Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group

Media spending tops $100 million in 10 key Senate races

Voters in 10 states with competitive Senate races have been inundated with more than $106 million in campaign propaganda, an analysis of independent expenditure reports and campaign expenditure records from the Federal Election Commission shows.

Colorado: Team Romney keeping a low profile in a swing state?

The campaign activity that's visible so far calls into question how much the Republican nominee and his backers plan to invest in a state where recent polling shows Obama ahead of Romney, and public records show the president outspending his rival in major television markets.

Party crash fail: No Sunlight at Mitt's fundraiser

We at Sunlight Foundation are fond of writing about fundraisers and gatherings, especially the quirky or high-priced local ones that we come across on our Political Party Time website. But, once in a while, we get a chance to check out the parties in person. Or at least, experience the novelty of attending and meeting the folks who donate and coordinate these expensive affairs while we hang around outside closed doors. 

No close call here: NFL's political donations tilt Republican

The National Football League bigwigs who early this morning conceded defeat in an ongoing labor dispute -- after a week in which their internal politics have been on embarrassing display -- like to play politics themselves, and tend to favor the party with the most adversarial relationship with unions.

In Ohio ad wars, the Democrats are on top

In Ohio, which is playing host to both presidential campaigns today, Democrats appear to be pulling ahead in the money race -- and in the polls -- an analysis by the Sunlight Foundation has found.

Gross Political Product: Outside campaign spending tops 2010 total

In a campaign that's supposed to be about an ailing economy, there's just one financial indicator that remains consistently robust: Call it the Gross Political Product.

Federal election commissioners versus the Federal Election Commission

In an odd twist even for a federal agency known for its fecklessness and divisiveness, some commissioners are challenging their own commission. Typically they merely oppose each other--along partisan lines.

Ryan attracts hundreds of D.C.-area donors at hotel fundraiser

With Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney campaign’s finances in some trouble, a fundraiser at an upscale Washington hotel Thursday featuring his runningmate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., attracted about 200 donors, according to an estimate from one who paid $1,000 to attend.

Sex and taxes: What the Romney returns and the Edwards precedent say about political slush funds

The cloak and dagger tale circulating on the Internet about a group of hackers who claim to have purloined old tax returns of GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and say they will release them to whomever is first to pay their ransom suggests why a federal court case that absolved former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards of campaign finance crimes was wrongly decided.

GOP convention through the eyes of Sunlight Live

Arizona primaries: Mystery super PAC helps Quayle in redistricting matchup

Freshman Rep. Ben Quayle, R-Ariz., is getting help from a mysterious super PAC whose treasurer hails from the other side of the country.

Sunlight Live covers the conventions

Super PAC's fundraising losing momentum, latest reports show

Closing in on the upcoming party conventions, super PACs appear to have lost some of their steam in attracting the big bucks. The big guns of political ad spending took in $30 million during July,reports filed this week with the Federal Election Commission show. That's $25 million less than the previous month,. In all, super PACs have raised $343 million since Jan.1, 2011, the beginning of this campaign cycle. The top donors include names now familiar as repeat super PAC underwriters, along with a few newbies. Among the eight donors who write seven-figure checks last month are three corporate donors and one left leaning nonprofit.

House freshmen: Military industrial complex finds an ally in tea party idol Allen West

In the past, conservative firebrand Allen West has spearheaded efforts to cut wasteful military spending. But in the current budget battle, the Florida congressman is taking a strong stand against the so-called "sequestration" that would trigger automatic defense cuts.