The Federal Communications Commission just made the cost of a Senate seat a lot easier to calculate — and it's because the agency became more transparent.
Continue readingFEC says Allen West “scam PACs” did not break campaign finance law
Former Rep. Allen West, a GOP fundraising powerhouse from Florida, charged political consultants with using his name to raise money.
Continue readingDay after McCutcheon, FEC commissioners clash over dark money
In its first open meeting since the landmark SCOTUS decision, FEC Commissioners clashed over an op-ed on 501(c)4 spending — not aggregate limits.
Continue readingLook who’s benefiting from Citizens United: Unions wrote more big checks than corporations in 2013
Unions gave more than twice as much in political donations as corporations in 2013, according to a Sunlight analysis of $10,000-plus contributions to super PACs.
Continue readingWaxman retires with plenty in the bank, no serious challenger
Henry Waxman has announced his retirement at the end of his 20th term in congress. A look at his influence profile shows the high-profile congressman has relied on the healthcare industry, Washington PACs and Hollywood to finance his electoral efforts.
Continue readingGroup plans to sue FEC after dark money deadlock
A public interest group plans to file suit against the FEC for failing to take action against Crossroads GPS, a conservative nonprofit group that never registered as a political committee.
Continue readingFEC lawyers: Reason to believe Crossroads broke law
The FEC's lawyers believe Crossroads GPS likely violated election law, according to a little-noticed legal report quietly released late last Friday.
Continue readingAn all-Bitcoin super PAC opens, then immediately closes
The Bitcoin Voters PAC — a super PAC intending to receive and spend money entirely in Bitcoin — opened its doors on Jan. 6, and promptly closed them just two days later. Why?
Continue readingPolitical advertisers and TV stations ignore disclosure rules
A decade after the Supreme Court predicted the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law would help promote transparency by making public information on campaign ad buys, most political advertisers and TV stations aren't providing the information at all.
Continue readingAbortion rights prompts liberal groups to spend big, and early
WIth more than a year to go before the next congressional race, Democratic groups have begun to outspend Republican groups two to one. Much of that money is coming from groups focused on abortion rights.
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