Giving back to the party is an important hurdle for party leadership. Sunlight's analysis of the most generous members finds some surprises.
Continue readingReady for 2016? Likely contenders not big spenders on mid-terms
Super PACs backing some potential presidential contenders seemed to be spending this year with 2016 in mind.
Continue readingEyes on leadership: Members raising more than they need
It's two weeks until election day and most candidates are raising and spending like mad. Some incumbents, however, are going the extra mile and doling out hundreds of thousands helping their colleagues along the fundraising trail.
Continue readingCampaign Intelligence: Mississippi race hits $17 million
The first half of primary season 2014 draws to a close with a blast of big money and a scare for two congressional veterans.
Continue readingMarch Madness: Lawmakers retire with millions in the bank
Dave Camp and Mike Rogers are the two latest casualties of the 113th Congress — both with more than a million in campaign dollars and thousands in their leadership funds. Both could legally walk away with some of this leadership dough.
Continue readingInfluence profile: Retiring Rep. John Dingell
The longest serving member of congress in history, John Dingell has benefited from his ties to the automotive and utility industries.
Continue readingThree more Dems retire; more than $1 million in flux
Three retiring House Democrats have more than $1 million in campaign cash leftover and lots of leeway about how to spend it.
Continue readingDid House Republicans pass over women for leadership roles because they were poor fundraisers?
When House Republicans announced their new line-up of committee chairs for the 113th Congress last week, the Washington buzz was that all were white men. Not a single lady was given charge of a committee. While we can’t rule out sexism, there’s another explanation that might be even simpler: money. In particular, money that House Republicans raised for their leadership PACs, organizations separate from their own campaigns that are used to help fellow candidates and generally demonstrate members’ fundraising prowess.
Continue readingPACking a Wallop
When a Leadership PAC and a Super PAC join forces, the influx of cash can help swing an election, concentrating... View Article
Continue readingMeet the first “Corporate” Super PAC
Today came a moment campaign finance watchers have been waiting for: the first corporate "Super PAC"--that is a PAC whose sole source of funding is corporate money--filed its paper work with the U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC).
However, the PAC, known as American Phoenix, is not necessarily what people have been fearing after the U.S. Supreme Court, in its Citizens United decision, permitted corporations and unions to give unlimited amounts to Super PACs. As reported by Dan Eggan at The Washington Post, the source of funding is a Florida firm known as Deep Sea Burial Corp., which ...
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