Hillary Clinton's fans have surprise competition; CNN pundit Newt Gingrich is in massive debt and John Boehner is still king of the Hill. What our real time tracker reeled in from one of the FEC's busiest filing days.
Continue readingTea Party Leadership Fund shooting BBs at money-clad RINOs?
In its recent ad, The Tea Party Leadership Fund, asks all “true conservatives” to help TPLF successfully defeat the 87 Republican “traitors” who capitulated in the shutdown standoff. A Sunlight analysis of the targeted House members’ campaign funds shows that – unless present trends shift completely – the Tea Party Leadership Fund PAC would be vastly outgunned in a spending battle with the “RINOs” in question.
Continue readingUnions, Obama dark money group press GOP on immigration
A new fight over immigration appears to be brewing, but it likely has more to do with the 2014 elections than with any real chance legislation will be passed.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, appeared to close that door on Wednesday, when he ruled out any negotiations over the sweeping immigration law the Senate passed in June. On the same day, Organizing for Action, the dark money committee that grew out of President Barack Obama's campaign, sent an email to supporters calling on them to pressure Republican lawmakers to take up the immigration bill. The committee suggested targeting Rep ...
Continue readingBiggest players in shutdown drama raised big bucks in Q3
Some of the biggest players in the shutdown drama also saw some of the biggest returns in the third quarter, Sunlight's new Real-Time FEC tracker shows.
Continue readingShutdown spells big gains for nation’s gross political product
While federal workers and beneficiaries are taking an economic hit, the shutdown seems to be proving a financial bonanza for the nation's political consultant class. Both Republicans and Democrats are churning out ads focused on the shutdown. Guess what? Each blames the other for it.
Continue readingWho’s on top in June fundraising?
Sunlight looks at fundraising by political parties and political action committees and provides a sortable .csv of the data.
Continue readingContribution profiles for top House leaders
These House leaders all receive more money from the 1% of the 1% than they do from small donors (under $200). With the exception of John Boehner, the U.S. House leaders we profiled received roughly between 6 times and 16 times more money from the 1% of the 1% than they did from small donors.
Continue readingAg money can’t buy the farm bill love
Agribusiness interests lost out as the farm bill went down to a surprise defeat at the hands of liberals who thought it cut food stamps too much and conservatives who thought it didn't cut them enough.
Continue readingAmericans for Prosperity takes aim at farm bill
Americans for Prosperity (AFP), a 501(c)4 non-profit backed by the family behind the Koch Industries conglomerate, is lining up with some unusual partners as it launches a multi-media campaign against the farm bill that the U.S. House of Representatives is set to consider this week.
As the House takes up the bill, AFP has started an Internet ad campaign targeting 15 members of the House of Representatives, including House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, according to a press release the group issued Monday. In addition, the organization has launched an email campaign urging voters to contact their lawmakers ...
Continue readingPesticide industry would benefit from farm bill provisions
Tucked within the 1,234-page House farm bill expected to come up for debate next week are two controversial provisions benefitting the pesticide industry by reversing court-ordered federal agency policies designed to protect water and wildlife.
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