Printable Version Tell a friend
  
match any match all

News Articles Archives

  • Political Money: The Need for Director Oversight    April 1, 2008
    The Conference Board Executive Action Alert
    By Bruce Freed and Karl J. Sandstrom
    When it comes to corporate governance, one area often overlooked is company involvement in politics. The amount of money companies spend for political purposes is relatively...    more   

  • Boards Should Scrutinize Political Spending    March 6, 2008
    BusinessWeek
    By Bruce Freed and Karl J. Sandstrom
    Until recently, directors have paid scant attention to company political spending. Because the amount corporations devote to politics is quite small and might seem immaterial, especially as a proportion of...    more...  

  • American business needs an election cash code    July 9, 2007
    Financial Times
    By Bruce Freed and Bennett Freeman
    Last year, Robert Kelner, a leading Washington election lawyer, warned: "More than in the past, the Department of Justice seems to be trying very hard to tie campaign contributions to legislative acts by...    more...  

  • It Pays to Get Ahead of the Curve on Political Disclosure    May-June 2007
    Executive Counsel
    By Bruce Freed
    Corporate political spending is the subject of increased scrutiny by the press, regulatory authorities and prosecutors. With heightened attention come escalating legal and reputational risks.    more   

  • Social Investment- Highlights from 2006 Proxy Season    October 1, 2006
    GreenMoneyJournal.com
    By Timothy Smith and Bruce Freed
    The 2006 proxy season was memorable with numerous highlights and its share of lowlights. Shareowners continued to insure their voices were heard and there were numerous examples of management and...    more...  

  • Trade Associations and Oversight of Company Political Spending    September 1, 2006
    NACD Directors Monthly
    By Bruce Freed and Jamie Carroll
    The effort to limit corporate money in politics has created new channels for corporate political involvement, many hidden from public view. Prominent among these are trade associations. In response to...    more...  

  • Curbing corporate political spending migraines    January 2006
    Magazine of Business for Social Responsibility
    By Bruce F. Freed
    "Soft money" is causing migraines for companies. The term commonly is used to describe corporate treasury funds that are contributed to political candidates and committees. It's a particular...    more...  

  • Funds Want More Disclosure of Railroad's Political Spending    May 10, 2010
    Virginia Pilot
    by Robert McCabe
    For the second year in a row, a group of New York City pension funds has asked shareholders of Norfolk Southern Corp. to push the railroad's board of directors to better disclose the company's spending on political activities.    more right  

  • WellCare's Investor Wants Disclosure    May 7, 2010
    Health News Florida
    by Jim Saunders and Mike Wells
    A New York-based investor is pushing to require WellCare Health Plans --- a major contributor to Florida politicians and parties --- to disclose more information about how it spends company money on political...    more right  

  • Shareholder Groups Seek to Limit Corporate Contributions    April 5, 2010
    Christian Science Monitor by Margaret Price
    Shareholder groups aim to keep a lid on companies’ political spending in the wake of Citizens United v. the Federal Election Commission, a case in which the Supreme Court eased restrictions on corporate campaign spending.    more right  

  • Testimony of Professor John C. Coffee, Jr.    March 11, 2010
    Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Entities of the House Financial Services Committee
    by John C. Coffee, Jr.
    I am pleased and honored to be invited to testify here today. My message is simple: Congress cannot successfully...    more right  

  • CPA Demands Political Donations Disclosure    February 23, 2010
    Corporate Secretary
    Last week the Center for Political Accountability (CPA) sent 430 letters to members of the S&P 500 who do not yet disclose their political spending. The letter, whose numerous signatories include the Council of Institutional Investors, warns...    more right  

  • Valuing Corporate Politics    February 22, 2010
    Pensions and Investments
    by Roger Schillerstrom
    The U.S. Supreme Court decision Jan. 21 relaxing legal constraints on corporate political advocacy spending makes disclosure of such spending more important than ever.    more right  

  • Investors Seek More Disclosure on Political Spending    February 9, 2010
    Wall Street Journal
    by Scott Thurm
    An effort by activist shareholders to prod companies to disclose political contributions is taking on new urgency following last month's Supreme Court decision loosening restrictions on corporate political spending.    more right  

  • Global Proxy Watch Newsletter    February 5, 2010
    Global Proxy Watch
    US shareowner activists have been galvanized into collective action by Citizens United, the surprise US Supreme Court decision lifting most restrictions on corporate political spending...    more right  

  • In the Wake of Controversial Supreme Court Spending, Shareowner Activists Develop Plan for Corporate Disclosure of Political Spending    February 5, 2010
    by Robert Kropp
    Social Investment Forum
    Asserting that excessive corporate political spending reduces shareowner value and weakens corporate governance, shareowner advocates call on corporations to adopt a framework for disclosure developed by the Center...    more right  

  • Corporate Campaign Spending: The Buck Stops Where?    January 29, 2010
    AARP Bulletin Today
    by Bill Hogan
    In a game-changing decision handed down on Jan. 22, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for corporations big and small to pump as much money as they want into election advertising that explicitly promotes or attacks...    more right  

  • Corporate Campaign Spending: The Buck Stops Where?    January 29, 2010
    AARP Bulletin
    By Bill Hogan
    In a game-changing decision handed down on Jan. 22, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for corporations big and small to pump as much money as they want into election advertising that explicitly promotes or attacks...    more right  

  • Good Governance is Key to Policing Corporate Political Activities    January 21, 2010
    The Council of Institutional Investors: The Voice of Corporate Governance
    In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled today that the government may not bar companies, labor unions and other organizations from using their general treasuries to fund...    more right  

  • Day After: SCOTUS Ruling Not So Bad    January 22, 2010
    Politico
    by Jeanne Cummings
    New money will flow into campaigns this year as a result of Thursday’s Supreme Court decision, but will the impact be as dramatic as all the hyperventilating in Washington suggests?    more right  

  • 'Free at Last,' Business Says as Court Opens Campaign Spending    January 21, 2010
    Bloomberg
    by Lorraine Wollert and Jonathan Salant
    Jan. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Business groups celebrated the potential for greater political influence as labor unions and shareholder activists began looking for ways to counter a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that...    more right  

  • More Companies are Disclosing Their Political Activity    December 14, 2009
    USA Today
    by Fredreka Schouten
    WASHINGTON- Drugmaker Merck's political action committee donated more than $572,000 to federal candidates in the 2008 election and racked up $4.6 million in expenses to lobby Congress and the executive branch last year,...    more right  

  • Electon Spending: Reformers on Flood Watch    November 7, 2009
    National Journal
    by Sara Jerome
    Doomsday scenarios from campaign finance reform advocates are enough to make you grab hip waders. A pending Supreme Court decision, advocates say, could "open the floodgates to unlimited corporate and union spending during...    more right  

  • Corporate America's Enlightened Disclosure    October 24, 2009
    National Journal
    by Julie Kosterlitz
    Six years ago, Bruce Freed embarked on a seemingly quixotic quest. The former Senate investigator and newspaper columnist set out to get corporate America to reveal and rethink the cash that it lavishes on the nation's...    more right  

  • Shareholders Should Hear About Political Spending    October 22, 2009
    Business Week
    by Ciara Torres-Spellescy
    On Sept. 9, about a month before the U.S. Supreme Court officially kicked off its 2009- 2010 term, the justices assembled to rehear a closely watched case about corporate campaign spending. Citizens United v. Federal...    more right  

  • Investors Urge Chamber Defections    October 1, 2009
    Roll Call
    By Anna Palmer
    Activist shareholders are pressuring companies such as Nike to pull out of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, arguing that the trade group’s stance against climate change legislation is incompatible with the companies’ own positions.    more right  

  • Cash-for-clunkers deal moves ahead    June 10, 2009
    Politico
    By Lisa Lerer
    A controversial auto bill that would reward consumers with tax credits for trading in their old cars and buying more-fuel-efficient ones passed the House on Tuesday, inching closer to becoming law.    more right  

  • El Paso advocates disclosure standards    April 17, 2009
    Houston Business Journal
    By Greg Barr
    Bruce Freed has been prodding publicly traded companies for five years to provide details of political expenditures using corporate funds. His Washington, D.C., advocacy group, the Center for Political Accountability, sent...    more right  

  • Companies try to clean up their act    March 24, 2009
    Politico
    By Jeanne Cummings
    Having the wrong political benefactor can be as toxic an asset as a bundled bunch of subprime loans. Just ask the PMA Group, Kuchera Defense Systems and Kuchera Industries, all companies caught up in a federal investigation...    more right  

  • Shareholder Advocates Want Political Disclosure    February 23, 2009
    National Journal
    By Robert Gettlin
    The Center for Political Accountability, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that advocates for transparency and accountability in corporate political spending, has sent a letter to 19 financial companies that received...    more right  

  • Measuring Corporate Accountability    December 17, 2008
    National Journal
    By Bara Vaida
    Companies over the years have gotten caught up in controversy by providing monetary support for hot-button state ballot measures. The most recent companies to get embroiled in such measures are Bolthouse Farms, Pacific Gas &...    more...  

  • When Political Giving Doesn't Pay    June 1, 2008
    Directorship
    By Aaron Bernstein
    As the 2008 presidential election hits full stride, your company may be inclined to shell out? through the legal channels of PACs, 527s, and other avenues?to the candidate perceived to be in the best interest of your company or...    more...  

  • Corporations to Disclose Political Contributions    May 29,2008
    New York Times Caucus blog
    By Leslie Wayne
    Boards of directors of Fortune 500 companies typically get involved in such matters as setting dividends, hiring executives and deciding on corporate strategy. But a new task has been added to the agenda of many...    more...  

  • Companies Start to Lift Veil on Political Spending    May 13, 2008
    Washington Post
    By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
    Ever wonder how much companies really spend to influence government through trade associations? Well, a few corporations are coming clean, or at least cleaner.    more...  

  • Political Blinders    March 14, 2008
    Global Proxy Watch
    By Stephen Davis
    Should a company's board control its political spending, a task usually left to management? Some 62% of US directors think boards should oversee donations, and 57% think such spending should require board approval,    more   

  • Disclosing gifts to trade groups: the next big thing in governance?    February 28, 2008
    Financial Week
    By Jeff Nash
    Five U.S. public companies have agreeed to disclose the donations they make to trade associations and other non-profits that are used for political purposes, bringing the total number of companies now providing such disclosure...    more...  

  • Companies to disclose political aid    February 28, 2008
    Financial Times
    By Francesco Guerrera
    Five large US companies, including American Express and Xerox, will bow to shareholder pressure on Thursday and agree to disclose all their political spending.    more...  

  • Monsanto bears up to baring its political contributions    January 28, 2007
    St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    By David Nicklaus
    A year ago, Monsanto resisted the idea of disclosing political contributions on its website. It said such reporting "would not be useful to shareowners and would be burdensome and an unnecessary expense to the...    more...  

  • Is your portfolio politically slanted?    January 17, 2008
    Christian Science Monitor
    By Laurent Belsie
    Do you know the political slant of your portfolio? Every election cycle, US businesses pour hundreds of millions of dollars into campaigns, parties, and politically affiliated groups. Some of that money is...    more...  

  • Corporate Governance special report    January 14, 2008
    Wall Street Journal
    By Andrew Yurkovsky
    The pace of companies adopting policies to disclose their political spending has quickened, with 18 more companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 index agreeing last year to disclose such spending. According to the...    more...  

  • Lifting the Curtain on Corporate Contributions    December 16, 2007
    Conde Nast Portfolio.com
    By Megan Barnett
    During the first six months of 2007, Pfizer spent $128,969 from its corporate checkbook on political donations to Democratic and Republican politicians. It doled out another $614,300 to various party committees and...    more...  

  • Show Us Your Money: Halting the Use of Trade Organizations as Convert Conduits for Corporate Campaign Contributions    September 9, 2007
    Journal of Corporate Law
    By Shayla Kasel
    The US Chamber of Commerce (the Chamber) is the world's largest business federation, and the most financially influential trade organization. The Chamber is one of the top independent organizational contributors...    more...  

  • Resolved: Public Corporations Shall Take Us Seriously    August 12, 2007
    New York Times Sunday Magazine
    By Dashka Slater
    Daly's order, the Sisters of Saint Dominic of Caldwell, N.J., owns about 300 of the 5.5 billion Exxon Mobil shares outstanding, but she has used those few shares to keep the company talking about an issue that...    more...  

  • What's Next for Governance?    August 1, 2007
    Institutional Shareholder Services
    Investors and U.S. corporate issuers came together as never before in 2007 to address a wide range of concerns and to better align views on corporate best practices.    more...  

  • Proxy bids more than hot air    June 4, 2007
    Financial Week
    By Jeff Nash
    With the 2008 election season ramping up, investors are increasingly asking companies to better disclose their political contributions?and in many cases, they?re getting what they asked for.    more...  

  • As You Sow 2007 Proxy Season Preview    May 1, 2007
    As You Sow
    Every year there are hundreds of shareholder proposals on social and environmental issues that are directly relevant to the missions of foundations. The Proxy Season Preview provides a thorough and useful source of information to help foundations identify...    more   

  • To Conceal Donors, Some Political Groups Look to the Tax Code    April 17, 2007
    The Washington Post
    By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
    An increasing number of organizations working to influence elections also are working to hide who is paying for their activities.    more...  

  • Industry Giants Opening Up on Politics    April 11, 2007
    Roll Call
    By Tory Newmyer
    The transparency tide sweeping Capitol Hill is reaching corporate suites far outside the Beltway.    more...  

  • Major companies adopt political disclosure policies    April 4, 2007
    Reuters
    By Sarah Coffey
    Major companies including DuPont (DD.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Pfizer Inc. (PFE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) will now disclose which politically linked trade associations they fund, adding to the list of corporations adopting...    more...  

  • Investors want facts on political donations    April 1, 2007
    Financial Times
    By Francesco Guerrera
    Corporate America's traditional secrecy on political spending is under attack from an investor drive for greater transparency before the 2008 presidential election campaign.    more...  

  • Nonprofit Calls on Firms to Include Donation Rules in Codes of Conduct    March 21, 2007
    Wall Street Journal
    By Dean Treftz
    A shareholder advocacy group is calling for companies to include rules on corporate political donations in their codes of conduct, in order to avoid potential legal problems and perhaps scandal.    more...  

  • A Peek Into Corporate America    March 6, 2007
    The Washington Post
    Not waiting for Congress to impose new disclosure laws, shareholder activists have persuaded some of the nation's largest companies to disclose their political spending on such things as issue campaigns. General Electric, Hewlett-Packard and...    more...  

  • Cutting Risk by Disclosing Political Donations    January 29, 2007
    Politico.com
    By Andrew Glass
    In politics, it often pays to be ahead of the curve. That holds true for corporate governance too, even more so when politics enter the equation.    more...  

  • Monsanto bears up to baring its political contributions    January 28, 2007
    St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    By David Nicklaus
    A year ago, Monsanto resisted the idea of disclosing political contributions on its website. It said such reporting "would not be useful to shareowners and would be burdensome and an unnecessary expense to the...    more...  

  • Home Depot Agrees to Disclose Political Donations    January 24, 2007
    Bloomberg News Service
    By Vineeta Anand
    Home Depot Inc. agreed to disclose its political donations for the first time, one of several new policies that may help appease investors angered by former Chief Executive Officer Robert Nardelli's severance package.    more...  

  • Cause-Related Funding: Critics Want Disclosure    December 1, 2006
    The Issue Barometer
    Hard questions are being asked about "soft money" corporate spending.    more   

  • Activists Say BP Breaking Promise on Campaign Donations    November 7, 2006
    Dow Jones Newswires
    By John M. Biers
    BP PLC (BP), which vowed to refrain from making political donations in 2002, has come under renewed criticism over a series of recent U.S. contributions that shareholder activists say contradict its pledge.    more...  

  • Lifting the veil of secrecy on corporate political donations    August 22, 2006
    Financial Times
    By Francesco Guerrera
    When President Theodore Roosevelt railed against business people for putting their fortunes "only to the basest of uses", he did not include currying political favour as one of the abominations of those "malefactors of...    more...  

  • Does your company keep political secrets?    May 31, 2006
    Fortune
    By Marc Gunther
    Transparency is a big trend these days in corporate America. Under pressure from regulators, shareholders and activists, Fortune 500 companies are becoming more open about executive pay, the makeup of their workforce, the safety of their...    more...  

  • Secrets of Corporate Giving    May 14, 2006
    Time
    By Douglas Waller
    Merck prides itself on being socially enlightened. The drugmaker gives its employees diversity training and extends health insurance to same-sex partners. But a report to be released this week by the Washington-based Center for Political...    more...  

  • Watchdog group makes quiet gains for transparency in corporate giving    April 25, 2006
    The Hill
    By Elana Schor
    With ethics and campaign-finance reform making plenty of headlines this year, one might think the watchdog Center for Political Accountability would be a household name inside the Beltway. But the group operates mainly under the radar...    more...  

  • Investors Seek Clarity on Campaign Giving    April 5, 2006
    Wall Street Journal
    By Jeanne Cummings
    As Congress debates new campaign-finance rules, shareholder groups are pushing companies to do a better job of disclosing political donations.    more...  

  • More Firms' Political Ties Put Online    March 20, 2006
    Los Angeles Times
    By Jonathan Peterson
    Under pressure from shareholder activists, a small but growing number of major U.S. companies have agreed to disclose their political donations on their corporate websites.    more...  

  • This Year's Proxy Issue: Political Contributions    March 10, 2006
    American Banker
    By Jim Cole
    Shareholders are pushing Citigroup Inc. and several other banking companies this proxy season to fully disclose their political contributions.    more...  

  • Up Front    January 31, 2006
    Business Week
    By Nanette Byrnes
    General Mills (GIS ) has become the latest company to agree to disclose its political donations -- and the sixth this year. It joins Amgen (AMGN ), Bristol-Myers Squibb, Staples, Southern Co. (SO), and McDonald's (MCD ) in...    more...  

  • Pressure On Boards to Oversee Soft Dollars Hardening in 2006    January 18, 2006
    Dow Jones
    By Tiffany Kary
    As a political storm continues to gather over the dealings between former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and lobbyist Jack Abramoff, it isn't just politicians who need to be wary. Companies are also reassessing their political...    more...  

  • Shining Light on Corporate Political Gifts    December 16, 2005
    The New York Times
    By Floyd Norris
    WHICH politicians - and which political causes - are your companies financing? Will those contributions come back to haunt them as prosecutors go after lobbyists for expenditures that could be deemed contributions - or...    more...  

  • Funds vote down political disclosure proxies    September 26, 2005
    Reuters
    Mutual funds, which hold more than 22 percent of U.S. corporate stock, overwhelmingly voted against proposals to require corporations to disclose political contributions in the 2005 proxy season, a new study found.    more...  

  • Missing in Action?    June 15, 2005
    Roll Call
    By Tory Newmyer
    NAM promised to fight vigorously for Bush's judges. Or did it?    more   

  • Proponents Score Several Wins in Spring Season    June/July 2005
    IRRC's Corporate Social Issues Reporter
    By Carolyn Mathiasen and Meg Voorhes
    The spring 2005 proxy season for corporate responsibility issues was notable for a new campaign, led by AFSCME and the state of Minnesota, questioning drug companies on their policies...    more...  

  • J&J, Schering-Plough Boards Will Oversee Donations    May 1, 2005
    Board Alert
    Following the lead set by Morgan Stanley and Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Schering-Plough have agreed to publicly disclose and explain the reasons for their corporate political contributions. The firms' boards, in a move that goes beyond what...    more...  

  • NPR Report on Johnson & Johnson, Schering-Plough Political Disclosure Moves    April 7, 2005
    National Public Radio
    Peter Overby
    National Public Radio covered the decision by pharmaceutical giants Johnson & Johnson and Schering-Plough to disclose and require board oversight of the political contributions they make with corporate funds.    more...  

  • Investors turn focus to political contributions    March 6, 2005
    Chicago Tribune
    By Andrew Countryman
    Amid the scores of shareholder resolutions filed each proxy season, a growing number of investors want to know where companies are spreading their political contributions.    more...  

  • BellSouth, Citigroup, Eli Lilly Urged to Disclose Donations    February 14, 2005
    Bloomberg News Service
    By Jonathan D. Salant
    BellSouth Corp., Citigroup Inc. and Eli Lilly & Co. are among more than 30 companies that will be asked by institutional investors including unions to disclose their political donations and the reasons for them.    more...  

  • Strange Bedfellows    November 1, 2004
    IR Magazine
    By Jana Sanchez
    Enron's collapse in 2001 turned media - and beleagured shareholders' - attention to corporate political donations. The energy giant's political generosity seemed to give its executives particularly former chairman Kenneth Lay,...    more   

  • Election Year Focuses Shareholders on Corporate Political Contributions    September 2004
    By Shelley Alpern
    Until very recently, the socially responsible investment (SRI) movement has devoted relatively little attention to the problem of corporate political giving. Having nothing to do with companies that donate unseemly sums to political causes may sound...    more...  

  • Business behavior is too opaque    August 16, 2004
    Oregon Live.com
    News items remind us of two types of corporate information that should be made prominently available to shareholders, employees and creditors.    more...  

  • Activists Target Political Gifts: Dozens of companies face shareholder resolutions calling for more-detailed accounts of donations    April 26, 2004
    Los Angeles Times
    By Jonathan Peterson
    In an election-year burst of activism, shareholders have targeted dozens of companies with resolutions urging that they provide enhanced, easily accessible details of all their political donations.    more...  

  • U.P. political gifts are questioned    April 16, 2004
    World-Herald
    By Stacie Hamel
    The Washington, D.C.-based center distributed information this week reporting that U.P. made $1,032,022 in corporate contributions in the 2002 election cycle and that the company "gave to conduits that, in turn, contributed to...    more...  

  • 2010 Proxy Season Results: Record Support for Political Disclosure Sends 'Loud and Clear' Message to Companies    June 29, 2010
    Washington, DC -- Shareholders registered a record high level of support for corporate political disclosure and accountability this proxy season, the Center for Political Accountability announced.    more right  

  • CPA Unveils Database on Corporate Political Disclosure and Accountability    June 24, 2010
    Washington, DC -- The Center for Political Accountability has launched a new corporate political accountability and disclosure database to provide a valuable tool for the media, investors and the public and shed greater light on direct and indirect corporate political...    more right  

  • High Votes Show Strong Support for Political Disclosure    May 20, 2010
    Washington - The Center for Political Accountability applauds an exceptionally strong show of support for corporate political disclosure and accountability as Goldman Sachs shareholders voted on a resolution for the investment bank to report its trade association payments...    more right  

  • CPA Receives Ceres Award for Its Pioneering Achievements in Corporate Political Accountability    May 5, 2010
    Washington -- The Center for Political Accountability received yesterday a prestigious award from Ceres and Trillium Asset Management for its pioneering work to establish corporate political disclosure and accountability.    more right  

  • Key Milestone Reached as Half of Trend Setting S&P 100 Adopt Political Disclosure    April 22, 2010
    Washington -- Two new companies have moved to adopt disclosure and oversight of their political spending with corporate dollars. Their action brings to 50, or half, the number of public companies in the trend-setting S&P 100 that have embraced the corporate governance...    more right  

  • CPA-CII Write to 427 Top Companies, Urge Adoption of Political Disclosure and Accountability in Response to Citizens United    February 24, 2010
    Washington, D.C., Feb. 24, 2010 -- The Center for Political Accountability and the Council of Institutional Investors, joined by nearly 50 institutional investors and shareholder advocate groups, today launched a letter campaign to persuade companies in the Standard &...    more right  

  • Citizens United decision makes company political disclosure, corporate governance changes even more critical    January 21, 2010
    Washington DC - “Company disclosure and board oversight of political spending becomes more critical because of the Supreme Court’s sweeping decision allowing unlimited corporate political spending,” the Center for Political Accountability said in a statement.    more right  

  • New companies bring political disclosure to nearly half of trend-setting S&P 100    December 14, 2009 Washington DC - Four new companies have agreed to adopt disclosure and board oversight of political spending with corporate funds, the Center for Political Accountability (CPA) and Newground Social Investment announced today.    more   

  • CPA-Zicklin Center File Amicus Brief Urging Supreme Court to Protect Competition in the Political and Economic Marketplace    July 30, 2009
    Washington, DC - The Center for Political Accountability and the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School warned that lifting long-standing limits on corporate political activity and more recent requirements for...    more right  

  • Political disclosure gains new support among S&P100 companies as 2009 proxy season closes    July 21, 2009
    Washington DC – Four new companies have agreed to adopt disclosure and board oversight of political spending with corporate funds, the Center for Political Accountability (CPA) and Green Century Capital Management, Inc. announced today.    more right  

  • Politico pulls back curtain on the secret funding of 501(c)(4) organizations    July 17, 2009
    Washington, D.C. -- An article in today's Politico exposed an effort by the American Conservative Union, a leading 501(c)(4) organization, to raise $2 million from private mail carrier FedEx. The group said it would support the company on a controversial piece of...    more right  

  • CPA warns that Supreme Court action threatens corporate political accountability, poses serious risk to shareholders    June 30, 2009
    Washington, DC - The Center for Political Accountability warned today that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on June 29, 2009 ordering a new hearing of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission threatened a tidal wave of undisclosed, unaccounted for money in federal and...    more right  

  • 40 Percent Vote at Citi Demonstrates Strong Shareholder Support for Political Disclosure    April 23, 2009
    Washington DC - The Center for Political Accountability hailed the 40 percent vote for a political disclosure resolution at Citigroup Inc.'s annual meeting this past Tuesday as demonstrating surging support for full reporting of the company's political spending.    more right  

  • Political disclosure hits 60 companies, including 40 in the trend-setting S&P 100    March 24, 2009
    Washington DC - As the 2009 proxy season formally opens, the pace of political disclosure is accelerating as seven new companies from a cross-section of American business have agreed to adopt or expand their disclosure of political spending with corporate funds. This brings to...    more...  

  • CPA, Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research urge Supreme Court to uphold political disclosure    February 26, 2009
    Washington DC - The Center for Political Accountability and the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School called on the U.S. Supreme Court to leave in place long-standing limits on corporate political activity and more...    more...  

  • 19 Leading Financial Institutions Receiving TARP Funds Urged to Adopt Political Disclosure    February 23, 2009
    Washington, D.C. – Warning that "gaps in transparency and accountability" contributed to the current economic crisis, shareholder advocates called on 19 financial companies that received more than $1 billion under the U.S. Treasury Department’s Troubled Asset Relief Program...    more...  

  • Sacramento Bee article highlights ballot measure spending abuses examined in CPA report    January 16, 2009
    Washington, D.C. -- An article in the Sacramento Bee yesterday highlighted the abuses of candidate-controlled ballot measure committees that were the focus of the Center for Political Accountability's recent Taking Initiative report.    more...  

  • CPA, Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research call mandatory judicial recusal essential to avoid conflicts of interest    January 8, 2009
    Washington, DC -- To "enable companies to act ethically without sacrificing their right to speak on important public issues," the Center for Political Accountability and the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School called...    more...  

  • CPA Report Shows How Corporate Bankrolling of Ballot Measures Distorts Democratic Process and Puts Companies and Their Shareholders at Risk    December 18, 2008
    Washington, D.C. -- In the wake of one of the most divisive ballot easure battles in American history, the Center for Political Accountability (CPA) has completed a comprehensive study of how corporate bankrolling of initiatives can distort the democratic process and...    more...  

  • In About Face, Top Mutual Funds Support Political Disclosure Resolutions in 2008 Proxy Season    December 11, 2008
    Washington, D.C. -- In a sign of accelerating support from the institutional investor community, at least 13 mutual fund families switched their votes in 2008 to support shareholder resolutions calling on companies to disclose and require board oversight of their political...    more   

  • Politico.com Article Highlights Secret Corporate Political Spending    September 26, 2008
    Washington, D.C. -- An article in Politico.com this week is a timely reminder of the pervasiveness of secret corporate political spending that the Center for Political Accountability (CPA) has been working to eliminate through its political disclosure effort.    more   

  • CPA Calls on US Chamber of Commerce, new c4 Groups to Disclose Questionable Political Spending    July 28, 2008
    Washington, D.C. -- The Center for Political Accountability (CPA) called on the Voter Education Committee (VEC), an organization used by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to conceal its funding of political ads in Washington state, to drop its appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court of a...    more   

  • Political Disclosure Tops 50 Companies    May 28, 2008
    Washington DC - Reaching a major milestone, the number of companies that have adopted political disclosure and accountability reached 51, the Center for Political Accountability (CPA) and its shareholder advocate partners announced today. Prudential Financial (NYSE: PRU),...    more   

  • Key Proxy Advisor Recommends Vote Against AT&T Management on Political Contributions Disclosure    April 21, 2008
    Washington, D.C. - The Center for Political Accountability (CPA) and Domini Social Investments welcomed the support of RiskMetrics Group (RMG) for Domini's shareholder proposal, which calls on AT&T to publicly disclose and require board oversight of its political contributions.    more   

  • Shareholders Call Information Giant McGraw-Hill Hypocritical for    April 3, 2008
    Washington, D.C. - As McGraw-Hill shareholders prepare to vote on proxy proposals this April, a shareholder advocate called the information services company "hypocritical" for blocking a political disclosure proposal that has been adopted by 43 other leading U.S. public companies.    more   

  • Recent Developments Highlight Move Toward Secret Political Spending    April 2, 2008
    Washington, D.C. - Two recent articles highlight continued efforts to hide political spending. One involves a suit by a conservative think tank to overturn West Virginia disclosure requirements for political spending in state races. The other examines the expanded use of...    more   

  • CPA Calls on US Chamber Group to Drop High Court Appeal, End Fight Against Political Disclosure    March 25, 2008
    Washington, D.C. - The Center for Political Accountability (CPA) called on the Voter Education Committee (VEC), an organization used by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to conceal its funding of political ads in Washington state, to drop its appeal to the U.S.    more   

  • Money, Politics, and the Corporate Agenda Big Business in the Political Process    February 25, 2008
    A HOT-BUTTON ISSUE FOR MANY AMERICANS, CORPORATE ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT OF CANDIDATES AND CAMPAIGNS OFFERS BOTH RISKS AND CREWARDS. HOW PREVALENT IS CORPORATE POLITICAL ACTIVITY? WHAT POLICIES GOVERN CORPORATE SPENDING?    more   

  • New Companies Bring Number Adopting Political Spending Disclosure to 38    February 19, 2008
    Washington, D.C. - In a major expansion of company political disclosure, Adobe Systems (NASDAQ: ADBE), United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) and United Technologies (NYSE: UTX) have agreed to report their trade association payments used for political purposes as part of their...    more   

  • CPA Calls on US Chamber of Commerce to Disclose its 2008 Political Spending    January 8, 2008
    Washington, D.C. - The Center for Political Accountability (CPA) today urged the United States Chamber of Commerce, the nation's premier trade association, to disclose the sources and beneficiaries of the more than $60 million it plans to spend in the 2008 elections.    more   

  • Use of Trade Associations, c4s as Conduits for Secret Political Spending Highlighted by Wall Street Journal    December 19, 2007
    Washington, D.C. - The Center for Political Accountability (CPA) applauded the Wall Street Journal for highlighting the growing use of trade associations and "social welfare" organizations to hide political spending. In several reports this and last year, the CPA warned...    more   

  • Washington Post Highlights Growth, Danger of Stealth Political Spending Through 501c4s    December 6, 2007
    Washington, D.C. -- As the Center for Political Accountability (CPA) has been warning, 501(c)(4)s and 501(c)(6)s -- non-profit "social welfare" organizations and trade associations -- are becoming the vehicle for stealth political campaigns. This development was highlighted...    more   

  • Fidelity Shift in 2007 Proxy Season Tips Scales Toward Corporate Political Disclosure    November 15, 2007
    Washington, D.C. - In an important development, top funds in Fidelity, one of the nation's leading mutual fund families, moved from opposing to abstaining on shareholder resolutions calling for corporate political transparency and accountability in 2007, the Center for...    more   

  • Use of 501c4s for Secret Campaign Spending Underscores Need for Corporate Political Disclosure, CPA Warns    November 13, 2007
    Washington, D.C. - The emergence of 501(c)(4) groups as major conduits for secret political money in the 2008 elections reinforces the need for public companies to disclose and require board oversight of their political spending, the Center for Political Accountability...    more   

  • Dell, Oracle Latest Companies to Adopt Political Disclosure    September 26, 2007
    Washington, D.C. -- September 26, 2007. As 2008 proxy season plans get underway, shareholder activists announced today that Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) and Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) have adopted political disclosure and accountability policies. This brings to 33 the number of...    more   

  • CPA Announces New Board Member    September 20, 2007
    Washington, D.C. -- Shelley Alpern, Vice President and Director of Social Research and Advocacy at Trillium Asset Management, and Michael Petro, Vice President and Director of Business and Government Policy and Chief of Staff of the Committee for Economic Development, have...    more   

  • CPA and the Zicklin Center at The Wharton School to Collaborate on Corporate Governance and Corporate Political Accountability Issues    August 24, 2007
    Washington, D.C. -- August 24, 2007. The Center for Political Accountability (CPA) and the Wharton School's Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research announced today a new collaborative effort on corporate governance and corporate political accountability.    more   

  • Gaining Momentum: Number of Companies Adopting Political Disclosure Hits 31    April 4, 2007
    Washington, D.C. - Shareholder activists announced today that 12 new companies have adopted political disclosure and accountability policies, boosting the number to 31. This represents a 63% jump in the past two and a half months.    more   

  • CPA Releases Primer on Corporate Political Spending    March 14, 2007
    Washington, D.C. -- The Center for Political Accountability (CPA) released today a primer on corporate political spending. As the CPA's primer sets forth, corporate political spending takes various forms. The report provides a definition that covers the most common types of...    more   

  • 44 Companies to Face Political Disclosure Shareholder Resolution in 2007 Proxy Season    February 8, 2007
    Washington, D.C. - Forty-four companies -- a record number -- are expected to vote on political disclosure shareholder resolutions in the 2007 proxy season. Based on Center for Political Accountability (CPA) model proposals urging companies to disclose and require board...    more   

  • In Major Expansion, Four Leading Companies Widen Political Disclosure    January 24, 2007
    Washington, D.C. -- In a major expansion of company political disclosure, General Electric (NYSE:GE), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) and American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) have agreed to report their trade association payments used for political purposes as part of their...    more   

  • Monsanto, Verizon, General Dynamics Adopt New Policies for Political Spending    December 20, 2006
    Washington, D.C. - In a major development, three leading public companies -- Verizon (NYSE:VZ), Monsanto (NYSE:MON), and General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) -- have committed to steps that move corporate political disclosure forward.    more   

  • Eight Large Cap Mutual Funds Cast Proxies for Corporate Political Disclosure in 2006    October 10, 2006
    Washington, D.C. - October 10, 2006. In a significant shift, eight of 30 "large cap" U.S. equity mutual funds voted for corporate political disclosure resolutions in the 2006 proxy season, the Center for Political Accountability (CPA) reported today. Previously, the major...    more   

  • General Mills Joins Companies Disclosing Political Spending, Political Disclosure Resolution Leading Vote-Getter in 2006 Proxy Season    July 17, 2006
    Washington, D.C. -- General Mills (NYSE: GIS) became the latest major company to agree to disclosure and board oversight of its corporate political contributions. The company's move came at the close of the most successful proxy season yet for corporate political disclosure....    more   

  • CPA Report Call Trade Associations "Swiss Bank Accounts" for American Politics, Hiding and Spending Corporate Political Funds and Heightening Risks for Shareholders    May 15, 2006
    Washington, D.C. - In a report released today, the Center for Political Accountability (CPA) called trade associations "the Swiss bank accounts of American politics" for their role in helping companies conceal and spend over $100 million in corporate funds. This spending, the...    more   

  • McDonald's, Southern Co. Latest Companies to Adopt Political Transparency and Accountability    April 6, 2006
    Washington, D.C. - McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) and Southern Co. (NYSE:SO) agreed to disclose and have their directors oversee soft money political contributions made with corporate funds, shareholder activists announced today. The groups, Washington-based Center for Political...    more   

  • Shareholders See Risky Corporate Political Behavior As Threat to Shareholder Value, Demand Reform, CPA Poll Finds    April 5, 2006
    Washington, D.C. - An "overwhelming majority" of American shareholders express concern that company political spending 'puts corporations at legal risk and endangers' shareholder value, according to a poll released today. A similar majority want companies to adopt political...    more   

  • Bristol-Myers Squibb and Staples Adopt New Policies for Political Giving, Amgen Board Endorses Political Disclosure Resolution    March 20, 2006
    Washington, D.C. - Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) and Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS ) agreed to disclose and have their directors oversee soft money political contributions made with corporate funds. In addition, Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) became the first company whose board of directors...    more   

  • Pepsico, Coca Cola, and Eli Lilly Adopt New Policies for Political Giving    December 16, 2005
    Three join the growing ranks of companies that provide board oversight and public disclosure of soft money contributions.    more   

  • DeLay Indictment Exposes Company, Shareholder Risks from Secret Political Contributions    September 29, 2005
    Washington, D.C. - The indictment of the No. 2 House leader for Texas campaign finance law violations underscores a much larger problem: undisclosed and unaccountable corporate political contributions invite corruption and threaten shareholder warned Bruce F. Freed,...    more   

  • CPA Finds Big Mutual Funds Continue to Back Companies, Hurt Shareholders by Opposing Corporate Political Disclosure    September 26, 2005
    Washington, D.C. - Twenty seven of 30 large cap U.S. equity mutual funds voted against political disclosure resolutions the second proxy season, the Center for Political Accountability (CPA) reported today. Updating a Common Cause study of mutual fund votes in last year's...    more   

  • Directors Mum on Use of Company Money in Judicial Wars, CPA Survey Finds    June 15, 2005
    Washington, D.C. -- Directors are strikingly silent as a leading trade association threatens to entangle their companies in the divisive judicial wars, the Center for Political Accountability (CPA) found in a survey released today. Indeed, most of the directors queried didn't...    more   

  • Companies Dodge Social Security Reform But Still Fund Administration Push, CPA Survey Finds    May 31, 2005
    Washington, D.C. -- A survey released today by the Center for Political Accountability (CPA) found that more large companies are reluctant, in the face of strong public opposition, to support the Bush administration's plans to overhaul Social Security. However, many of these...    more   

  • CPA Asks Companies to Disclose Participation in Social Security Reform Effort    April 11, 2005
    Washington, D.C. - The Center for Political Accountability (CPA) asked America's largest companies to disclose whether they are spending corporate funds in the Social Security reform debate. The Center's mission is to bring transparency and accountability to corporate...    more   

  • CPA Applauds Two Major Drug Companies for Agreeing to Disclose and Account for their Political Contributions    April 7, 2005
    Washington, D.C. -- The Center for Political Accountability (CPA) today praised Johnson & Johnson and Schering-Plough for agreeing to disclose and have their board of directors oversee their soft money political contributions. The CPA is leading a nationwide campaign to bring...    more   

  • Directors Strongly Support Corporate Political Spending Disclosure, Question Whether Contributions Help Companies, CPA Poll Finds    February 28, 2005
    Washington, D.C. - By strong majorities, directors expressed support for a set of reforms to bring greater transparency to corporate political spending. Two thirds (66%) of directors said that recent corporate scandals involving political activities have “damaged the...    more   

  • Five New Companies Agree to Political Disclosure, Including Trade Associations and c4 Payments    February 28, 2005
    Washington, D.C. -- Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN), Washington Mutual (NYSE: WM), Xerox (NYSE: XRX), Capital One (NYSE: COF) and American Express (NYSE: AXP) have agreed to report their payments to trade associations and other tax-exempt groups used for political purposes...    more   

  • Secret Corporate Political Gifts Harm Shareholders, CPA Study Warns    February 15, 2005
    Washington, D.C. - The Center for Political Accountability (CPA) released today a groundbreaking report that found that corporate secrecy on political contributions harms shareholders by denying them information critical for evaluating management performance and company...    more   

  • CPA Applauds Morgan Stanley for Agreeing to Disclose and Account for its Political Contributions    December 14, 2004
    Washington, D.C. -- The Center for Political Accountability (CPA) today praised Johnson & Johnson and Schering-Plough for agreeing to disclose and have their board of directors oversee their soft money political contributions. The CPA is leading a nationwide campaign to...    more   

  • CPA Endorses Faith-based Investors Shareholder Resolutions Directors at Pharmaceutical Companies    December 8, 2004
    The Center for Political Accountability (CPA) strongly endorses a corporate political contribution disclosure and accountability resolution filed at the six major U.S. pharmaceutical companies by faith-based shareholders and their allies.    more   

  • Center for Political Accountability Urges Companies to Heed Shareholder Demands to Disclose Political Contributions    May 19, 2004
    Washington, DC - The Center for Political Accountability (CPA) today called on corporations to listen to the growing numbers of shareholders calling full disclosure of their political contributions, now that Republicans and Democrats are primed to pressure them to support "527"...    more   

  • Require Altria to Disclose Political Contributions, Center for Political Accountability Urges Company Shareholders    April 29, 2004
    Washington, DC - A landmark resolution asking the Altria Group to disclose its political contributions and the business reason for making them will be taken up at the company's annual meeting, on Thursday, April 29, in East Hanover, New Jersey.    more   

  • Center for Political Accountability Urges Wells Fargo to Hold Vote on Political Disclosure Resolution    April 21, 2004
    Washington, DC - The Center for Political Accountability (CPA), a public interest group, urged Wells Fargo & Co.'s CEO today to let shareholders speak at the company's annual meeting on a landmark political disclosure resolution. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April...    more   

  • Letter to the Editor - Omaha World-Herald    April 20, 2004
    In an Omaha World-Herald article published on April 16, a spokesperson for Union Pacific Corp. claimed that UP's employee-funded political action committee, not the company itself, contributed in the last election cycle to Americans for a Republican Majority (ARM), a...    more   

  • Union Pacific Shareholders Press Company to Disclose Political Contributions    April 12, 2004
    Washington, DC - As part of a campaign to bring transparency and accountability to corporate political contributions, the Center for Political Accountability (CPA) is urging Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) shareholders to support a resolution that asks to disclose and...    more   

  • Center for Political Accountability Urges SEC to Require Corporate Political Disclosure    April 8, 2004
    Washington, DC - The Center for Political Accountability (CPA) has called on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to require public companies disclose their political contribution policies and practices.    more   

  • Show Him the Money    July 7, 2010
    Washington Monthly
    by James Verini
    Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, has a well-developed talent for self-promotion. He makes a point of being the last person on any stage, and he leaves no detail to chance. The Chamber’s...    more right  

  • Corporate cash ready to flow into Minnesota elections    June 17, 2010
    Minneapolis Star Tribune
    by Baird Helgeson and Pat Doyle
    A new political organization, backed by two of the state's most powerful business interests and led by one of Gov. Tim Pawlenty's top deputies, could result in a powerful wave of corporate cash in this...    more right  

  • Arizona Blocked from Subsidizing State Candidates Facing Privately-funded foes    June 9, 2010
    Washington Post
    by Robert Barnes
    The Supreme Court stepped into another campaign finance controversy on Tuesday when it blocked Arizona from distributing campaign subsidies to publicly funded candidates facing big-spending opponents.    more right  

  • Court Issues Injunction Against FEC in Speechnow case    June 4, 2010
    Blog of Legal Times
    by Marcia Coyle
    The federal district court in Washington yesterday issued an injunction barring the Federal Election Commission from enforcing contribution limits against SpeechNow.org and its donors.    more right  

  • Interest Groups Prepared to Spend Record Amounts in 2010 Elections    June 3, 2010
    Washington Post
    by Dan Eggen
    Interest groups are gearing up to spend record amounts of money on this year's congressional and state elections, as liberals seek to shore up Democratic defenses and conservative and business groups plan a well-funded push on behalf...    more right  

  • Consumer Report: Insurance Industry Spending Over $17 Million to Influence Outcome of June 8th Election    June 2, 2010
    PRNewswire-USNewswire
    SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Insurers and the political action committees they fund have spent more than $17 million dollars on candidates and one ballot initiative to quietly influence the outcome of Tuesday's...    more right  

  • Another Year, More Secret Spending    June 1, 2010
    National Journal
    by Eliza Newlin Carney
    Critics have found a lot to hate about the so-called Disclose Act, the new campaign finance bill that congressional Democrats are pushing to enact by July 4.    more right  

  • Norfolk Southern Investors Reject More Disclosure    May 15, 2010
    Virginian Pilot
    A majority of Norfolk Southern Corp. shareholders rejected a proposal Thursday that pushed for greater disclosure of company spending on political campaigns. At the railroad's annual meeting in Williamsburg, 67 percent of shareholder votes cast...    more right  

  • GOP Governors Group Swings Into Action    May 4, 2010
    Wall Street Journal
    by Douglas A. Blackmon
    EDGARTOWN, Mass.—A week ago, Massachusetts state treasurer Timothy Cahill, a conservative onetime Democrat now running for governor as an independent, thought he had just two serious opponents: Democratic incumbent Gov....    more right  

  • Money Talks Loudly in California Election    May 2, 2010
    Los Angeles Times
    by Michael Hiltzik
    Now that the "Money Talks" California election of 2010 is in full swing, it's timely to examine just how loudly the millions of dollars being spent by major corporations at the ballot box are speaking, and what they're saying.    more right  

  • Riding Herd on Company Management    April 27, 2010
    Wall Street Journal
    by Roger Ferguson
    In his speech last Thursday at New York City's Cooper Union, just a few blocks from Wall Street, President Obama called for reforms to provide shareholders a stronger say in the governance of companies in which they invest.    more right  

  • Party Allies Raising Millions    April 17, 2010
    National Journal by Peter H. Stone
    In the next month or so, the American Action Network, a self-styled "action tank," plans to launch a pricey political blitz with television and other ads in several states to boost the fortunes of Republican members who...    more right  

  • Complaints from Jerry Brown prompt California Chamber of Commerce to pull ad    April 9, 2010
    Los Angeles Times
    by Anthony York and Michael Rothfeld
    The California Chamber of Commerce on Thursday said it would stop airing an ad attacking Jerry Brown amid objections from members of the organization, some of whom received calls from Brown and his wife...    more right  

  • Mining Interests are Heavily Invested on Capitol Hill    April 9, 2010
    Washington Post
    by Dan Eggen
    The mining industry, which finds itself under renewed scrutiny this week after dozens of fatalities at a West Virginia coal mine, wields major political clout in Washington thanks to hefty campaign contributions to GOP lawmakers...    more right  

  • Secert Funding of U.S. Chamber's Political Ads May be Outlawed    April 7, 2010
    Bloomberg
    by Jonathan D. Salent and Mark Drajem
    April 7 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. companies would lose their ability to secretly finance political advertising run by organizations such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce under a bill being considered by Democratic...    more right  

  • Big Money Flows to State Races    April 5, 2010
    Wall Street Journal
    by Brody Mullins
    WASHINGTON—Labor unions, corporations and wealthy individuals are preparing to break spending records to influence the November elections. But more than in recent years, they will be focusing on races for governor and state...    more right  

  • Fundraising for states' high-court races    March 31, 2010
    USA Today
    by Fredreka Schouten
    Candidates for seats on state supreme courts or equivalent judicial bodies raised more than $34 million for their elections in 2008. Twenty states held high-court contests that year, and candidates' fundraising topped $1...    more right  

  • Business Bids to Shape Health Changes- Chamber of Commerce Plans Effort to Challenge New Regulations    March 28, 2010
    Wall Street Journal
    by Janet Adamy
    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is planning a broad effort to blunt the health overhaul by trying to shape its regulatory language and spending heavily to unseat vulnerable Democrats who voted for it.    more right  

  • Pro-Business Lobbying Blitz Takes on Obama's Plan for Wall Street Overhaul    March 28, 2010
    New York Times
    by Eric Lichtblau and Edward Wyatt
    WASHINGTON — With the Obama administration looking to score another major legislative victory, an array of pro-business groups and fiscal conservatives are mounting a well-financed campaign to scale back or...    more right  

  • Rulings Split on Campaign Fundraising    March 27, 2010
    Los Angeles Times
    by David G. Savage
    A three-judge panel rejects a GOP challenge to limits on direct contributions to candidates or political parties. A D.C. appeals court rules that independent groups may spend as much as they wish.    more right  

  • Courts Ruling on Funding of Campaigns    March 27, 2010
    Wall Street Journal
    by Jess Bravin
    Federal courts began reshaping campaign-finance law in light of a January Supreme Court decision lifting some political-spending limits. The rulings Friday set the stage for future court action that Republicans hope will...    more right  

  • After victory, conservatives mount new challenges to campaign finance limits    March 26, 2010
    Washington Post
    by Tomoeh Murakami Tse
    In a small office overlooking Indiana's Highway 40, James Bopp Jr. is preparing a nationwide assault on campaign finance regulations...    more right  

  • Political Non-Profits Ramp up Rhetoric    March 25, 2010
    USA Today
    by Fredreka Schouten
    WASHINGTON — A little-known group, the Committee for Truth in Politics, recently made a big splash: It spent $5 million on television ads denouncing Democratic efforts in Congress to impose new regulations on the financial...    more right  

  • States try to adapt to Supreme Court's campaign finance ruling    March 25, 2010
    Washington Post
    by Dan Eggen
    Many states are scrambling to react to the Supreme Court's landmark ruling this year that loosened restrictions on corporate and union spending in elections.    more right  

  • The First Corporate Ad    March 24, 2010
    The Texas Tribune
    by Ross Ramsey
    The first political ads bought by a corporation in Texas appeared in East Texas newspapers just weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court effectively ended the state's ban on that kind of spending.    more right  

  • U.S. Chamber Grows into Major Poltiical Force    March 8, 2010
    Los Angeles Times by Tom Hamburger
    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is building a large-scale grass-roots political operation that has begun to rival those of the major political parties, funded by record-setting amounts of money raised from corporations and...    more right  

  • Decision Could Allow Anonymous Political Contributions by Businesses    February 27, 2010
    New York Times
    by Griff Palmer
    The Supreme Court decision last month allowing corporations to spend unlimited money on behalf of political candidates left a loophole that campaign finance lawyers say could allow companies to pay for extensive political...    more right  

  • Lobby Firm Tells Clients How to Sway Elections While Avoiding 'Public Scrutiny'    February 17, 2010
    Talking Points Memo
    by Zachary Roth
    Last Month's Citizens U In the wake of last month’s Citizens United ruling, a powerhouse Washington lobbying firm is informing its corporate clients on how they can use middlemen like the Chamber of Commerce to pour...    more right  

  • PG&E Amps up Bid for Power    February 10, 2010
    Los Angeles Times
    by Michael Hiltzik
    The utility's initiative has become Proposition 16, which is written broadly to apply to all public power systems. By undermining all competition from public power agencies, it will benefit no one except...    more right  

  • The Corporations Already Outspend the Parties    February 1, 2010
    The Atlantic
    by Marc Ambinder
    For the first time in recent history, the lobbying, grassroots and advertising budget of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has surpassed the spending of the national committees of BOTH the Republican National Committee and Democratic...    more right  

  • Campaign Finance ruling leaves Democrats with few options    January 23, 2010
    Washington Post
    by Dan Eggen and Ben Pershing
    Frustrated Democrats began laying plans Friday to chip away at a landmark Supreme Court decision unleashing corporate expenditures in political campaigns, but the ruling's broad sweep will make it difficult to...    more right  

  • High Court Decision May Bring 'Cascade' of Election Spending    January 22, 2010
    Bloomberg
    by Jonathan D. Salant and Lorraine Woellert
    Jan. 22 (Bloomberg) -- A U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down federal restrictions on corporate political spending may pump millions of dollars into the 2010 campaign from companies with stakes in...    more right  

  • Chamber of Commerce Warns Lawmakers it Will Play Election Hardball    January 12, 2010
    CQ Today
    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said Tuesday that it will try to stop several bills that it views as trouble for the economy, and the group warned lawmakers that it will involve itself in House and Senate races this year. Thomas J. Donohue, president and...    more right  

  • Health Insurers Funded Chamber Attack Ads    January 12, 2010
    National Journal - Under the Influence
    by Peter H. Stone
    Just as dealings with the Obama administration and congressional Democrats soured last summer, six of the nation's biggest health insurers began quietly pumping big money into third-party television...    more right  

  • Courts Roll Back Election Spending Limits    January 9, 2010
    New York Times
    by David D. Kirkpatrick
    WASHINGTON- Even before a landmark Supreme Court ruling on campaign finance law expected within days, a series of other court decisions is reshaping the political battlefield by freeing corporations, unions and other...    more right  

  • How Interest Groups Behind Health Care Legislation are Financed is Often Unclear    January 7, 2010
    Washington Post
    by Dan Eggen
    Many of the Washington interest groups that are seeking to shape final health-care legislation in the coming weeks operate with opaque financing, often receiving hidden support from insurers, drugmakers or unions.    more right  

  • Tiny Group of Deep-Pocketed Contributors Fueling U.S. Chamber's Advocacy    November 24, 2009
    New York Times-Greenwire
    by Anne C. Mulkern
    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce often says it speaks for 3 million members, businesses both large and small. What it doesn't promote as readily is that 19 supporters last year provided a third of the trade group's...    more right  

  • Storm Over the Chamber    November 19, 2009
    New York Times
    by John Broder
    BACK in the 1990s when Thomas J. Donohue was president of the American Trucking Associations, a subordinate raised a question at a staff meeting. Some of the association’s members, the aide said, wondered whether it was...    more right  

  • Chamber spent $1.6 million in last week    November 18, 2009
    Politico
    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has spent at least $1.6 million in the last ten days targeting nine House battleground Democrats who voted for the passage of the health reform package, according to a list of ad buys obtained by POLITICO.    more right  

  • Supreme Court Ruling Could Play Role in 2010 Governor's Races    November 17, 2009
    USA Today
    by Fredreka Schouten
    If the Supreme Court opens the door to more corporate money in political campaigns, it could affect laws in nearly two dozen states and a host of governor's races next year, including high-profile contests in Texas and...    more right  

  • Chamber's Donohue Keeps Cash Coming After PG&E, Apple Defect    November 12, 2009
    Bloomberg
    By Mark Drajem and Daniel Whitten
    Nov. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. and three other members of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce quit over its opposition to climate-change legislation. President Barack Obama denounced the group for “spending...    more right  

  • Drug Makers are Advocacy Group's Biggest Donors    October 22, 2009
    New York Times
    by Gardiner Harris
    WASHINGTON A majority of the donations made to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one of the nation's most influential disease advocacy groups, have come from drug makers in recent years, according to Congressional...    more right  

  • Exit Through Lobby    October 19, 2009
    The New Yorker
    by James Surowiecki
    Resigning in protest is not in the American grain. Robert McNamara stuck around as Secretary of Defense even after he decided that the Vietnam War was a disaster; Colin Powell did the same during the Bush Administration's...    more right  

  • Chamber Divided on Climate Change    October 18, 2009
    Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    by Len Boselovic
    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has lost a handful of influential members over its opposition to climate change legislation being considered by Congress.    more right  

  • Chamber Defections Cast Shadow Over Latest Effort    October 15. 2009
    Roll Call
    by Anna Palmer
    As the U.S. Chamber of Commerce rolled out its multimillion-dollar Campaign for Free Enterprise on Wednesday with all the pomp and circumstance of a political campaign rally, the business group was still dogged by questions...    more right  

  • Some companies cool to chambers' stance on climate change legislation    October 15, 2009
    Finance and Commerce
    by Bob Geiger
    Minnesota businesses increasingly are saying that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which opposes a U.S. Senate energy bill that could cap greenhouse gas emissions, does not speak for them.    more right  

  • Asset Managers, Religious Groups Turn up Heat on U.S. Chamber, NAM    October 14, 2009
    E&E
    by Michael Burnham
    Forty-three asset managers and allied groups -- including the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, Maryknoll Sisters and Dominican Sisters of Hope -- stepped up pressure today on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Association of...    more right  

  • Businesses Clash with U.S. Chamber over Climate Change    October 14, 2009
    Minnesota Public Radio
    by Stephanie Hemphill
    Businesses clash with U.S. chamber over climate change legislation by Stephanie Hemphill, Minnesota Public Radio October 14, 2009 St. Paul, Minn. — Some Minnesota businesses are opposing the U.S. Chamber of...    more right  

  • Shareholders Urge Companies to Challenge U.S. Chamber, NAM Over Climate Change Position    October 14, 2009
    North American Windpower
    by NAW Staff
    In letters to 14 top companies, 43 investors and investment-focused organizations encouraged the companies to end the contradiction between their own policies and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's and National Association...    more right  

  • Coalition Calls on 14 CEOs to Drop Chamber Memberships    October 14,
    Pension & Investments
    The CEOs of Air Products & Chemicals, Alcoa, American Electric Power and 11 other companies were urged to withdraw their memberships from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Associations of Manufacturers over disagreements on...    more right  

  • Campaign Finance Laws Face a Reset    October 13, 2009
    Politico
    by Jeanne Cummings
    A series of court decisions expected this fall could put the nation on track to return to turn-of-the-century campaign finance laws.    more right  

  • Chamber CEO takes Steve Jobs to task in climate row    October 7, 2009
    Greenwire
    by Michael Burnham
    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is defending its climate policy positions in a new and very public way. Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue sent Apple CEO Steve Jobs a letter yesterday that questions the computer maker's...    more right  

  • Chamber Tries to Stop Climate Bleeding    October 7, 2009
    CongressDaily
    by Darren Goode
    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Tuesday looked to stanch the bleeding of recent defections over differences on climate change. They did so even as several dozen businesses this week increased their visibility on Capitol Hill to...    more right  

  • Does the U.S. Chamber Speak for Big Business?    October 7, 2009
    Business Week
    by Jane Sasseen
    There aren't many who would willingly take on Apple (AAPL) icon Steve Jobs—and lecture him on technology. But Thomas J. Donohue, the combative head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, isn't one to step away from a fight.    more right  

  • 'Hot Button' Climate Issue Spotlights How U.S. Chamber Sets Policy    October 6, 2009
    Greenwire
    by Anne C. Mulkern
    U.S. Chamber of Commerce staff decides the trade group's climate and energy policy positions without approval from the board of directors, Nike Inc. charged as it formulated a plan to call for greater chamber openness.    more right  

  • Chamber of Overstated Horrors    October 3, 2009
    Boston Globe
    Globe Editorial
    IT IS refreshing to see three energy companies - the nuclear power operator Exelon; Pacific Gas and Electric; and New Mexico’s largest electricity provider, PNM - quitting the US Chamber of Commerce over that organization’s...    more right  

  • Investor Advocates Press Business Groups Over Climate Policy    October 2, 2009
    New York Times
    by Michael Burnham
    Progressive investor funds and their allies are increasing pressure on powerful Washington business associations to alter their climate change policy positions, following the high-profile departure of three electric...    more right  

  • Exelon Quits U.S. Chamber Over Rift on Climate Bill    September 29
    Wall Street Journal
    By Cassandra Sweet
    Exelon Corp. on Monday became the third big utility in the past week to quit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over the influential business group's stance against federal climate-change legislation.    more right  

  • P&E, Duke Energy Walkout Show U.S. Splits on Climate    September 29, 2009
    Bloomberg News
    By Daniel Whitten
    Sept. 29 (Bloomberg) -- PG&E Corp. quit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Nike Inc. and Johnson & Johnson criticized the group for its stance. Duke Energy Corp. resigned from the National Association of Manufacturers.    more right  

  • Armey's Army Marches against Obama    September 27, 2009
    Washington Post
    By Ben Pershing
    Richard K. Armey has been an economics professor, House leader, corporate lobbyist and a blunt-talking critic of his fellow Republicans. Now, at the vanguard of a looselyknit band of opponents of President Obama's agenda,...    more right  

  • Utility Quits Alliance Over Climate Change    September 23, 2009
    New York Times
    By Kate Galbraith
    Amid a growing split in the business community over climate policy, Pacific Gas and Electric, a major California utility, is withdrawing from the United States Chamber of Commerce, citing “fundamental differences” with...    more   

  • Court Backs Outside Groups Political Spending    September 19, 2009
    New York Times
    by David D. Kirkpatrick
    WASHINGTON — The federal appeals court for the District of Columbia ruled Friday that the government cannot restrict independent political spending by nonprofit groups or political committees, accelerating the...    more   

  • Supreme Court hears arguments for corporate funding of candidates    September 10, 2009
    Los Angeles Times
    By David G. Savage
    The Supreme Court's conservative bloc sounded poised Wednesday to strike down on free-speech grounds a 102-year-old ban against corporations spending large amounts of money to elect or defeat congressional and...    more right  

  • A Century-Old Principle-Keep Corporate Money Out of Politics    August 11, 2009
    New York Times
    By Adam Cohen
    The founders were wary of corporate influence on politics — and their rhetoric sometimes got pretty heated. In an 1816 letter, Thomas Jefferson declared his hope to “crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed...    more right  

  • Exclusive: Conservative group offers to sell endorsement for $2M    July 17, 2009
    Politico
    By Mike Allen
    The American Conservative Union asked FedEx for a check for $2 million to $3 million in return for the group's endorsement in a bitter legislative dispute, then flipped and sided with UPS after FedEx refused to pay.    more right  

  • Justices may end campaign finance ban on corporations    June 30, 2009
    Los Angeles Times
    By David G. Savage
    The high court delays a decision until next term on whether a documentary critical of Hillary Clinton can be regulated as a type of campaign ad.    more...  

  • Campaign Finance Rules May Take A Beating    May 18, 2009
    National Journal
    By Eliza Newlin Carnery
    Even as Congress and the Obama administration mull a new round of campaign finance regulations, a series of legal challenges threatens to dismantle the existing rules, election law experts warn.    more right  

  • Duke Energy ditches manufacturing group    May 8, 2009
    Politico
    By Lisa Lerer
    Duke Energy won't renew its membership in the National Association of Manufacturers, in part because of disagreements with the lobbying group's stance on climate change policy.    more right  

  • Chamber under fire on warming    May 5, 2009
    Politico
    By Lisa Lerer
    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is taking head from Johnson & Johnson, Nike and other corporate members over its opposition to global warming legislation pending in the House.    more right  

  • Lobbying Groups Ramp Up Spending on Issue Ads    April 20, 2009
    The Wall Street Journal
    By Christopher Conkey and Brody Mullins
    Washington - A pilots group on Monday launched an advertising campaign designed to shoot down an Obama administration proposal to levy new user fees on planes, part of a surge in spending on issue...    more right  

  • He Doesn't Let Money Managers Off the Hook    April 12, 2009
    The New York Times
    Gretchen Morgenson
    Every once in a while, if only for sanity's sake, it is wise to leave our bankrupt era behind and seek out a bit of wisdom from a moral authority.    more right  

  • Not Quite a Confession, But a Good Start    April 8, 2009
    The Washington Post
    Steven Pearlstein
    For the past year, as the nation has engaged in a heated debate about how we got into the current financial mess and how we're going to get out of it, there's been one group noticeably missing from the conversation: leaders...    more right  

  • FEC, IRS Decline to Pursue Complaints On Political Ads by Secretive Organization    March 19, 2009
    BNA Money and Politics Report
    By Kenneth P. Doyle
    Americans for Job Security, a conservative, pro-business group has spent about $40 million since its founding a decade ago, nearly all of it for political advertising that favors Republican congressional...    more...  

  • Empty Disclosure    March 19, 2009
    Center for Responsive Politics
    By Lindsay Renick Mayer
    Some lobbyists appear to collect money for nothing--more than half a billion dollars from clients over the last decade, Center finds.    more right  

  • Nonprofits Wield Some Serious Campaign Cash    March 8, 2009
    CQ Today Online News
    By Bart Jansen
    Fueled by anonymous, unlimited contributions, nonprofit organizations have emerged as the latest weapon of choice in political advertising, rivaling congressional campaign committees in the last election cycle.    more...  

  • Exclusive: Bailout recipients keep donating    February 19, 2009
    The Washington Times
    By Jennifer Haberkorn
    Wall Street executives have pleaded economic ruin, secured hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer assistance and been pilloried for their business excesses. But none of that has curbed their appetite for...    more...  

  • FPPC targets ballot campaign accounts    January 15, 2009
    The Sacramento Bee
    By S Goldmacher
    Assembly Speaker Karen Bass used hers to fund voter registration efforts to elect more Democrats. Former Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata used his to bolster his legal defense fund. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger used his...    more...  

  • Prop. 8 supporters file challenge to campaign donor laws    January 8, 2009
    Sacramento Bee
    By A Rojas
    The Proposition 8 campaign has filed a federal suit challenging the constitutionality of California's campaign finance laws that compel disclosure of personal information by campaign donors who they said have been threatened and...    more...  

  • Wall Street: It's payback time    January 6, 2009
    Fortune Magazine
    By Roger Parloff
    In today's dire financial climate, what exactly should a CEO say when it's time to hold that quarterly earnings call with analysts and the media? On the one hand, he could try refreshing candor and say, "Look, let's be...    more right  

  • The Crisis Last Time    November 7, 2008
    The New York Times Book Review
    By Richard Parker
    For writers who seek to influence public affairs, timing plays a paramount role. And few writers have had better timing than Adolf Augustus Berle.    more...  

  • Independent groups up spending    October 10, 2008
    USA TODAY
    By Fredreka Schouten
    Spending by independent political groups in congressional races is surging in the final weeks before Election Day, in some cases surpassing what candidates themselves are pumping into close contests. Since Sept. 1, nine groups...    more...  

  • Business, Labor Groups Zero In On a Few Close Senate Contests    October 9, 2008
    Wall Street Journal
    By T.W. FARNAM
    Business and labor groups are ramping up advertising in a handful of Senate races, seeing that chamber as the battleground that will have an outsize impact on the next administration's policies, regardless of which party...    more right  

  • Partisan Fighting for Your Business    October 9, 2008
    The Washington Post
    By Mary Ann Akers And Paul Kane
    Congressional Democrats and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are back in that comfortable position they've long enjoyed -- mortal enemies. After working together last week to pass the $700 billion rescue...    more...  

  • Business Nervously Eyes the Senate    July 26, 2008
    National Journal
    By Peter H. Stone
    In the business community, the fundraising mantra these days sounds a lot like "It's the Senate, stupid." There are 23 Republican Senate seats up this year versus 12 Democratic ones, and fundraising by several GOP candidates...    more...  

  • McCain Allies Find Finance-Law Holes    July 3, 2008
    Wall Street Journal
    By Brody Mullins and T.W. Farnam
    Allies of Sen. John McCain have found new loopholes in the campaign-finance law he helped write -- and they're using them to reel in huge contributions to help him compete with Sen. Barack Obama.    more right  

  • When Political Giving Doesn't Pay    June 1, 2008
    Directorship
    Aaron Bernstein
    As the 2008 presidential election hits full stride, your company may be inclined to shell outâ?? through the legal channels of PACs, 527s, and other avenuesâ??to the candidate perceived to be in the best interest of your company or...    more...  

  • McCain Campaign Calls; A Nonprofit Steps In    May 31, 2008
    The Washington Post
    By Robert O'Harrow Jr.
    For weeks, Republican presidential candidate John McCain had been hammered for supporting the Air Force's February decision to award a $40 billion contract for refueling tankers to Northrop Grumman and its European...    more...  

  • For American Judges, Rendering Justice, With One Eye on Re-election    May 25, 2008
    The New York Times
    By Adam Liptak
    Last month, Wisconsin voters did something that is routine in the United States but virtually unknown in the rest of the world: They elected a judge.    more right  

  • Accounting Information as Political Currency    May 12, 2008
    Harvard Business School
    By Martha Lagace
    Corporate donations to political campaigns reveal a lot about mutual back-scratching in the political and business arenas. Now new research from Harvard Business School reveals that corporate giving may consist of more...    more...  

  • Dragging Big Business to Disclosure    April 24, 2008
    The New York Times
    Resisting every inch of the way, the powerful National Association of Manufacturers has finally agreed to follow Congress's new ethics law and disclose which of its members have been funding its lobbying operations on Capitol Hill. Welcome to...    more...  

  • Climate Issues Divide U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Big Members    April 17, 2008
    Wall Street Journal
    By Elizabeth Williamson
    Thomas Donohue built the U.S. Chamber of Commerce into Washington's biggest spending lobbying group by seizing the opportunities of a pro-business, Republican decade. But as Washington tilts more Democratic, populist...    more right  

  • The Selling of the Judiciary: Campaign Cash 'in the Courtroom'    April 15, 2008
    The New York Times
    By Dorothy Samuels
    "We put cash in the courtrooms, and it's just wrong," Sandra Day O'Connor, the former Supreme Court justice, declared at the start of a conference in New York last week on a growing threat to judicial independence and...    more...  

  • Interest-Group Campaign Spending Nears Record    February 5, 2008
    Wall Street Journal
    By T.W. Farnam and Brody Mullins
    Spending by interest groups in the current presidential campaign is on pace to far exceed the record amount spent by outside groups in the last presidential election -- and could top $1 billion for the...    more   

  • Stealthy Groups Shake Up Races    February 4, 2008
    Wall Street Journal
    By Brody Mullins
    Election results from Florida were still rolling in last Tuesday evening when Patrick Davis began plotting to help his candidate, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, in tomorrow's slate of Super Tuesday contests. He...    more right  

  • A Conservative Answer to MoveOn    January 20, 2008
    The Washington Post
    By Paul Kane and Jonathan Weisman
    When a group of former White House aides formed a political advocacy group called Freedom's Watch last summer, its initial wave of ads featured battered Iraq war veterans pleading for support for...    more right  

  • Chamber of Commerce vows to punish anti-business candidates    January 8, 2008
    Los Angeles Times
    By Tom Hamburger
    Alarmed at the increasingly populist tone of the 2008 political campaign, the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is set to issue a fiery promise to spend millions of dollars to defeat candidates deemed to be...    more...  

  • Donor money talks, often in a whisper    December 29, 2007
    Los Angeles Times
    By Nancy Vogel
    A massage for a lawmaker's wife. Circus tickets for his kids. Keys to a mountain cabin for the weekend. A donation to his favorite charity or one that flies him across the world on an "educational" trip. There are many...    more...  

  • Nonprofits Become A Force in Primaries    December 5, 2007
    The Washington Post
    By John Solomon and Matthew Mosk
    Nonprofit groups created to educate the public and lobby on issues have started inserting themselves into the presidential primaries, adding an unexpected wild card to wide-open elections in both parties.    more right  

  • TrustHuckabee Calling    December 4, 2007
    The Washington Post
    Editorial
    GO TO TrustHuckabee.com, and you'll see what appears to be a typical campaign Web site. "Governor Huckabee can win the Iowa Caucuses if you commit yourself to attending your Precinct Caucus and become a Precinct Captain," it...    more right  

  • Lifting the Curtain on Corporate Contributions    November 16, 2007
    CondeNast Portfolio.com
    by Megan Barnett
    During the first six months of 2007, Pfizer spent $128,969 from its corporate checkbook on political donations to Democratic and Republican politicians. It doled out another $614,300 to various party committees and...    more...  

  • Corporate Political Contributions: Investment or Agency?    November 16, 2007
    University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management
    Abstract: We examine corporate contributions to political candidates for federal offices in the United States from 1991 to 2004. We find that firms that donate have operating characteristics consistent with...    more right  

  • A New Channel for Soft Money Starts Flowing    November 12, 2007
    The New York Times
    By Jim Rutenberg and David D. Kirkpatrick
    The so-called Wounded Warriors Act, legislation intended to improve health care for veterans, has attracted nearly unanimous, bipartisan support in Congress. So why would the newly formed...    more...  

  • Show Us Your Money: Halting the Use of Trade Organizations as Trade Organizations as Convert Conduits for Corporate Campaign Contributions    October 1, 2007
    Journal of Corporation Law
    By Shayla Kasel
    The US Chamber of Commerce (the Chamber) is the world's largest business federation, and the most financially influential trade organization. The Chamber is one of the top independent organizational contributors to...    more...  

  • Resolved: Public Corporations Shall Take Us Seriously    August 12, 2007
    New York Daily Magazine
    By Dashka Slater
    Daly's order, the Sisters of Saint Dominic of Caldwell, N.J., owns about 300 of the 5.5 billion Exxon Mobile shares outstanding, but she has used those few shares to keep the company talking about an issue that it...    more...  

  • Proxy bids more than hot air    June 4, 2007
    Financial Week
    By Jeff Nash
    With the 2008 election season ramping up, investors are increasingly asking companies to better disclose their political contributions' and in many cases, they're getting what they asked for.    more right  

  • To Conceal Donors, Some Political Groups Look to the Tax Code    April 17, 2007
    The Washington Post
    By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
    An increasing number of organizations working to influence elections also are working to hide who is paying for their activities.    more...  

  • Industry Giants Opening Up on Politics    April 11, 2007
    Roll Call
    By Tory Newmyer
    The transparency tide sweeping Capitol Hill is reaching corporate suites far outside the Beltway.
    A dozen companies this month announced they are the latest to join a growing list of business giants pledging to disclose more...    more...  

  • More Firms to Make Political Disclosures    April 5, 2007
    CFO.com
    By Stephen Taub
    The transparency tide sweeping Capitol Hill is reaching corporate suites far outside the Beltway.
    A dozen companies have recently adopted political disclosure and accountability policies, according to a group of shareholder...    more...  

  • Subtle Shift: Business Lobby Hedges Its Bets By Supporting More Democrats    September 22, 2006
    Wall Street Journal
    By Jeanne Cummings
    Freshman Democratic Rep. Melissa Bean of Illinois is facing the Republican Party machine in her re-election bid. Vice President Dick Cheney and House Speaker Dennis Hastert have headlined money-raising events for her...    more...  

  • The End of Legal Bribery    June 2006
    Washington Monthly
    By Jeffrey Birnbaum
    So far, the scandal surrounding disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff has produced some vivid and memorable examples of modern Washington graft--skybox tickets, pricey restaurant meals, golf junkets to Scotland. Yet at the center...    more...  

  • Loophole in 527s Shields Donors    April 27, 2005
    Roll Call
    Suzanne Nelson
    As Congress debates what to do about 527 groups, the independent political organizations that spent almost a half-billion dollars to influence the 2004 elections, an underlying assumption has been that while the groups raised...    more right  

  • Sunshine is the Best Disinfectant    January 1, 2005
    Business Ethics
    By Marc Gunther
    A new standard for best practice in corporate political donations is being set today, as leading firms respond to pressures to disclose soft-money political donations. Morgan Stanley became the first major U.S. company to agree...    more...  

  • In the U.S., Some Big Names Have Lost Luster    November 15, 2004
    Wall Street Journal
    By Ronald Alsop
    Ask Michael Kitchens what comes to mind when he hears the name Walt Disney Co., and it won't be Mickey Mouse or Disney World. What he thinks of first: "Michael Eisner and overblown salaries."    more right  

  • Bleeding Heart Businesses    November 14, 2004
    The Washington Post
    By Marc Gunther
    Compassionate capitalism. Think it sounds like an oxymoron? Think again. Even as America is supposedly turning conservative on social issues, big business is moving in the other direction.    more...  

  • SEC Should Require Corporations to Disclose Political Contributions    September 5, 2004
    San Jose Mercury News
    Editorial
    Maybe you contribute to political campaigns. Maybe you don't. Or maybe you do, but don't know about it. If you own stocks, directly or through mutual funds, some of your money is going into politics. As a shareholder,...    more...  

  • Domini Social Impact Update- Fourth Quarter 2004    September 1, 2004
    Domini Social Investments
    Social Impact Update
    Every year, we draft and file "shareholder resolutions"to appear on corporate proxy statements in the spring. Each resolution presents an important social or environmental issue, and seeks approval from the...    more right  

  • Feds asked to suspend PAC probe: Contributions legal, U.S. attorney is told    April 26, 2004
    Houston Chronicle
    By R.G. Ratcliffe
    A national conservative group is asking federal prosecutors to drop an investigation into the financial activities of a political committee founded by U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land. The American...    more...  

  • U.P. political gifts are questioned    April 16, 2004
    World-Herald
    By Stacie Hamel
    The Washington, D.C.-based center distributed information this week reporting that U.P. made $1,032,022 in corporate contributions in the 2002 election cycle and that the company "gave to conduits that, in turn, contributed to...    more...  

  • Right Wing 527s in Temporary Hiatus    March 1, 2004
    Roll Call
    By Chris Cillizza
    The Republican hard money advantage and temporary conservative and corporate donor skittishness have delayed the growth of conservative 527 political committees in the current election cycle, according to Roll Call, a newspaper that...    more...  

 

Powered by Orchid Suites
Orchid ver. 4.7.6.