Democratic super PACs, which earlier this year lagged far behind their Republican counterparts, passed a milestone in August: they took more in contributions into their coffers than GOP super PACs: $28 million versus $22 million. Filings covering September are due this Saturday.
It may be more of a photo-finish than it first appears: a portion of the Democratic groups' take involve PAC-to-PAC transfers, which are difficult to extricate from the totals due to way reports are filed with the Federal Election Commission. But quarterly filings that landed Monday leave little doubt that the Democratic super PACs, including Priorities USA and ...
Continue readingThe News Without Transparency: FCC Ruling Makes Tracking Political Ad Buying Easier
Redacted – USA Today Political Ad Buying in Denver In light of the first presidential debate held last Wednesday at... View Article
Continue readingCharlie Rangel’s challenge: The end of an era?
It has the potential to be a primary that makes history.
The seat at stake, in New York's 13th Congressional District, has been a place where black politicians have flourished -- the place where Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. became the Empire State's first African American elected to Congress.
Continue readingForget super PACs—unregistered committees are election’s dark horse
Super PACs get so much attention these days because they are a novel and easy way for donors who can write large checks to influence elections. But there's another avenue for big money to enter politics that's ideal for donors who'd rather keep their identities cloaked and that, thanks to a recent court decision, may be about to get more popular.
So far in the 2012 election cycle, some $9 million has been spent to help elect or defeat candidates for federal office by entities that don't have to disclose where they got their money. About ...
Continue readingRealtors take out big mortgage on California House race
Tuesday's contest in California's 31st Congressional District morphed into the biggest outside money spending spree of any House primary so far, thanks a massive influx of funds by the National Association of Realtors on behalf of Rep. Gary Miller.
Late unofficial returns from the California Secretary of State's office show that Miller, a seven-term Republican running in a new district, topped a six-person field with nearly 27 percent of the votes cast, winning a slot on November's ballot. Because of a new California primary system that sends the top two finishers in a free-for-all primary to ...
Continue readingFEC surrenders in Hybrid Super PAC case
The Federal Election Commission has settled a dispute with a political action committee that will allow it to both contribute to federal candidates like a traditional PAC and to take unlimited contributions from corporate, labor or individuals for use in making independent expenditures.
The consent degree ends a court case, Carey v. FEC, filed after the FEC blocked a 2010 plan by the National Defense PAC to set up a segregated bank account for making independent expendistures. National Defense PAC made modest contributions--just $1,490--to federal candidates that cycle, and had no donors who contributed more than $200. The ...
Continue readingHybrid committee is both Super PAC, traditional PAC
A new type of Super PAC has filed registration papers with the Federal Election Commission, saying it plans both to accept unlimited contributions for independent expenditures and, using a separate bank account, to take in limited donations to be used for direct contributions to candidates.
Until now, Super PACs and traditional PACs have been separate. Super PACs, or independent-expenditure-only committees, can accept contributions of unlimited amounts from individuals, corporations and labor unions as long as the Super PAC does not make contributions to candidates. Traditional PACs are subject to limits on the amounts and sources of contributions, but they can ...
Continue readingSuper PACs raise a combined $26 million in first half of year
Six months in to the first full election cycle in which Super PACs will play a role, the groups have combined to raise more than $26 million and are entering the second half of the year with about $23 million on hand.
Ninety-one Super PACs reported their receipts and disbursements to the FEC for all or part of the first six months of 2011. But the fundraising among the committees was dominated by a handful of groups, with the top five accounting for $22 million -- about 83 percent -- of the total.
One Super PAC alone -- Restore Our Future, which supports ...
Continue readingInfluence Explored: Union Politics in Connecticut
The Hartford Courant published a story today profiling the spokesmen for the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition in Connecticut. SEBAC... View Article
Continue readingFEC allows candidates to solicit limited contributions for Super PACs
The Federal Election Commission voted unanimously Thursday to allow federal candidates and party officials to solicit limited contributions for Super PACs, groups that have changed the campaign-finance landscape in the past year by raising and spending unlimited amounts from indivuals, corporations and labor unions.
The draft Advisory Opinion that the commission approved says candidates and party officials can solicit up to $5,000 from individuals and other PACs.
The vote came in response to a request by two Democratic Super PACs -- Majority PAC and House Majority PAC -- which asked the FEC whether candidates could solicit unlimited contributions on their behalf ...
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