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More than two-thirds of outside spending backed losing candidates
By Anupama Narayanswamy Nov 7, 2012 3:54 p.m.Republican-leaning outside groups got trounced in Tuesday's election results, with the biggest spenders getting little return for their investment. Labor unions had a much better track record, with some directing 75 percent of their money--or more--to winning causes.
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Four House races where outside money may have pushed the needle
By Keenan Steiner Nov 7, 2012 3:12 p.m.Two standing congressmen, Joe Heck and Reid Ribble, who were helped by outside money
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What we learned: 10 lessons from the campaign brought to you by Citizens United
By Sunlight Reporting Group Nov 6, 2012 7:45 a.m.For the candidates, it's all over except for the voting, but for those of us who follow money in politics, it will take months to close the books on what will be the most expensive election in history. Meanwhile, here are a few lessons we learned in the brave new world of unlimited political money:
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Outside spenders dump $210 million into last full week of the campaign
By Jake Harper Nov 2, 2012 10:38 a.m.In the last full week before the election, outside spending groups have bombarded voters with a record $210 million in ads, direct mail, and other political expenditures, and, as in weeks past, the vast majority of the funds went to support Republican candidates. Since Sept. 7 -- when the FEC began requiring all groups to disclose independent expenditures, regardless of the content -- the rate of outside spending has ballooned, reaching a new high this week. A Sunlight analysis of Federal Election Commission records shows that organizations dropped $132.6 million to back Republicans in the period between Oct. 26 and Nov. 1, while just $76.4 went to help Democrats. That compares to $26 million for the second week of September.
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Mystery PAC drops $1.7 million before revealing Adelson connection
By Jake Harper Nov 1, 2012 12:45 p.m.A super PAC that deliberately disguised its connection to Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson emerged from the shadows to drop nearly $1.7 million in a single day this week to oppose President Barack Obama's reelection, one of a series of money bombs in a week where outside spending threatens to top $200 million.
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Mayor Mike Bloomberg's superstorm of 11th hour political donations
By Jacob Fenton Oct 31, 2012 3:44 p.m.With New York City struggling to recover from Hurricane Sandy, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is set to begin airing political ads for his favorite candidates around the country through his newly-created super PAC.
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FreedomWorks makes rare TV buy against Duckworth
By Keenan Steiner Oct 26, 2012 5:25 p.m.Newly flush with more than $5 million in cash from a mystery donor, FreedomWorks, the libertarian super PAC that touts its grassroots focus, has just made a $1.5 million television ad buy in a competitive Illinois House race.
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The $50 million couple: Adelsons lap the field of big donors
By Anupama Narayanswamy and Jacob Fenton Oct 26, 2012 2:37 p.m.In a campaign characterized by big donors, casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam, stand out. The couple's latest blizzard of political check writing -- which produced more than $15 million of donations to Republican candidates and causes in a one week period this month -- brought their total political contributions for the 2012 cycle to a whopping $52 million.
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Outside political spending crosses $1 billion mark
By Kathy Kiely and Jacob Fenton Oct 26, 2012 7:09 a.m.Outside groups have spent more than $1 billion trying to influence this year's election, and the tidal wave of special interest money so no signs of abating in the 10 days that remain before Election Day.
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Dead end disclosure: Ohio super PAC lists dark money donors
By Bill Allison Oct 25, 2012 4:15 p.m.The Government Integrity Fund Action Network, a Columbus, Ohio-based super PAC that dropped a late $1.1 million ad buy opposing Connecticut House candidate Elizabeth Esty last week, disclosed today the big donors who funded it: A pair of political nonprofits that don't disclose their donors.
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Eleventh hour political donations marked by Adelson largesse
By Kathy Kiely Oct 25, 2012 2:56 p.m.A casino-fueled and Israel-inspired power couple that so far has underwritten Republican candidates and causes to the tune of more than $35 million in the 2012 campaign continued its open-handed ways in the closing weeks of the contest.
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Crossroads machine drops combined $78 million this month -- so far
By Keenan Steiner Oct 25, 2012 2:31 p.m.Blowing away the competition, the GOP-aligned independent groups American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS have now dropped a combined $78 million in October alone to influence the 2012 election.
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Super PACs that stay off the air
By Keenan Steiner Oct 25, 2012 12:40 p.m.With early voting starting Saturday in Florida, a Miami-based group of community organizers and union members will be undertaking a major push across five of the battleground state’s cities to get voters to the polls.
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Spending millions to end spending
By Lindsay Young Oct 23, 2012 11:37 a.m.Ironically, the super PAC named “Ending Spending Action Fund” may end up having the largest single donation to a super PAC. Records show Joe Ricketts, who built his fortune through Ameritrade, is trying to reduce spending by spending -- a lot.
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