24 a.m.

    Twenty-four super PACs collected more than $1 million in contributions during the final weeks before the election, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.

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Investigations by Sunlight Foundation reporter Jake Harper