While state senator Neil Riser and small-business owner Vance McAllister are both crafting their campaign rhetoric to target LA-05's conservative base, the McAllister campaign's failure to file its financial information with the FEC means voters still have no inkling as to who is bankrolling his election efforts.
Continue readingStockman refunds questionable campaign contributions
For the second time in a week, Rep. Steve Stockman's campaign changes its story to the FEC about questionable campaign contributions.
Continue readingStockman campaign may have broken campaign finance law
By re-attributing the source of some $15,000 in campaign contributions from relatives of congressional staffers to the staffers themselves, the campaign of Rep. Steve Stockman, R-Texas, has raised more questions--and a potential violation of campaign finance laws--than it has answered.
Federal election law prohibits contributions from government employees to their employers, including members of Congress. Violators face fines and potential prison sentences of up to three years.
Continue readingStockman campaign amends filings, questions remain on contributions’ legality
"I did not make the contribution," Thomas Dodd told Sunlight on Oct. 10 when asked about why his mother had disavowed knowledge of a $7,500 contribution made to the campaign of his boss, Rep. Steve Stockman, R-Texas. Though now, the campaign says, he did. Five days after a Sunlight report cited Jane Dodd saying she didn't make the contributions, Stockman's campaign filed an amendment, listing Thomas Dodd, his special assistant, as the donor.
Continue readingIt’s not just Republican House incumbents who face primary opposition
If the media coverage of shutdown politics is to be believed, House Republicans' fear of 'getting primaried' bya more conservative opponent was the major impediment to moderate GOP-ers reaching a bargain with Democrats on healthcare and federal spending. However, a survey of competitive House primaries -- compiled using Sunlight's Realtime FEC tracker -- shows that incumbent Democrats are also subject to serious challenges from partisan opponents.
Continue readingBooker camp refused to share campaign filings with press
Cory Booker, the tech-savvy Newark Mayor, claims to support governmental transparency and legislation that would mandate electronic campaign filing in the Senate. Yet, just days before the Oct. 16 general election his campaign withheld important filings from the press.
Continue readingTo battle tax, medical device industry turns to D.C. insiders
As the country hurtles toward financial default and the government shutdown enters it's 16th day, one of the crucial elements surfacing in various GOP proposals to end the stalemate is a repeal of the medical device tax, passed as part of the Affordable Care Act. While the industry was not powerful enough to keep the tax out of Obamacare, it has waged a strong campaign since to win a repeal, employing Washington lobbyists-for-hire with deep Washington contacts. Meet some of these lobbyists via our Influence Explorer and Party Time tools.
Tarplin, Downs & Young. Cofounded in 2006 by a trio ...
Continue readingGovernment shutdown muddies transparency in NJ Senate race
On the eve of New Jersey's special election for U.S. Senate, outside groups have been bombarding Jersyites with political ads and canvassing efforts as both sides make final pleas to voters in a tightening race -- even the President got in on the action. But one thing Garden State voters will not see before they visit their local ballot box is a full picture of the candidates' campaign contributions. Like a lot of problems in Washington these days, this one can be chalked up to the government shutdown.
Continue readingExtra! Extra!! Get your real time campaign finance data here!!!
As fundraising for the 2014 congressional contests heats up and filing deadlines loom this week, the Sunlight Foundation is unveiling a new tool - the Real-Time FEC tracker - that will allow users to search, sort, filter and get alerts for campaign finance reports as they land at the Federal Election Commission.
Shutdown spells big gains for nation’s gross political product
While federal workers and beneficiaries are taking an economic hit, the shutdown seems to be proving a financial bonanza for the nation's political consultant class. Both Republicans and Democrats are churning out ads focused on the shutdown. Guess what? Each blames the other for it.
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