The U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent $750,000 in the past week on ad buys for mainstream Republican candidates in four races, including Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. and Senate hopeful Rep. Shelly Moore Capito, R-W.V.
Continue readingChristie brings his clout, fundraising chops to new role as RGA head
As he settles into his new post as chair of the Republican Governors' Association, a look at the fundraising chops of Chris Christie shows the Jerseyite already has substantial national support
Continue readingLouisiana special pits state pol against Duck Dynasty favorite
Political outsider Vance McAllister has been forced to rely on his personal wealth to keep his campaign competitive in tomorrow's Louisiana special election, while state senator -- and ally of Gov. Bobby Jindal -- has received a steady stream of cash from Republican congressman and business PACs over the past few weeks
Continue readingAbortion rights prompts liberal groups to spend big, and early
WIth more than a year to go before the next congressional race, Democratic groups have begun to outspend Republican groups two to one. Much of that money is coming from groups focused on abortion rights.
Continue readingHappy Birthday Louis Brandeis, Muse of Sunlight!
Today is the 157th anniversary of the birth of Louis Brandeis, a trailblazing advocate for civil liberties, individual rights and, yes, sunlight.
For us, it's a day to celebrate and take stock of our mission, for Brandeis is our inspiration: The Sunlight Foundation takes its name from one of his most famous observations.
Make a Louis Brandeis birthday donation to Sunlight!
Tea Party challenger trounced in last minute fundraising
The GOP establishment is doubling down on its effort to beat the Tea Party in a special election today, last-minute filings on Sunlight's Real-Time FEC tracker show.
Continue readingOutside groups seek to influence vote on LGBT workplace discrimination
The Senate's Monday cloture vote on the 2013 iteration of the Senate Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is either an important political litmus test for a Republican party in search of a new, more inclusive image or a crucial referendum on American civil liberties -- depending on your viewpoint. The bill would extend federal anti-discrimination protections to workers discriminated against because of their gender or sexual orientation. While observers are skeptical of the legislation's chances in the House, outside groups have spent bucketloads on grassroots and traditional lobbying in support of the law. On the other side? Not so much.
Continue readingBusiness groups back establishment pick over Tea Party candidate in AL special
In the Alabama special election clash between Tea Party and establishment Republican candidates, the US Chamber of Commerce is putting its money where its mouth is. The business group -- and political juggernaut -- made waves when it announced it would support longtime state legislator Bradley Byrne over Tea Party-favorite Dean Young. The financial reports from the Byrne campaign show just how much the financial backing of major special interest groups like the U.S. Chamber can tilt the playing field in one candidate's favor.
Continue readingLatest round of Obama bundlers claim ambassador posts
At a meeting Thursday, tucked between a resolution condemning the recent terrorist attacks in Kenya and a panel on the ongoing civil war in Syria, members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will vote on the confirmation of 25 prospective diplomatic appointees, a number of them wealthy supporters of President Barack Obama.
Continue readingPolitical influence by county: A new way to look at campaign finance data
Over the summer, the Sunlight Foundation partnered with Azavea, a Philadelphia-based firm that specializes in mapping and geo-spatial analysis, to create location-based analyses of the federal campaign finance data we display on InfluenceExplorer.com. The partnership produced new and more accurate ways to identify trends in political spending according to location that were previously hard to complete because of complications in the mapping process. Many of the findings were mapped.
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