Many of the senators voting on Mary Jo White's nomination to head the SEC today got campaign contributions from her high-powered legal clients.
Continue readingNew Labor nominee Perez an active political giver and getter
Tom Perez, tapped today by President Barack Obama as his next labor secretary, has a national network of friends in Democratic donor circles and has shown a knack for both getting and giving campaign donations.
Records compiled by the National Institute on Money and State Politics and available via Sunlight's Influence Explorer show that Perez attracted more than $800,000 in campaign contributions from labor unions, members of Congress and a Cabinet member during a short-lived run six years ago for Maryland state attorney general.
For a complete list of donations to Perez in the 2006 campaign cycle, see ...
Continue readingSunshine Week 2013: A Recap
Last week was busy and exciting here at Sunlight as we marked another successful Sunshine Week. It was a great... View Article
Continue readingHouse Oversight Committee to Mark Up a Slew of Transparency Measures
This Wednesday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is slated to markup a number of important transparency measures. The meeting, scheduled... View Article
Continue reading2Day in #OpenGov 3/18/2013
NEWS ROUNDUP:
- President Obama is scheduled to attend fundraisers for Congressional Democrats in California and Georgia over the next two months. He will be raising money for the DNC, DCCC, and DSCC. (Politico)
- The Club for Growth is looking to launch primary challenges against a number of moderate Republicans next year. Many of the targeted Congressman are making early moves to raise money from Congressional leadership and corporate PACs to help stave off the attacks. (Politico)
- Organizing for Action is struggling to gain momentum among a continued barrage of bad press and watchdog attention. Top donors have been slow to open their wallets, with one commenting that "the money isn't there." (The Hill)
- For the second year in a row the Justice Department has been given the not-so-prestigious Rosemary Award by the National Security Archive. The group gives the award annually to a public agency with a bad track record of transparency and openness over the past year. (Washington Post)
- The long time president and CEO of software lobbying organization BSA is stepping down next month. Robert Holleyman led the group for 23 years, helping to turn it into one of the foremost technology lobbying groups. (The Hill)
- Senator Al Franken (D-Minn) is turning to his past as a comedian to raise money for his 2014 reelection bid. He is offering donors a chance to win brunch with late-night host Conan O'Brien. (Washington Post)
- Mayors Against Illegal Guns is boosting their presence in a number of states as gun control legislation makes its way through Congress. The group, founded by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is adding field and press staff for a push to sway members of Congress in their home districts. (Politico)
- A federal appeals court decided that the CIA has to disclose a description of its records on drone strikes to a judge in response to a FOIA suit filed by the ACLU. While the decision will not make this information publicly available, it is a rebuff of the Obama administration who wanted to keep the documents completely closed. (New York Times)
Behind Sanford in South Carolina House race, a trail of self-funders
The race to replace Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican congressman, who won appointment earlier this year to the U.S. Senate, has attracted a (literally) rich field of candidates.
Continue readingHouse Appropriators Embrace Webcasting…For a Week.
Late last month we applauded the House Appropriations Committee for appearing to improve on its dismal record of webcasting hearings. As... View Article
Continue readingOpenGov Voices: Searching for Snowballs in Silicon Valley
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the guest blogger and those providing comments are theirs alone and do not reflect the opinions of the Sunlight Foundation or any employee thereof. Sunlight Foundation is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information within the guest blog.
Seamus Kraft is the Executive Director at OpenGov Foundation -- an organization dedicated to developing and deploying technologies that support every citizen's ability to participate in their government and hold it accountable. You can reach him at @seamuskraft
The best technology is insidiously useful. It does not force better ways of doing business. It suggests them, extending the familiar and comfortable without the user realizing she has gone farther, faster, smoother. Like the perfect note in a song, you cannot imagine it not being there.
But technology is only a tool. If it helps you do your job or live your life more efficiently and effectively, buy it. If it makes life harder, slower or more costly, don’t buy it. Plain and simple. Especially in the United States Congress, where money, time and tech are scarcer than snowballs in Silicon Valley.
The purpose of Congress is to make policy on behalf of taxpayers. Public officials perform very specific and specialized tasks to fulfill that purpose. Citizens keep an eye on them and hold them accountable. Can technology help these users — inside and outside of government — collaborate to do their jobs better? Project Madison, launched by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), was our first attempt at answering in the affirmative.
2Day in #OpenGov 3/15/2013
NEWS ROUNDUP:
- Three days after its launch, nearly 70 localities have signed up to share their data on the New York State open data platform. (Tech President)
- The Obama administration's FOIA processing record came under scrutiny at a hearing held by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. A bipartisan group of Senators expressed frustration with the testimony they heard from administration officials. (Tech President)
- A number of watchdog groups took the opportunity provided by Sunshine week to release reports examining the Administration's FOIA compliance. The results are decidedly mixed. (Washington Post)
- Over the course of three decades a relatively small group of lawyers, with plenty of financial help from the NRA, has worked to ensure that the second amendment was viewed as a way to guarantee Americans' right to own guns. Over that time the NRA funded legal seminars and research to further their goals. (Washington Post)
- Planetary Resources, a commercial asteroid-mining company, has locked on to interest on the Hill following multiple close encounters with space objects this year. They hired K&L Gates to work for them in Washington, gaining significant influence firepower in the form of former House Science Committee Chairman Bart Gordon. (The Hill)
- The Government Accountability Office released an Android app this week in order to "further meet the needs of those who access our reports, podcasts, and videos on mobile devices." (FedScoop)
- Former Representative Howard Berman (D-CA) is joining recently retired Senator John Kyl (R-AZ) at law and lobbying firm Covington & Burling. (Roll Call)
California group targets McCain on immigration
Californians for Population Stabilization, a Santa Barbara, Calif.-based nonprofit, is running ads in Arizona against the state's senior senator, Republican John McCain, asking his constituents to call him and tell him to change his stance on immigration reform.
The ad buy, which cost more than $22,000, is scheduled to air through March 29 on the ABC network during prime time and the morning news slot. The group has run similar ads in the past, attacking Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., during the 2012 campaign, calling them out for supporting increased immigration instead of ...
59063
