Back in July, Senate Republicans successfully blocked the DISCLOSE Act, which would have required all organizations spending $10,000 or more to reveal their donors. Now we understand why. Though Nov.1, $213.0 million has been spent by “dark money” groups to influence the 2012 elections. Of that, $172.4 million (81%) has been spent to help Republican candidates, as compared to $35.7 million (19%) to help Democrats. (By “dark money” we mean groups that do not disclose their donors and only are required to disclose their congressional race spending within 60 days of House and Senate elections and their presidential race spending following the national party conventions).
Continue readingThese Senators Were For Disclosure Before They Were Against It
Later today, the Senate is expected to vote along party lines to deny cloture to the DISCLOSE Act. Republicans have... View Article
Continue readingDark money in the 2012 elections (so far)
As the Senate this week takes up the DISCLOSE Act, a bill that Sunlight and other open government groups are... View Article
Continue readingStay in the loop! Legislative Hill briefing on Scout TODAY
Are you a Hill staffer working on health care? The Farm Bill? DISCLOSE? Or do you track legislation for your... View Article
Continue readingRebuttal to McConnell’s War of Misinformation on DISCLOSE Act
A war is being waged against the DISCLOSE Act. Its Commander in Chief is Senator Mitch McConnell, his secret weapon is misinformation and his goal is to protect unlimited dark money contributions to the political process. It’s time for a counter-attack. Last week, McConnell outlined his plan of attack in a speech to the American Enterprise Institute. Wrapping himself in a narrow and self-serving interpretation of the First Amendment, McConnell casts liberals as the enemies of free speech and he and his foot soldiers (the Chamber of Commerce) as the true protectors of our constitutional rights. But take apart his arguments and it is easy to spot his true intentions—not to protect the free speech rights of all citizens, but to protect the ability of wealthy donors to anonymously influence our democratic process. The Sunlight Foundation refutes the worst inaccuracies being lobbed against reasonable efforts to disclose the dark money that is infiltrating our elections. This Orwellian tactic is timed to defang public support for the DISCLOSE Act, which the Senate is likely to consider in July.
Continue readingCourts See the Light on Transparency
Yesterday, a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals demonstrated that it gets the need for greater transparency... View Article
Continue readingWill the House’s Operations Budget Be Squeezed by Appropriators?
Written by Policy Fellow Matt Rumsey The House of Representatives’ internal operations budget was the subject of a Legislative Branch... View Article
Continue readingNaming names: How super PAC ads might look if DISCLOSE were enacted
If this hasn't happened yet to you, it probably will in this year of record-breaking spending by outside interest groups: You are watching TV or perusing the Internet when you are confronted by one of those ads telling you that your prospective public servant is a disgusting human being and completely incompetent. Worst of all, the ads are brought to you by a committee or organization whose vague name gives no clue as to its true identity. Then you ask, "Who is doing this to me? "
Sunlight is trying to give those obnoxious ads a transparency makeover! The DISCLOSE ...
Continue readingColbert Supports DISCLOSE
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi was the guest on last night’s Colbert Report, following on House Democrats’ recently introduced DISCLOSE Act... View Article
Continue readingHouse Democrats Introduce DISCLOSE 2012
House Democrats unveiled The DISCLOSE 2012 Act (HR 4010, not up on THOMAS yet) today, a crucial step toward transparency... View Article
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