Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group

Million dollar check club: Who's writing big checks to super PACs

There's always been ways for big money to find its way into politics, but one of the changes ushered in by the super PAC era is the opportunity to flaunt it.

Super PAC spending crosses $100 million: Where did it all go?

Now that super PACs' spending in the 2012 election has just crossed the $100 million spending mark—more than twice the amount spent in independent campaign expenditures by all outside groups at this point in the 2008 election--Sunlight decided to reflect on what else voters might have gotten for all that money.

Super PAC profile: Ending Spending aids Palin-endorsed Senate hopeful in Nebraska

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

Outspending peers, Club for Growth helps unseat Lugar

Sen. Richard Lugar's loss in yesterday's Indiana Republican primary — the third such primary loss for a Republican senator since 2010 — was a victory for state treasurer Richard Mourdock and the conservative wing of the Republican Party, which painted the six-term senator as too liberal. But, Lugar's loss may say more about the increasing role of outside money than either of the candidates in the race.

Anti-incumbent super PAC backs former incumbent turned lobbyist

The Campaign for Primary Accountability, a super PAC that's raised $2.5 million and has been active in about a dozen races across the country, maintains that long serving incumbents should be ousted because their campaigns are accountable to lobbyists, not district voters. Yet in one district, the challenger it's backing in Tuesday's Indiana primary is a former House member who went on to work as a registered lobbyist.

Ad buys mostly outside of FCC's new disclosure rule

New rules requiring greater online disclosure of political TV advertisements in the country's top 50 markets wouldn't have applied to the majority of ads aired by the Obama campaign during an 11 day period in April, according to a new analysis.

Kentucky Derby: Owners put money on politicians, not ponies

Better off than four years ago? Not when it comes to political ads, report says

More than two thirds of all ads aired in the presidential race so far have been attacks, a drastic increase compared to recent presidential campaigns, according to a new study by the political ad-tracking Wesleyan Media Project that covers the race from the start of 2011 through April 22 of this year.

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 PAC profile: Group focused on healthcare repeal has shadowy sister

This week, Restore America's Voice PAC has disclosed its first political spending of the 2012 election cycle--more than $50,000 worth of phone call fundraising pitches that mention President Barack Obama--but a shadowy nonprofit tied to the group has spent millions more attacking Obama and congressional Democrats for the healthcare reform act.

Coincidence? Sunlight map shows how Obama fundraising crosses paths with his super PAC

Gingrich super PAC backers pulled the plug before he did?

The latest news reports say that Newt Gingrich plans to drop his roller coaster of a presidential bid next week but Sunlight's Follow the Unlimited Money tracker suggests that the former House speaker's biggest money backers may already have pulled the plug.