The Supreme Court had a chance to right a wrong. Unfortunately, by a five to four vote, it declined. Today the court announced its decision to overturn a Montana law prohibiting corporate contributions in elections. The decision comes as no surprise. The Montana law was in direct conflict with the Court’s decision Citizens United, which gave corporations the right to spend unlimited sums of money on political activities, as long as they don’t contribute to candidates directly. But the same activist court that enlarged the scope of the issues presented by Citizens United in order to fabricate a reason to overturn a century of law, today took the narrow approach. By summarily reversing the decision of the Supreme Court of Montana, the court ignored an opportunity to reconsider two important issues in Citizens United: First, that independent expenditures do not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption, and second, that current disclosure laws would provide “citizens with the information needed” to “see whether elected officials are ‘in the pocket’ of so-called moneyed interests.”
Continue readingRomney’s elite retreat: Who could be on the list?
All eyes this weekend are set on Mitt Romney’s weekend retreat in Utah, where his campaign has reportedly invited a group of donors with fat wallets to meet the candidate, some of his potential runningmates, and top GOP strategists. A number of media outlets have reported that the minimum price of admission is a $50,000 contribution to his campaign.
According to media sources, some 700 invitees are landing at Deer Valley Resort, which features 10 restaurants and an outdoor amphitheater. While it serves primarily as a ski resort in the winter months, summer activities include mountain biking, horseback ...
Continue readingRebuttal to McConnell’s War of Misinformation on DISCLOSE Act
A war is being waged against the DISCLOSE Act. Its Commander in Chief is Senator Mitch McConnell, his secret weapon is misinformation and his goal is to protect unlimited dark money contributions to the political process. It’s time for a counter-attack. Last week, McConnell outlined his plan of attack in a speech to the American Enterprise Institute. Wrapping himself in a narrow and self-serving interpretation of the First Amendment, McConnell casts liberals as the enemies of free speech and he and his foot soldiers (the Chamber of Commerce) as the true protectors of our constitutional rights. But take apart his arguments and it is easy to spot his true intentions—not to protect the free speech rights of all citizens, but to protect the ability of wealthy donors to anonymously influence our democratic process. The Sunlight Foundation refutes the worst inaccuracies being lobbed against reasonable efforts to disclose the dark money that is infiltrating our elections. This Orwellian tactic is timed to defang public support for the DISCLOSE Act, which the Senate is likely to consider in July.
Continue readingSupremes hand setback to Obama super PAC bankroller
The Supreme Court on Thursday handed a setback -- and an ominous warning -- to a labor giant that has been one of the most generous bankrollers of the super PACs backing President Obama and other Democratic candidates.
At issue in the case: tactics that the Service Employees International Union, which has bankrolled a constellation of Democratic super PACs to the tune of more than $3 million, used to beef up its political warchest in California during 2005. SEIU imposed a special assessment on its members to fight a pair of ballot initiatives aimed at public service unions. The high court ruled ...
Continue readingDid mystery Romney donors also play in Texas?
A subsidiary of the Reynolds and Reynolds Company--which was apparently behind $1 million in contributions to the super PAC backing Mitt Romney through three shell companies last month--also gave at least $250,000 to super PACs earlier this election cycle through another subsidiary.
Yesterday we noted that three contributions for about a third of a million dollars each that originated from the same post office box in Dayton, Ohio on May 22 all seemed to be related to Reynolds and Reynolds. The company provides software and other services to car dealerships and related businesses. Chief Executive Officer Robert T ...
Continue readingHouse committee restores funding for political ad disclosure
A key member of Congress bowed to pressure Wednesday and withdrew a measure aimed at blocking online disclosure of political advertisements.
At a meeting of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., announced she was pulling a measure she introduced two weeks ago to defund a new rule that the Federal Communications Commission approved in April. The rule, now awaiting final approval by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would require the nation's biggest broadcast networks to put information about who is buying political ads on the Internet. The National Association of Broadcasters is suing ...
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 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 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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