There are no Republicans among the top three individual donors to super PACs this political cycle. That's a huge turnaround from 2012, when the top three spots all went to GOP megadonors.
Continue readingBig guns, big money and California
Though California has some of the nation's toughest gun control laws, gun rights groups have a big money footprint there.
Continue readingReversing trend, Democrats top the list of biggest super PAC donors
The rumors are true, Democrats like Michael Bloomberg, Thomas Steyer and others have learned to love the super PAC.
Continue readingCampaign finance roundup: Competition for Hillary; Newt’s got a hangover; donors like Dem challengers
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 readingDid guns beat money in Colorado recalls?
Pro-gun advocates appear to have defeated better-funded gun control supporters in this year's Colorado recall races, but loopholes in the reporting laws make it hard to determine exactly who spent how much.
Continue readingBarrage of political campaign spending follows shootings at Sandy Hook
Even in an "off" election year, groups on both sides of the gun debate spent millions to influence public opinion, and some have stockpiled big warchests for 2014.
Continue readingHired guns: K Street revolvers shot blanks against NRA artillery
Gun control groups made a big investment in professional lobbyists after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting but even the K Street top guns were no match for the National Rifle Association.
Continue readingBrady Campaign marks anniversary with ad
As Sarah Brady appears Tuesday at the National Press Club to mark the upcoming 20th anniversary of the gun background check law that bears her husband's name, the Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence is urging Congress to "finish the job" by expanding background checks to apply to all gun sales.
In a one-minute cartoon style ad, narrated in a lisping, child-like voice, the Brady Campaign -- which Sarah Brady chairs -- asks whether Congress' refusal to extend background checks is a sign that lawmakers are "rooting for the bad guys." Last spring, the Senate voted down a bill to expand ...
Continue readingNew super PACs drawing big bucks
Among super PACs organized this year, 13 of them have raised at least $50,000 already. Altogether, the 13 newcomers have raised $16.5 million just months after forming. That's more than a quarter of the $59 million that all super PACs have brought in so far this cycle.
Continue readingGun ads in Illinois primary a harbinger of things to come?
The gun debate is already emerging as an issue for the 2014 election cycle. In the weeks since the State of the Union address, which President Barack Obama used to make an emotional appeal for gun control, at least seven groups have either purchased airtime in major markets around the country or posted TV-ready ads to their Youtube accounts.
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