A Sunlight Foundation analysis reveals that Pennsylvania Supreme Court candidates bought over $1.1 million worth of television advertisements in just the two weeks leading up to the primary.
Continue readingLiberal group to air ‘issue ad’ in Iowa
A left-leaning nonprofit will begin airing ads on the renewable fuel standard in Des Moines on Monday, days after Hillary Clinton wrapped up her first road trip through Iowa as a presidential candidate.
Continue readingSunlight and allies continue to push for transparent political advertising
This week, Sunlight helped filed comments to the FCC urging greater transparency around political ads on cable/satellite TV and radio. The message is clear: It's not public unless it's online.
Continue readingLiberal dark money group eyeing Iowa TV ads
A left-leaning dark money group could go up with the first Democratic-allied Iowa ads as early as this weekend, just as Hillary Clinton, the party's presidential frontrunner, called for an end to "unaccountable" money in politics.
Continue readingFCC proposes making political ads more transparent
The FCC just circulated an NPRM that promises to effect Sunlight's demands for more transparency in political ad spending.
Continue readingWill the real political advertiser please stand up?
Sunlight's argument, summarized and simplified, is that if someone dresses up as Batman, he/she shouldn't get to claim Batman is the one spamming attack ads. Swap out Batman for super PAC, and you've got the drift.
Continue readingThe money behind the Keystone XL pipeline
Lots of campaign and lobbying spending preceded today's vote in which Mary Landrieu, a vulnerable southern Democrat and chair of the Senate Committee on Energy, looked to silence critics who say she hasn't done enough to advance a vote on Keystone XL.
Continue readingBattleground Louisville: Pro-McConnell outside groups help fuel $2.1 million ad blitz
An analysis of TV ad buys shows that Louisville has been a mecca for political advertising and that Sen. Mitch McConnell has benefitted from spending by some undeclared friends.
Continue readingTed Cruz Moves on from Trying to Defund Obamacare to Defending Dark Money
Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) mission to shutter the government in one fell swoop may be (temporarily) over, but that doesn’t mean he’s stopped trying to handcuff federal agencies in an effort to impose his own agenda on their work. His most recent effort involves preventing a Senate vote on the nomination of Tom Wheeler for FCC chairman because he wants to get Wheeler’s commitment that he will not use the FCC’s regulatory authority to require disclosure of the dark money behind political ads. In a statement, Senator Cruz’s office announced, “Yes, the Senator is holding the nominee until he gets answers to his questions regarding Mr. Wheeler’s views on whether the FCC has the authority or intent to implement the requirements of the failed Congressional DISCLOSE Act. Mr. Wheeler had previously declined to give specific answers, but as he’s now expressed his readiness to revisit the Senator’s questions, the Senator hopes to communicate with him soon.” Good luck to Mr. Wheeler during that conversation.
Continue readingHealth group airs ad backing Obama EPA nominee
The American Public Health Administration has begun airing a new TV ad supporting Pres. Obama's nominee for EPA Administrator, Gina McCarthy. It's the first time the nonprofit group has aired an ad backing a specific nominee, according to a spokeswoman.
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