Sunlight Foundation

  1. Gun interests spend millions to influence lawmakers

    By Kathy Kiely Jul 21, 2012 8:42 a.m.

    In the wake of the Batman movie massacre, Colorado's second mass killing in recent memory, much is being written about the unlikeliness of the tragedy leading to the kind of gun control legislation that might have prevented another troubled young man from amassing a huge arsenal. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was quoted in the New York Times on Saturday venting his frustration at the inertia of both major party's presidential candidates.

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  2. 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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  3. 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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  4. 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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  5. Survey Says... House Republicans Schedule Bevy of Critical Dodd-Frank Hearings

    By Becca Heller and Nancy Watzman Jul 18, 2012 8:28 a.m.

    House Republicans are on an anti-Dodd-Frank blitz, but with a populist twist, leading up to the financial reform law’s second birthday later this week.

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  6. GOP senators benefiting the most from NO DISCLOSE

    By Keenan Steiner Jul 17, 2012 4:59 p.m.

    Among the Republicans voting Tuesday to block a bill requiring disclosure of donors underwriting political ads were many who have benefited from the contributions of groups that don't disclose their donors.

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  7. Mexico’s president-elect hires DC lobbyists

    By Lindsay Young Jul 17, 2012 12:56 p.m.

    Mexico’s President-elect, Enrique Peña Nieto, who takes office December 1, has hired lobbying firm Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter & Associates to represent him in Washington. According to documents filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ), the contract focuses on U.S. outreach and “monitoring of news and policy developments related to Mexico-U.S. interests.”

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  8. The black hole of political disclosure

    By Breanna Edwards, Jake Harper, Rebecca Heller and Lindsay Young Jul 16, 2012 3:53 p.m.

    Our Sunlight Foundation colleague, Lee Drutman, has written elsewhere about the amount of dark money -- political donations that come without donors attached -- flowing into this year's campaign. But what about the conduits? As the Senate debates the DISCLOSE Act this week, a measure that would take modest steps towards adding a little transparency back into the campaign finance system, it's worth taking a look at the entities that are taking advantage of the loopholes that allow them to avoid disclosing -- sometimes just donors, sometimes just about everything.

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  9. McCain campaigns for Romney, transparency or not

    By Breanna Edwards Jul 16, 2012 3:24 p.m.

    Political irony: That's probably the best definition for what happened Monday when when Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., probably the only GOP lawmaker to express interest in the Disclose Act, rallied Michigan on behalf of GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, who has turned his back on requests to be more open with his campaign finance. 

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  10. Adelsons give $5 million to YG Action Fund

    By Jacob Fenton Jul 15, 2012 11:43 p.m.

    Billionaire casino owner Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam, gave a combined $5 million to the "YG Action Fund", a super PAC with ties to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., according to Federal Election Commission filings made Sunday night.

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  11. Romney surging, but Obama well ahead in campaign cash

    By Bill Allison Jul 11, 2012 10:11 a.m.

    For Mitt Romney, the magic number is $158 million. That's how much he'll have to outraise President Barack Obama over the last four months of the campaign to surpass the president, the record holder for campaign fundraising.

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  12. Sheldon Adelson writes another million dollar check for new super PAC

    By Jacob Fenton Jul 9, 2012 5:39 p.m.

    Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, the most prolific campaign contributor this election, has written another million dollar check--this time, to a little-known super PAC called "Freedom PAC" that first popped-up last month. The contribution was disclosed in the group's quarterly filing, submitted to the Federal Election Commission on Monday.

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  13. Broadcasters petition FCC to stay online posting of political ad files

    By Keenan Steiner Jul 5, 2012 12:59 p.m.

    The nation's broadcasters are trying another method to stop the Federal Communications Commission from putting information about political ads online.

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  14. Freedom (or not?) of information: FOIA at 46

    By Kathy Kiely Jul 5, 2012 10:51 a.m.

    There probably are more reasons to sound the alarm than to bang a celebratory drum on the 46th birthday of the Freedom of Information Act.

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