When Titanium Metals Corp., a defense contractor that's part of Harold Simmons's business empire, lobbied for protectionist policies designed to shield it from foreign competition, the fight allied the Texas billionaire and Republican mega-donor with some unlikely political bedfellows, including Sen. Sherrod Brown, a liberal Democrat from Ohio, and a union that overwhelmingly gives to Democrats.
Of the more than $34 million that Harold Simmons, his wife and daughters have contributed to politicians, parties and political organizations, just $520,000 has benefited Democrats.
Progressive groups threaten corporations on political giving
Today government reform groups put corporations on notice: Try to funnel political donations through entities that can hide them, and expect major public relations consequences.
Occupy Wall Street's Aaron Black speaks, with Tom Edgar (far left) and Bill de Blasio (second to right)
At a press conference in Washington, 15 organizations launched a national campaign to target corporations who try to influence the 2012 election by contributing to 501c4 and 501c6 nonprofits, thereby keeping their donations secret. Non-profits running the gamut from long-standing entitities such as the Chamber of Commerce to newer ones such Priorities USA, organized to help ...
Continue readingDemocratic joint super PAC is a first
Just when you thought you had the shadowy world of super PACs figured out, here comes a new twist: Three big Democratic super PACs -- formed to support President Barack Obama, and House and Senate Democrats -- are banding together to form the first ever joint fundraising super PAC.
The three, which registered their joint committee with the Federal Election Commission last week, are among the largest super PACs, in terms of contributions to their committees. They've raised a combined $10 million for the 2012 election so far. But that figure looks less impressive when compared with the haul of some ...
Continue readingSuper PAC Profile: After split decision in Ohio, ‘anti-incumbent’ group takes aim at Alabama
After spending more than $450,000 this week to win one House race and lose another in Ohio, a Texas-based super PAC that claims to be taking nonpartisan aim at congressional incumbents is now dropping a money bomb on embattled Alabama Rep. Spencer Bachus.
In the last 48 hours, the Campaign for Primary Accountability (CPA) has filed reports for $153,267 in independent expenditures, almost all in Alabama. The group is spending to defeat two veteran members of Congress: five-term Rep. Jo Bonner and ten-term Rep. Spencer Bachus in the Tuesday primary. Most of CPA's spending takes aim at ...
Continue readingHow super PACs fared on Super Tuesday
We won't know how much the candidates poured into Super Tuesday races until they file disclosure forms with the Federal Election Commission next month but it's not too soon to take a look at the Super Tuesday scorecard for super PACs, using Sunlight's Super PAC tracker.
What our analysis found: In these races at least, the biggest spenders didn't always bring home winners.
Here's a look at some of the states that saw heavy super PAC spending and how it broke down.
OHIO
Biggest spender: Restore Our Future (Mitt Romney)
Winner: Mitt Romney
Continue readingOhio, Tennessee and Georgia see super PAC influx
Of the nearly $10.7 million dollars in super PAC spending dumped on the super Tuesday states over the last two weeks, three — Ohio, Tennessee and Georgia — account for nearly all of the spending and almost half of the available delegates.
According to Sunlight's super PAC tracker, the race for Ohio and its 66 delegates leads the spending spree with nearly $4.5 million, nearly half of all the super PAC money spent in the past two weeks on super Tuesday states. The biggest spender has been Restore Our Future, which supports former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. That super ...
Continue readingBig Super PAC donors: Same old guns, just more money
If there were any doubts about how much the political landscape has changed post-Citizens United, here's one leading indicator: An analysis by Sunlight's Reporting Group shows that the biggest donors to super PACs are giving more political donations earlier in the campaign than they have in the past.
In the first 12 months of the 2012 election cycle, 37 individuals and 9 organizations each gave $500,000 or more to super PACs, for a total of $48 million. The same individuals and organizations gave a combined $64 million to a range of state and federal candidates during the ...
Continue readingInfluence at the Oscars
Update: The contribution amounts coming from George Clooney and Kathleen Kennedy have been corrected.
It's Oscars weekend in Hollywood, a place that -- when it comes to money and influence -- isn't as far from Washington as it appears on a map. In honor of the occasion, Sunlight has decided to take a look at who among this year's Academy Award nominees are playing the political field. The results of our inquiry do absolutely nothing to dispel the notion that the Hollywood hills are a Democratic stronghold.
The envelopes, please.
Three movies from DreamWorks Animation -- "War Horse," "The Help ...
Continue readingSuper PAC disclosures: Simmons hedges his bets; PayPal co-founder hearts Ron Paul
Monday was the day that super PACs on a monthly filing schedule file financial disclosure reports with the Federal Election Commission. Sunlight Foundation's Reporting Group is watching as they go online to see who is writing big checks. Highlights so far:
- American Crossroads, which put super PACs on the map in the last election cycle with mega-donations to GOP candidates, took in just over $5 million in January, almost all of it from one man: Harold Simmons, a major Republican donor who also has written checks to super PACs backing three of the party's presidential candidates.
- The super ...
Embattled financial services chairman hits up friendly industry for campaign dollars
Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., under investigation for possible violations of insider trading laws and facing a primary challenge over his close ties to the banking industry, will be seeking campaign help from that industry on Monday.
The Alabama Bankers Association is hosting a breakfast fundraiser at its offices, according to an invitation obtained by Party Time that highlights Bachus' position as the chairman of the Financial Services Committee. This election cycle, Bachus has raised more from the Finance, Insurance and Real Estate sectors than any other House member outside of leadership.
The ten-term congressman rose to become chairman of Financial ...
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