For voters disgusted by nasty campaign ads and frustrated that they don’t know who is paying for them, there is plenty of blame to go around. The Supreme Court for allowing the dark money takeover of our elections, Congress for failing to enact the DISCLOSE Act, the Federal Election Commission for its failure to enforce laws already on the books. Add to that list the IRS, for its apparent willingness to look the other way while millions of dollars are laundered through fake nonprofit organizations whose only purpose is to influence elections.
Continue readingNew anti-Obama super PAC backed by pro-Israel Republican activists
A new Miami-based super PAC has surfaced with billboards opposing President Barack Obama in south Florida and plans to plant more in at least two other battleground states before Election Day. Backed by mostly Republican, pro-Israel activists, American Principles super PAC has spent about $220,000 so far and plans to spend $500,000 this election.
It's one of a number of pop up super PACs that are emerging just before the November election, barraging voters with advertisements before having to reveal any information about financial backers. American Principles will release its first list of donors by Oct. 20 ...
Continue readingPolitical Ad Sleuth debuts: Track the money behind the campaign ads
Above Las Vegas last week, the air invisibly crackled with attacks and counter-attacks by candidates for a House and a Senate seat -- not to mention President Obama, his rival Mitt Romney and their backers. In Denver, there was a clash of political fronts: Outside groups like Planned Parenthood and Crossroads GPS competed for airtime with each other, as well as the candidates they are supporting.
In Grand Rapids, Mich., ads in a high-priced contest over a bridge to Canada dominated the TV airwaves, while in Sacramento, it was ballot initiatives and House races vying for voters' attention. Milwaukee viewers were ...
Continue readingWhen is a political ad not a campaign ad? Federal judge decides for FEC
The murky rules around electioneering ads may have gotten slightly less unclear this week, but not thanks to the Federal Election Commission.
A federal judge issued an opinion Thursday that appears to give the green light to a Virginia-based conservative nonprofit based called the Hispanic Leadership Fund to run some controversial ads that seem to be aimed at criticizing President Obama without disclosing the spending (or donors) to the Federal Election Commission.
Judge T.S. Ellis III ruled that some of the five ads that stymied the FEC back in June are "electioneering" -- a term of art for ads that ...
Continue readingOutside spending tops $105 million–and counting–in just nine days
Outside spending groups--PACs, super PACs, nonprofits and party committees--have spent a staggering $105 million to influence federal elections over the past nine days. Overall, outside spending in the 2012 election is now just a few million short of $600 million, according to Sunlight’s Follow the Unlimited Money tracker.
The $105 million, disclosed on independent expenditure reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, was spent from Sept. 26 to Oct. 4 and includes an $11 million ad buy by the conservative super PAC American Crossroads opposing President Barack Obama and reimbursements amounting to as little as 31 cents that the ...
Continue readingSeptember outside spending breaks record
In September, outside spending crushed all past months on record, at over $200 million, according to Sunlight’s Follow the Unlimited Money tracker, and prior years' independent expenditure filings with the Center for Responsive Politics.
To put the September figure in perspective, the $207 million is more than double what was spent in August. It represents 38 percent of all of the $548 million in independent expenditures in the 2012 election and about two thirds of the total outside spending in the entire 2008 election, according to totals compiled by CRP. That year also featured a presidential race -- the last ...
Continue readingGross Political Product: Outside campaign spending tops 2010 total
In a campaign that's supposed to be about an ailing economy, there's just one financial indicator that remains consistently robust: Call it the Gross Political Product.
The latest signal of just how profitable a business politics remains is available on Sunlight's Follow the Unlimited Money, which shows outside spending at nearly $465 million as of Sunday evening. That's more than the total for the entire 2010 campaign, the first that took place following the Supreme Court's landmark Citizens United decision, which allowed corporations and unions to give in unlimited amounts.
This cycle's outside spending ...
Continue readingIn Terms of Transparency, the First Step is Admitting There is a Problem
In its platform, released yesterday, the Democratic Party decrees that, “We are committed to the most open, efficient, and accountable... View Article
Continue readingGOP Platform Moves from Light to Dark
As the Republican nominating convention gets into full swing, there has been much discussion about the rightward shift by the... View Article
Continue readingDark Money Disclosure Would be A Big First Step
Columnist Ezra Klein today dismissed the DISCLOSE Act as “a minor piece of legislation” that would not tackle the true... View Article
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