Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group

Following the Chamber of Commerce down the campaign finance rabbit hole

A New York Times report that New York’s Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is subpoenaing records of tax-exempt groups involved in politics underscores the difficulty of tracking campaign spending to its source following the 2010 Citizens United decision, a ruling that the Supreme Court reaffirmed this week. 

Outside money can't (always) buy elections

Outside money ain't got that swing. At least, not in Tuesday's state primaries.

Sunlight Live: Video stream with real time data as House panel grills EPA chief

(Updated: 9:56 a.m. June 28: The House science panel has postponed this hearing, and so our Sunlight Live blog is postponed too. We'll let you know as soon as we can reschedule.)

OMB clears way for FCC to put political ads online

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)