Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group

Fight to oust Hatch fuels a $1 million outside money blitz

With Sen. Orrin Hatch appearing to pass a first crucial political test on Thursday night when his supporters swelled attendance at GOP caucus meetings in his state to record numbers, the inundation of outside money in the Utah Senate race may only pick up steam. Super PACs have played a bigger role in the multi-stage contest that will decide the 36-year Senate veteran's fate than any other 2012 congressional contest so far. And that's not even counting the money spent by a nonprofit group spending hundreds of thousands of dollars supporting Senator Hatch.

On patent law, Mavs owner Mark Cuban knows the score

When two popular Internet utilities get in a high-priced legal fight and a famously outspoken NBA owner jumps in the middle, it's hard not to keep your eye on the roundball -- especially on the day  March Madness gets underway. 

Crusading lawyer takes aim at contribution limits

The attorney who has been pushing the FEC to ease a host of campaign finance rules is at it again.

Stealthy wealthy: How Harold Simmons' political giving has benefited his business empire

Simmons-controlled company fights for protectionist measures

When Titanium Metals Corp., a defense contractor that's part of Harold Simmons's business empire, lobbied for protectionist policies designed to shield it from foreign competition, the fight allied the Texas billionaire and Republican mega-donor with some unlikely political bedfellows, including Sen. Sherrod Brown, a liberal Democrat from Ohio, and a union that overwhelmingly gives to Democrats. 

Progressive groups threaten corporations on political giving

Today government reform groups put corporations on notice: Try to funnel political donations through entities that can hide them, and expect major public relations consequences. 

Democratic joint super PAC is a first

Just when you thought you had the shadowy world of super PACs figured out, here comes a new twist: Three big Democratic super PACs -- formed to support President Barack Obama, and House and Senate Democrats -- are banding together to form the first ever joint fundraising super PAC.

FINRA: Open data not on the table

A quasi-governmental agency that polices the investment industry has come up with a plan to make it simpler for consumers to avoid shady money managers -- but it includes no provisions to make the underlying data available to the public.  

Super PAC Profile: After split decision in Ohio, 'anti-incumbent' group takes aim at Alabama

How super PACs fared on Super Tuesday

We won't know how much the candidates poured into Super Tuesday races until they file disclosure forms with the Federal Election Commission next month but it's not too soon to take a look at the Super Tuesday scorecard for super PACs, using Sunlight's Super PAC tracker.

Virginia ultrasound law is the image of a few others

Abramoff: 'You've got to trust me.'

Over the weekend, Jack Abramoff disputed one of our blog posts.. Since the convicted former lobbyist neither responded to our call for comment before publication nor called us afterwards to point out what he said was our error, we decided to catch up with him Monday night at the National Press Club to ask a few questions.

Ohio, Tennessee and Georgia see super PAC influx

Of the nearly $10.7 million dollars in super PAC spending dumped on the super Tuesday states over the last two weeks, three — Ohio, Tennessee and Georgia — account for nearly all of the spending and almost half of the available delegates.

Super PACs make Super Tuesday even more... Super

Heading into super Tuesday, when voters in 10 states go to the polls, super PACs supporting Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum have dumped nearly $10 million into those races. Following the money reveals that half are key battlegrounds.