NEWS ROUNDUP: Campaign Finance Connecticut campaign finance bill vetoed: Connecticut Governor Daniel Malloy vetoed a bill that would have strengthened... View Article
Continue readingSurvey says: congressional staffers want more online communications with lobbyists
When it comes to being lobbied, the results are clear: congressional staffers want to be e-mailed. According to the new... View Article
Continue readingTime Warner Cable posts its political file online, so why the fuss, NAB?
If posting already-public information on political ad spending is so damaging to broadcasters, as the National Association of Broadcasters argues, then why has one of the country's biggest cable providers been doing it since 2010?
Back then, Time Warner Cable created an online portal to search information regarding political ads sold on its system. Initially the portal served only the east coast, but has since provided data nationwide since 2011, according to a Time Warner spokesman. The ad buy records are available as downloadable PDFs.
Current law requires TV stations to keep political ad purchase orders on file at ...
Continue readingForget super PACs—unregistered committees are election’s dark horse
Super PACs get so much attention these days because they are a novel and easy way for donors who can write large checks to influence elections. But there's another avenue for big money to enter politics that's ideal for donors who'd rather keep their identities cloaked and that, thanks to a recent court decision, may be about to get more popular.
So far in the 2012 election cycle, some $9 million has been spent to help elect or defeat candidates for federal office by entities that don't have to disclose where they got their money. About ...
Continue reading2Day in #OpenGov 6/14/2012
NEWS ROUNDUP State/Local New Missouri website sheds light on local campaign finance: A new tool created by the Missouri Ethics... View Article
Continue readingHow local spending helps incumbent presidents (and why it will be harder to know this in the future)
Psst, Mr. President, want to get re-elected? Here’s an idea: how about big increases in federal spending in key swing... View Article
Continue readingPyGotham 2012: Report from the Waves
PyGotham 2012 was a fairly typical tech conference. It was small and regional. This being New York, there were plenty of hipsters. There were a few more women than normal. The venue was quite unusual, but more about that later.
Continue readingWho’s the money behind the farm bill?
As the Senate debates the farm bill this week, a once-every-five-years lobbying extravaganza that sets policy on farm subsidies, food assistance, nutrition, and myriad other agricultural programs, here's a quick look at some of the big money interests that are involved, as well as pressure points for transparency, or the lack of it.
The money. Agribusiness has already sunk $39.2 million in direct contributions to federal candidate and party coffers this election cycle, nearly three-fourths of that to Republican interests, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. In 2008, the last presidential election cycle, which also happened to ...
Continue reading2Day in #OpenGov 6/13/2012
NEWS ROUNDUP Campaign Finance Gingrich: Reform election finance laws: In a televised conversation with Al Sharpton, Newt Gingrich condemned the... View Article
Continue readingJamie Dimon on Senate hot seat: Can money buy him love?
When JPMorgan chief executive Jamie Dimon delivers his not-so-abject apology for his bank's $2 billion-plus blooper on Wednesday morning, he'll be facing some interrogators who are also his beneficiaries.
Since 1998, according to Sunlight's Influence Explorer, Dimon and members of his immediate family -- wife Judith, father Theodore and mother Themis -- have given more than $400,000 to politicians and political organizations, including to members of the Senate Banking Committee that has summoned Dimon to testify. Dimon gave $2,000 to committee chairman Tim Johnson, D-S.D., during his last reelection campaign and the same amount to Sen ...
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