The economy may be largely lackluster but the political sector is so flush with cash it appears on the verge of creating a whole new profession: Campaign contribution brokers.
That would be the result if the Federal Election Commission approves a bipartisan request that it made public late Wednesday afternoon. Filing on behalf of two campaign consulting groups, one Democrat and one Republican, the blue-chip Washington law firm Arendt Fox urges the FEC to approve a system for texting small contributions to political campaigns that would allow middlemen to collect as much as 50 cents on every donated dollar.
The ...
Continue readingPlay ball! How MLB teams rank in political giving
It's opening day of Major League Baseball's 2012 season, so Sunlight has decided to take a look at which teams are the heaviest hitters when it comes to political giving.
Turns out the deepest pockets don't always correlate with most home runs.
The Baltimore Orioles finished dead last in the American League East last year with a dismal record of 63 wins and 93 losses, but giving by their politically active owner, Peter Angelos, has made the Charm City team the champions of campaign giving.
Angelos gave more in the 2002 election cycle--some $2.1 million--than he ...
Continue readingWho’s the web savviest presidential candidate of all?
Running for president requires web presence. Facebook, Twitter, web videos and websites that take online donations are ubiquitous among this year's presidential contenders. Yet, in an ever-more sophisticated technical world, the basics are not enough, and each candidate is trying some unique approaches to mine the Internet for donations -- a key to President Obama's fundraising success in 2008.
As the GOP race moves today into the president's home state, Sunlight has taken a look at what the major contenders are doing on the web:
Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney, hoping that a commanding win in today's Illinois ...
Continue readingCitizens United Decision Could Lead to Foreign Interests Influencing US Elections
It should come as no surprise that the trigger for foreign contributions possibly finding an inroad into US elections is none other than the Citizens United decision.
Continue readingNew nuclear plant builder a major Washington player
The company benefiting from today’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission decision to approve the construction of the first new nuclear plant in the U.S. in over three decades is an influential powerhouse in Washington.
Southern Company, a power company based in Atlanta, has spent $130 million lobbying the federal government since 1998, ranking 17th among all organizations, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Last year, the company spent nearly $13 million on lobbying, including in-house efforts and hiring 14 outside firms.
The company’s political action committee, its employees and their family members also donate generously to federal candidates ...
Continue readingThe who’s who of top political donors
There are almost 27,000 people—or 1/100th of one percent of the United States population—who spent more than $10,000 to influence... View Article
Continue readingSenators on super committee collecting less campaign cash this quarter
All but one Senate member on the super committee collected less campaign funds this quarter compared the previous quarter. Only Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, had a modest increase collecting a total of $85,532.
So far in this election cycle, Portman has raised $53,000 from individuals and $106,000 from PACs. Here's a compilation of all of recent PAC donations to Portman’s election committee.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash, raised $30,654 in the third quarter of the year; that is 85% less than she raised in the second quarter. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass raised $16,135 this ...
Continue readingOnline poker lobby gives timely donations to pair of congressmen pushing its cause
Congressman Joe Barton, who is now lobbying the special deficit panel to legalize Internet poker, got some not so subtle nudges from the Poker Players Alliance when he introduced his own online poker bill in June.
On June 20, just days before Barton, R-Texas, brought his bill to the floor, the PPA’s PAC gave Barton’s campaign committee $2,500, according to the group’s Federal Election Commission report. Four days later, Barton, the second-ranking Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee, introduced the measure. The PPA applauded the bill.
On June 28, the PPA’s PAC sent another ...
Continue readingMedicare and the Super Committee: Can doctors afford to lose two percent of their payments?
Medicare and other health care services could see their funds drained in any number of ways as, over the next few months, the congressional Joint Committee on Debt Reduction--better known as the "super committee"--looks for ways to reduce the national debt.
Health care interests are well represented among the big donors to the committee's dozen members. Half those members--including Max Baucus, Fred Upton, Xavier Becerra and Chris Van Hollen--number health care concerns among their top ten career donors. Collectively, health care professionals ranked fourth among those career donors, giving $9.3 million, according to an analysis of ...
Democrats opposing contractor disclosure backed by corporate donors
Last Friday, the House passed a measure that aims to block any executive order regarding disclosure of political donations. Eighteen... View Article
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