Republican non-profits avoid regulation and spend millions on TV attack ads

Setting up an non-profits, Republican groups have been able to keep their donor lists private and run ads to influence elections. -db The New York Times September 21, 2010 By Michael Luo and Stephanie Strom Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies would certainly seem to the casual observer to be a political organization: Karl Rove, a political [...]

Congresswoman offers key amendment for bill requiring disclosure of corporate and union campaign expenditures

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, Representative Susan Davis has proposed an amendment to strengthen a new law to require disclosure of campaign expenditures by special interests. The amendment would require mandatory disclosure reports to be filed electronically with the Federal Elections Commission so they could be posted expeditiously on their [...]

President warns about effects of Supreme Court decision on elections

President Barack Obama said with unlimited money from special interests now legal, it gives them the power to spend millions on getting rid of legislators who don’t vote their way. -DB Sunlight Foundation January 24, 2010 By Daniel Schuman President Obama’s weekly address explained on his administration’s efforts to combat influence peddling, and the steps [...]

Campaign finance: Transparency needed more than ever as Supreme Court unleashes special interest money

The executive director of the Sunlight Foundation says that the Supreme Court’s decision striking down key provisions of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law will unleash a flood of money in the political arena making it even more likely money will influence executive and legislative decisions. -DB Sunlight Foundation Opinion January 21, 2010 By Ellen Miller [...]

New study: Politicians have no problem evading campaign finance laws

A study by the Center for governmental Studies shows that finance laws aimed at taking the undemocratic influences of money out of elections have been circumvented by politicians who have been able to raise money far exceeding contribution limits. -DB Center for Governmental Studies Press Release December 17, 2009 Loopholes, Tricks and End Runs: Evasions [...]

Soft money: Federal appeals court rules campaign finance reform violates free speech rights

A federal appeals court struck down a regulation designed to limit campaign spending by independent political groups to influence elections. The regulation was designed to meet the challenge of such groups as Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and MoveOn.org which spent millions on aggressive ads in the 2004 presidential campaign. -DB The Washington Post September [...]