Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group

Facebook in Washington: Baby steps of a giant

Stealthy Wealthy: Jerry Perenchio speaks softly, carries a big checkbook

Oops, Never mind! Newt to endorse Romney but can't erase attack ads

Fact checking group accuses Romney super PAC of spending $20 million on deceptive ads

Restore Our Future, the super PAC backing presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, spent more than $20 million on deceptive ads in early primary and caucus states, according to a just-released study by the Annenberg Public Policy Center. That figure includes more than $9 million in ads distorting the record of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who is set to endorse Romney on Wednesday.

Super PACs first quarter haul: More than $100 million in political contributions

Super PACs raised more in the first three months of 2012 than they did in all of 2011, and after just two years of existence have emerged as a financial force that rivals the political parties and candidates' campaign committees.

Biggest loser in Pennsylvania primary isn't Santorum

That sniffling sound you hear is not Rick Santorum's supporters bemoaning his decision Tuesday to pull the plug on his presidential campaign but the managers of the Keystone State's television stations counting the ad dollars they have lost. There are 46 of them, according to the Community Media Database created and maintained by Rob McCausland.

Who's the web savviest presidential candidate of all?

Running for president requires web presence. Facebook, Twitter, web videos and websites that take online donations are ubiquitous among this year's presidential contenders. Yet, in an ever-more sophisticated technical world, the basics are not enough, and each candidate is trying some unique approaches to mine the Internet for donations -- a key to President Obama's fundraising success in 2008.

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.

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.

Restore our Future spends heavily in states going to the polls soon

The pro-Mitt Romney super PAC, Restore our Future, burned through $4 million in just three days this week on independent expenditures in half a dozen states with upcoming primaries. If it keeps up this rate, the super PAC would spend more than $16 million in the 12 days leading up to Super Tuesday, topping the total it spent in January.

Super PAC disclosures: Simmons hedges his bets; PayPal co-founder hearts Ron Paul

Monday was the day that super PACs on a monthly filing schedule file financial disclosure reports with the Federal Election Commission.  Sunlight Foundation's Reporting Group is watching as they go online to see who is writing big checks. Highlights so far:

Hundreds of DC insiders descend on pricey Romney policy talks, reception

For a candidate who says he hasn’t spent a lot of time in Washington, Mitt Romney seems comfortable around D.C. insiders -- at least judging by the droves he drew to fundraisers and exclusive huddles in the nation's capital on Thursday.

Super PAC profile: Democratic governors play in presidential primary

DGA Action is a super PAC created by the Democratic Governors Association, but so far in this election cycle, all of its ads have been against Republican presidential candidates.

Super PACs have spent most on Florida ad buys, so far

While the polls have constantly fluctuated in the last week before Tuesday's GOP presidential primary in Florida, one number has seen a steady rise: the campaign money being pumped into the Sunshine State. Helping to boost the total: The two super PACs supporting frontrunners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich have spent more than $15 million in the state. That number makes 38 percent of all presidential super PAC spending that Sunlight is tracking.