Earlier today the Obama campaign released a list of 244 fundraisers who have bundled thousands of dollars in donations to the president's victory fund.
Continue readingOCE report on financial reform shows nexus between fundraising and legislating
On Nov. 24, 2009, Sara Conrad, the fundraising consultant for Rep. Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y., sent an email to Michael Stein, head of government relations for financial services giant Morgan Stanley, inviting him to attend a Dec. 10 fundraising reception for Crowley’s campaign. The email was a follow-up to a prior conversation he had with Crowley’s chief of staff, Kate Winkler, about the Ways and Means Committee member's upcoming campaign events.
Around the same time, Conrad, who worked for Crowley's campaign and not his congressional office, sent several other emails, including similar notes to lobbyists for ...
Continue reading“Unseemly Behavior”
Last week, the New York Post reported that “[s]ome Republican congressmen have been warned to keep their distance from the... View Article
Continue readingMatching bundlers to fundraisers
Here at the Reporting Group, we’ve always wanted to tie the fundraising invitations in our Party Time database to actual donations reported to the Federal Election Commission by a politician or a political action committee--to be able to show a donor gave money to a politician at a certain event.
It’s nearly impossible, and there's a number of reasons we can't--not least of which is that dates in FEC records don't necessarily correspond to the day a contribution was given. (See here for an explanation.) Even when there's a disclosure intended to shed light ...
DCCC invokes Murtha to aid Critz
A friend and colleague passes along the following email the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is sending out, signed by the widow of the late Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., Joyce Murtha:
It is bittersweet to write this e-mail so soon after Jack's passing. While nobody can ever fill Jack's shoes, I am heartened to see Mark Critz, Jack's former Director for Economic Development, running for the seat my husband proudly held for 36 years. With the polls neck and neck heading into the final stretch, I am asking for your support so Mark can win this ...Continue reading
Financial reform lobbyists host fundraisers for senators
Since the beginning of 2010 through April, at least ten senators who sit on the Banking and Agriculture Committees are listed as beneficiaries of fundraisers hosted by lobbyists who have pressed Congress on financial reform issues. Both committees have recently worked on a bill to overhaul the financial regulatory system, which will likely be debated on the Senate floor next week.
According to Sunlight Foundation’s Party Time database, the fundraisers ranged from a “pre-St.Patrick’s Day” reception for Banking Committee member Jon Tester, D-Mont., on March 16 that asked for $100 to $1,000 in contributions, to a ...
Continue readingFollow the (Airport) Money
Baucus Skips Fundraiser for His Glacier PAC, A Popular Place for Health Industry Contributions
This past weekend Sen. Max Baucus’ political action committee (PAC) hosted a three-day retreat fundraising event at the Big Sky... View Article
Continue readingDid Two June Parties Yield $44,700 From Health PACs For Sen. Grassley?
Yesterday, I posted about the mountain of health and insurance PAC money pouring into the 2010 reelection coffers of Sen.... View Article
Continue readingShameless Plug: Beautiful Data
O'Reilly is publishing a new book entitled Beautiful Data that you should buy. Why?
- The two authors of the book, Jeff Hammerbacher and Toby Segaran are really great people. It looks like a great book.
- Half the proceeds of the book go to us here at the Sunlight Foundation. The other half goes to another great organization, Creative Commons
So buy the book and give us some much needed support so that we can continue liberating data and shining light in some of the darkest corners of Washington, DC. I'll sweeten the pot, too: If you're one of the first five people to buy the book and send me a picture of you with the book in your hands, I'll send you some very rare Sunlight Foundation/Labs stickers along with a very appreciative thank-you note.
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