The National Education Association Advocacy Fund, a Super PAC which has spent $4.2 million to influence the 2010 election cycle so far, receives all of it's funding from the National Education Association, a labor union—or a 501c6—and also its parent organization. No individual donors are listed.
While one can probably safely assume the NEA's money comes from members dues, this is an example of the ability influential nonprofit groups have to completely hide who funds their political agendas. In cases like this, money is shifted from the parent group to its advocacy fund or action ...
Continue readingDaily Disclosures
A roundup of what we’re noticing in the Reporting Group as we dig into government data and disclosures: By the... View Article
Continue readingOutside spending totaled in real time
As of this writing, Super PACs, labor unions and political nonprofits have reported spending a hefty $336.5 million to the... View Article
Continue readingDems narrow the outside spending margin
Ten days before the mid-term elections, and left leaning outside groups still lag behind their conservative counterparts, and are being outspent by $43 million. But spending by the two Democratic party committees--the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee--have narrowed the gap, leaving them $23 million behind all Republican spending. Just five days ago, Democrats trailed overall by $37.6 million.
In all, outside groups including party committees have spent more than $322 million, dwarfing independent spending in 2006 which totaled $68 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. A larger percentage of the spending is ...
Continue readingDaily Disclosures
A roundup of what we’re noticing in the Reporting Group as we dig into government data and disclosures: Only $874,265... View Article
Continue readingOutside groups are insiders on D.C.’s fundraising scene
Last May Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash., raised campaign cash at a reception at the offices of the National Association of Realtors and around the same time, the group's PAC sent his campaign a check for $4,000.
Four months later, in September, the PAC started spending big, but this time on independent expenditures. Three hundred thousand dollars for a campaign ad. Forty-six thousand dollars on Internet ads. By mid-October, the group had spent more than $576,000 in support of Reichert.
When groups make independent expenditures to support or oppose a candidacy, they are not supposed to coordinate in ...
Continue readingHydra of independent groups fuels Republican side
Outside groups aligned with Republicans are dominating spending on independent expenditures in the run-up to the 2010 midterm elections. As... View Article
Continue readingDark money: Super PACs fueled by $97.5 million that can’t be traced to donors
Of the $189 million spent so far by Super PACs, non-profits and labor unions to influence the 2010 mid-term elections, $97.5 million has come from groups that do not disclose any donors, an analysis of Federal Election Commission contribution records shows. That is, about 52 percent of the money spent so far on everything from political ads to phone banks to fliers promoting or opposing federal candidates has come from groups that don't disclose the sources of their funds.*
Of the 218 non-party committees that have spent money on independent expenditures or electioneering communications, only 100 have disclosed ...
Continue readingDead end disclosure: Super PAC’s biggest giver is a shadowy nonprofit with links to Sarah Palin
Citizens for a Working America PAC, a political organization that's spent $250,000 to oppose the reelection of Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., discloses its contributions to the Federal Election Commission. Its contributor (it has only one) is New Models, a Virginia-based non-profit organized under section 501(c)4 of the Internal Revenue Code, that doesn't disclose its donors.
Call it another wrinkle in the wide open world of 2010 money in politics: Disclosed donors can be anonymous too.
Citizens for a Working America PAC filed a statement of organization with the FEC on Sept. 2, 2010; about ...
Continue readingNo, Follow the Money
Another week, another poor attempt by a New York Times columnist to be contrarian. Last week it was Frank Rich... View Article
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