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Jan 23, 2012 Dangerous Terrain Winter 2012
The Conference Board
by Bruce Freed and Karl Sandstrom
A confluence of changes � more money being spent by outside groups, increased secrecy, and weak regulation � could lead to confusing times for corporations that want to be involved in politics. more

Mar 15, 2011 How Companies Can Limit Political Spending Risks March 14, 2011
Huffington Post
by Bruce F. Freed
With spending in the upcoming presidential election cycle expected to soar, how can companies take advantage of newfound freedom after the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision without being "Target-ed"? more

May 15, 2012 Remarks from Conference Board Corporate Political Spending Conference May 15, 2012
The Conference Board
by Bruce Freed
Remarks from Bruce Freed, on the panel "The Battle Over Corporate Political Activity: Left Wing Plot, Good Governance, or Both?" at The Conference Board's Corporate Political Spending Conference on May 15, 2012. more

May 8, 2012 WellPoint Faces Shareholder Ire Over Political Spending May 8, 2012
Fortune Magazine
by Eleanor Bloxham
This year marks the first presidential election year since the January 2010 Supreme Court decision Citizens United, which opened the floodgates on corporate political spending. So it's not too surprising that oversight and... more

Apr 26, 2012 Some Shareholders Call for Companies to Disclose Political Giving April 26, 2012
Minnesota Public Radio
by Catharine Richert
This spring, shareholders of Minnesota's most well-known companies will vote on board members and various proposals from shareholders � standard annual meeting fare. But for at least five local companies, the hot... more

Apr 25, 2012 Google, Marriott, UPS Pick Sides in 2012 Election April 25, 2012
ABC News
by Amy Bingham
As Americans begin to divide down party lines over their presidential preferences in the 2012 election, so too are many of the country's largest corporations. more

Apr 24, 2012 U.S. Chamber of Commerce Faces Changing Times April 24, 2012
Roll Call
by Eliza Newlin Carney
U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas Donohue had much to celebrate when the business lobby marked its centennial last weekend. He also had cause for alarm. more

Apr 19, 2012 WellPoint Is Focus of Aggressive Effort to Force Political Spending Disclosure April 19, 2012
Washington Post
by Tom Hamburger
Health insurance giant WellPoint is the latest target of an increasingly aggressive campaign to force disclosure of corporate political and lobbying expenditures, including payments to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has... more

Apr 19, 2012 More Boardrooms Targeted for Political Spending April 19, 2012
Market Watch
by Ronald D. Orol
Should public companies be up front with shareholders about their political agendas? More institutional investors are agitating for corporations to disclose what they spend on political advocacy, including campaign donations... more

Apr 16, 2012 The People vs. the "Corporate People" April 16, 2012
Motley Fool
by Alyce Lomax
The Supreme Court's Citizens United case, which helped further open the floodgates for corporate political spending in America, is about an ongoing and extremely contentious issue. Even before the ruling, there was plenty of reason... more

Apr 10, 2012 Corporate Spending Post-Citizens United Decision Comes Under Attack April 10, 2012
JD Supra
by Morgan Lewis
The Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. �, 130 S.Ct. 876 (2010), lifted long-standing limits on corporate and labor union political spending. Prior to Citizens United, federal law... more

Apr 10, 2012 The In-House World According to Ben Heineman, Jr. Part II April 10, 2012
Law.com Corporate Counsel
by Catherine Dunn
In this edited conversation, Heineman discusses corporate regulation, anticorruption efforts, and the post-Citizens United role of U.S. companies in politics and elections. more

Apr 5, 2012 Coke Withdraws from Group That Backs Stand Your Ground Law April 5, 2012
Baltimore Sun
by Barbara Liston and Martinne Geller
Coca-Cola Co is dropping its membership in a conservative national advocacy group that supports "Stand Your Ground" laws such as the one being used as a defense in the Florida killing of an unarmed black... more

Mar 28, 2012 Chevron, Merck Disclose Funding to 2010 Attack-Ad Groups March 28, 2012
Bloomberg News
by Jonathan D. Salant
Some secret donors who gave money to groups that paid for millions of dollars in attack ads during the 2010 midterm elections are becoming public. Chevron Corp. (CVX), an oil and gas company; Merck & Co. (MRK), a drug... more

Mar 26, 2012 Making Corporate Actions Visible March 26, 2012
Huffington Post
by Ralph Gomory and Leo Hindery, Jr.
In a recent article we wrote: "America today is very different from the country that fought the Revolutionary War and framed the Constitution. Then, it was a nation of farmers; today, it's a nation of... more

Mar 26, 2012 Halliburton Wins Praise from Open-Government Groups for Commitment to Political Disclosure March 26, 2012
Houston Chronicle
by Richard Dunham
This is news: Halliburton is being praised � yes, praised! � by political watchdog groups. The Houston-based multinational corporation, which has been blasted for a decade by liberals and good government groups for its... more

Mar 23, 2012 Corporate Governance Advocates Take on Political Spending and Contracts with Managers March 23, 2012
SocialFunds.com
by Robert Kropp
In September, the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN), an organization of institutional investors representing $18 trillion in assets under management, submitted a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission... more

Mar 21, 2012 One Hundred Companies Sign on to Disclose Political Spending March 21, 2012
The Hill
by Rachel Leven
One hundred companies have signed on to a watchdog organizations� effort to disclose political expenditures. A 100th company joined the Center for Political Accountability�s corporate governance standard Wednesday, the center... more

Mar 9, 2012 IRS May Make Political Groups Pay Dearly for Keeping Donors Secret -- And Out Them March 9, 2012
Huffington Post
by Dan Froomkin
For years, the IRS has done little or nothing to check the rise of overtly political groups that claim a special tax-exempt status in order to funnel secret money into election-related advertising. more

Mar 6, 2012 More Shareholders Demanding Corporate Political Transparency March 6, 2012
Law.com Corporate Counsel
by Catherine Dunn
As voters tune into the Republican presidential campaign�s big Super Tuesday primaries, concerns about adverse effects of corporate political spending are being reflected in an expanding universe of shareholder... more

Feb 24, 2012 SEC's Aguilar Says Companies Should Report Political Spending February 24, 2012
Bloomberg News
by Jesse Hamilton
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission should require companies to disclose their spending on political campaigns, said SEC Commissioner Luis Aguilar. �Investors are not receiving adequate disclosure, and as the... more

Feb 15, 2012 End Corporate Demockary February 15, 2012
CorpGov.net by James McRitchie
Corporations determine far more than any other institution the air we breathe, the quality of the water we drink, even where we live. Yet they are not accountable to anyone. Those words were on the 1991 cover of Power and... more

Feb 7, 2012 AT&T Shareholders Demand Answers February 7, 2012
Politico
by David Saleh Rauf
Some AT&T shareholders want more than just dollars and cents from the board of directors in the aftermath of the company�s aborted takeover of T-Mobile: They want to know how company money is being spent to influence politics. more

Jan 27, 2012 Shareowners File 40 Resolutions on Lobbying Expenditures by Corporations January 27, 2012
Social Funds
by Robert Kropp
Walden Asset Management leads a coalition of investors calling on companies to disclose both direct lobbying expenditures and indirect funding of lobbying through trade associations. SocialFunds.com -- Spearheaded by the work... more

Jan 26, 2012 Shedding Light on Political Spending January 26, 2012
Parker Poe
In recent years, shareholder activists have called for greater transparency regarding corporate political spending. Demands for full disclosure � even for shareholder approval of certain political spending � increased dramatically in the wake of the... more

Jan 22, 2012 Corporate Political Spending Targeted January 22, 2012
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
by Len Boselovic
Investors and corporate governance experts are asking the Securities and Exchange Commission to require public companies to provide detailed disclosure of their political spending. The initiative comes two years... more

Jan 18, 2012 Shareowners to Corporations: Say No to Political Expenditures January 18, 2012
SocialFunds.com
by Robert Kropp
Since the US Supreme Court decided the controversial Citizens United case two years ago and removed longstanding limits on corporate political spending, shareowners and other governance advocates have engaged with companies in... more

Jan 6, 2012 Tough Dilemmas for Companies on Campaign Spending January 6, 2012
Harvard Business Review
by Ben W. Heineman, Jr.
Should companies use funds from the corporate treasury to advocate directly for or against political candidates in contested elections? This basic question � now made immediate with the opening of the... more

Jan 5, 2012 Occupy Shareholders Engaging with Shareholder Resolutions? It's Happening... January 5, 2012
Nonprofit Quarterly
by Rick Cohen
Why did 2011 break all previous records in the number of shareholder resolutions pursued in the corporate sector? Did the societal frustration with the concentration of wealth and power in corporate America lead to both the... more

Dec 26, 2011 2011 in Retrospect: Will SRI Occupy Personhood in 2012? December 26, 2011
CSR Wire
by Sanford Lewis
In 2011, Occupy Wall Street and its progeny captured the world�s imagination with its resistance to the growing corporate occupation of our political system. As many within the socially responsible investment (SRI) community... more

Dec 22, 2011 Mutual Fund Support for Political Spending Disclosure Inches Upward December 22, 2011
SocialFunds.com
by Robert Kropp
An analysis prepared for the Center for Political Accountability by Jackie Cook of Fund Votes reveals that mutual fund support for corporate political spending disclosure increased in 2011 for eighth year in a row.... more

Dec 16, 2011 Focus on Donations Grows December 16, 2011
Inside Investor Relations
by Brad Allen
When the US Supreme Court ruled in 2010 that corporate political contributions are protected by free speech, the five-four split-decision signaled deep divisions. But the court was nearly unanimous in upholding the... more

Dec 7, 2011 Colgate & IBM Lead; Amazon, Berkshire, Cisco, Nike, Sprint, & Disney Lag December 7, 2011
CorpGov.net
by James McRitchie
The CPA-Zicklin Index of Corporate Political Disclosure and Accountability ranks companies in the S&P 100 according to their disclosure and board oversight of political spending activities. In the aftermath of the Supreme... more

Dec 6, 2011 Benchmarking Political Spending Habits December 6, 2011
Compliance Week
by Stephen Davis and Jon Lukomnik
The phrase �corporate politics� is about to take on a whole new meaning. Next year is, of course, an election year when presidential and congressional elections will dominate the headlines. What you may not... more

Nov 22, 2011 Wall Street Journal Op-ed Attacks Corporate Disclosure of Political Spending November 22, 2011
Social Funds
by Robert Kropp
Bruce Freed of the Center for Political Accountability talks with SocialFunds.com about the mischaracterizations in the Journal's op-ed piece, and describes the widespread support for greater disclosure. SocialFunds.com --... more

Nov 15, 2011 More Companies Disclose their Political Spending Habits November 15, 2011
Compliance Week
by Reese Darragh
According to a recent study on political spending disclosure practices�the first since the controversial Citizens United Supreme Court case�more than half of the S&P 100 disclose aspects of their political giving habits.... more

Nov 15, 2011 How Many Companies does it take to Win an Election? November 15, 2011
CSRwire.com
by Elaine Cohen
Is corporate political spending responsible business practice or unreasonable use of corporate power and influence? Either way, if more corporations do not disclose their contributions, you may just be voting, inadvertently,... more

Nov 12, 2011 Citizens United ruling and the potential of don�t ask, don�t tell vs. full disclosure. November 12, 2011
Groundupct.wordpress.com
Editorial
Overtime, we have seen our electoral process eroded by special interests groups and lobbyists, coupled with much money to influence elections and elected officials. The emergence of a new Republican party has launched a... more

Nov 10, 2011 Say-on-pay not going away November 10, 2011
Inside Investor Relations
by Adam Piore
With a flagging economy driving down earnings, investors are likely to more closely scrutinize rising pay, and may take a more confrontational stance than they did during the financially heady days of the 2011 proxy... more

Nov 9, 2011 How Consequential is Citizen�s United? November 9, 2011
Election Law Blog
by Richard Pildes
There is a tendency right now to attribute to Citizens United (CU) virtually all newly emerging forms of financing elections, and the increasingly large amounts, that arose in the 2010 election cycle and that look to... more

Nov 7, 2011 The indirect political spending of the S&P 100 November 7, 2011
Law Professor's Blog Network
by Elizabeth Pollman
The Center for Political Accountability and Wharton�s Zicklin Center for Business Ethics recently released a report evaluating the political spending and disclosure practices of the S&P 100. They�ve come up... more

Nov 4, 2011 The Biggest Companies Are Getting the Message November 4, 2011
Motley Fool
by Alyce Lomax
The unholy alliance between money and politics is one of the biggest controversies capturing the public spotlight these days. Fortunately, heightened attention to the topic seems to be convincing the biggest corporations to... more

Nov 4, 2011 Study ranks UPS high in political transparency November 4, 2011
Atlanta Business Chronicle
by Dave Williams
United Parcel Service Inc. .. has one of the most progressive policies for disclosing political contributions among the nation�s largest companies, according to a new study. more

Nov 3, 2011 Corporate citizenship: Companies should follow IBM and Colgate-Palmolive's lead on political spending November 3, 2011
Pennlive.com
by Patriot News Editorial Board
January 21, 2010, might well go down in American history as the day our democracy altered forever � and not for the better. That was the date the Supreme Court�s Citizens United decision was made, giving... more

Nov 2, 2011 New Index Looks at S&P 100 Corporate Political Spending Policies and Practices November 2, 2011
The Confernece Board
from the Governance Center Blog
With the 2012 presidential and congressional elections hurtling toward us and another proxy season just around the corner, the topic of corporate political spending is looming large, as U.S. companies... more

Nov 1, 2011 Political-Giving Feedback November 1, 2011
Treasury & Risk
by John Mulqueen
The issue of corporate political contributions has drawn a lot of attention since 2010, when the Supreme Court opened the way for secret political contributions by companies and unions. Shareholder groups are pressing... more

Oct 31, 2011 Amazon Gets Failing Grade for Political Transparency, Says Study October 31, 2011
Seattle Weekly
by Curtis Cartier
Question: What do Amazon and Disney have in common? Answer: Both company's founders had/have a strange interest in cryogenics. Oh, also both companies are apparently extremely secretive about how they spend money to... more

Oct 31, 2011 Study Rates S&P 100 Corporate Political Transparency, Accountability October 31, 2011
Corporate Counsel
by Sue Reisinger
A growing number of U.S. companies are putting restrictions on political contributions and are voluntarily disclosing corporate political spending, according to a new study by the nonpartisan Center for Political... more

Oct 31, 2011 Under shareholder pressure, companies disclose political spending October 31, 2011
InsideCounsel.com
by Cathleen Flahardy
According to a recent survey by the Center for Political Accountability, a non-profit created in 2003 with a goal to bring transparency to corporations' political spending, an increasing number of companies is... more

Oct 31, 2011 Companies rethink corporate political donations October 31, 2011
Inside Investor Relations
by Brad Allen
A survey of practices at the S&P 100 reveals that two dozen of the largest US corporations have publicly opted out of political spending funneled through independent committees, as allowed by the Supreme Court... more

Oct 29, 2011 Study: Corporations placing own limits on political spending October 29, 2011
Los Angeles Times
by Melanie Mason
Faced with the option of limitless political spending in a post-Citizens United world, corporations are increasingly choosing to disclose, and in some cases limit, their giving, according to a study released Friday.... more

Oct 28, 2011 More Companies Shed Light on Political Spending October 28, 2011
Reuters
by Kim Dixon
More American companies are bending to shareholder pressure to reveal their spending to sway political campaigns despite court decisions allowing unfettered corporate cash in elections, according to a study released on Friday.... more

Oct 28, 2011 Study: Where do Minnesota companies rank in political disclosure? October 28, 2011
Minnesota Independent
by Jon Collins
A study released today ranked the top 100 American companies on how well they disclose their political activities, finding that many companies are moving towards adoption of disclosure policies, although others, such as... more

Oct 28, 2011 Amazon, Disney tight-lipped on giving October 28, 2011
Politico
by Dave Levinthal
Amazon.com may be a leading purveyor of information. The Walt Disney Company trades in making youthful dreams come true. But both corporations rank among the nation�s worst when it comes to disclosing and managing their... more

Oct 28, 2011 Walt Disney Doesn't Want You To Know Which Political Campaigns It's Paying For October 29, 2011
Miami New Times
by David Minsky
Walt Disney might be known best for sunny characters like Mickey Mouse, but that doesn't mean it's opposed to a little dark political skullduggery on the side. Disney is worst among big American corporations in terms of... more

Oct 28, 2011 Is Political Accountability an Oxymoron October 28, 2011
Intel CSR Blog
by Linda Qian
Intel does have Political Accountability Guidelines based on the Center for Political Accountability�s Model Code of Conduct for Political Spending. That document is a living document that was just recently updated this year... more

Oct 28, 2011 Index Ranks Companies on Political Spending Disclosure October 28, 2011
Sustainability Investment News
by Robert Kropp
SocialFunds.com -- Today, at the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research at the Wharton School, the Center for Political Accountability (CPA) launched the most recent of its initiatives to improve... more

Oct 27, 2011 More Corporations Shed Light on Political Spending October 27, 2011
National Public Radio
by Peter Overby
For the first time, 100 of America's biggest corporations are being rated on the transparency of their political activities. On Friday, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the nonpartisan Center... more

Oct 27, 2011 Largest U.S. Companies Increasingly Disclose Political Spending October 27, 2011
Bloomberg News
by Kristin Jensen and Alison Fitzgerald
The largest U.S. companies are increasingly disclosing to shareholders the donations they make to political candidates and interest groups, according to the Center for Political Accountability.... more

Oct 26, 2011 The Influence Industry: Judicial elections, corporate policies give glimpse into 2012 October 27, 2011
Washington Post
by Dan Eggen
Two studies scheduled to be released Thursday offer contrasting predictions for the 2012 elections: Outside groups are likely to spend more money than ever, but many top corporations may not be among them. The second study,... more

Aug 13, 2011 The Conference Board Forms Committee on Corporate Political Spending August 13, 2011
SocialFunds.com
by Robert Kropp
After collaborating last year with the Center for Political Accountability on a Handbook on Corporate Political Activity, the Board seeks to educate its member businesses on the issue in advance of the 2012 elections. more

Aug 9, 2011 Corporate Political Donations: Ties that Bind August 9, 2011
Corporate Board Member
by John R. Engen
By now, most corporate leaders are at least vaguely familiar with Target Corp.�s ill-fated dalliance in the arena of financing election campaigns. During the 2010 Minnesota gubernatorial race, the big Minneapolis-based... more

Aug 4, 2011 Corporate Political Spending Will be a Major Issue in 2012 August 4, 2011
Sustainability Investment News
by Robert Kropp
SocialFunds.com -- The degree to which the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision of January 2010 has galvanized activist shareowners was made clear this past proxy season, when resolutions addressing political... more

May 17, 2011 Obama mulls new way to measure political reach May 17 2011
USA Today
by Fredreka Schouten
WASHINGTON � Some of the nation's biggest government contractors do not disclose details of their political spending through trade associations and other third-party groups that are playing an increasingly important role in... more

May 13, 2011 Shareholder advocacy groups lift veil on political contributions May 13, 2011
Star Tribune
by Susan Feyder
Spurred by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that opened corporate coffers to political candidates, shareholder advocacy groups are taking companies here and elsewhere to task for their political spending policies. more

Mar 23, 2011 When it Comes to Political Spending, Some Companies Tell All March 23, 2011
National Public Radio
by Peter Overby
The percentage of undisclosed money in the political system went up during last year's midterm elections. That's because of a dramatic increase in advertising by anonymously funded freelance organizations such as the... more

Feb 24, 2011 Target Corp Revises Contribution Policy But Questions Continue After 2010 February 24, 2011
BNA Money and Politics Report
by Kenneth P. Doyle
Target Corp., the national retailer that prompted headlines and a boycott effort last year when it contributed to a conservative campaign spending group, has quietly adopted a new policy calling for more... more

Feb 4, 2011 Investors Target Political Spending February 4, 2011
Inside Investor Relations
by Jeff Cossette
Doling out corporate cash to support political campaigns is not winning any votes with shareholders more

Dec 13, 2010 Business Leaders See Risks in Unchecked Political Spending December 13, 2010
National Journal
by Eliza Newlin Carney
Reform advocates railing against undisclosed corporate campaign spending may have an unlikely new ally in the never-ending political money wars: Business leaders themselves. more

Dec 7, 2010 Handbook Guides Corporations on Disclosure of Political Activity December 7, 2010
Institutional Shareholder
by Robert Kropp
SocialFunds.com talks with Bruce Freed, President of the Center for Political Accountability and co-author of the Handbook on Corporate Political Activity, about efforts to increase corporate disclosure of payments... more

Dec 2, 2010 Shareholders Target Politics December 2, 2010
Treasury and Risk
by Dave Lindorff
Retailer Target was once seen as a paragon of social responsibility. The company offers scholarships and steers 5% of profits to programs in the communities in which its stores are located. As recently as 2008, socially... more

Dec 2, 2010 After Citizens United, Political and Legal Strategies Still Evolving December 2, 2010
WNYC
by Anna Sale
It's been nearly a month since the midterm elections, but the impact of the Supreme Court's Citizens United campaign finance decision is still largely disputed. A bitterly divided court ruled in January that the government may not limit... more

Nov 17, 2010 Regulatory: Corporate Political Expenditures After Citizen's United November 17, 2010
Inside Counsel
by William H. Minor
This month�s elections featured an avalanche of independent spending designed to persuade voters to support or oppose particular candidates. Anyone who lives in a state with one or more competitive races on the 2010 ballot... more

Oct 1, 2010 Political spending does not always match CSR values October 1, 2010
Financial Times
by Sarah Murray
In January this year, a US Supreme Court ruling removed limits on corporate spending in political campaigns. The decision, which is expected to release into the election process a wave of corporate and special interest... more

Aug 30, 2010 New Spending Rules Mean New Backlash August 30, 2010
National Journal by Eliza Newlin Carney
For American corporations testing their new freedom to spend money directly on campaigns, the backlash against donations by Target Corp. and Best Buy Co. sends a stark warning: Proceed at your own risk. more

May 10, 2010 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

May 7, 2010 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

Apr 5, 2010 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

Mar 11, 2010 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

Feb 23, 2010 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...

Feb 22, 2010 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

Feb 9, 2010 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

Feb 5, 2010 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...

Feb 5, 2010 In the Wake of Controversial Supreme Court Spending Decision, 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

Jan 29, 2010 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

Jan 28, 2010 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

Jan 22, 2010 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

Jan 21, 2010 '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

Dec 14, 2009 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

Nov 7, 2009 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

Oct 24, 2009 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

Oct 22, 2009 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

Oct 1, 2009 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

Jun 10, 2009 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

Apr 17, 2009 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

Mar 24, 2009 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

Feb 23, 2009 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

Dec 17, 2008 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

Jun 1, 2008 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...

May 29, 2008 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

May 13, 2008 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

Mar 21, 2012 Political Disclosure Hits 100 Companies    In a major milestone, 100 companies have adopted disclosure and oversight of their political spending. This comes as 12 additional companies embraced the corporate governance standard, the Center for Political Accountability announced today. The companies which took this step as the 2012 proxy...    more

Jan 6, 2012 CPA Letter Challenges Wall Street Journal Attacks on Political Disclosure    January 6, 2012
The Center for Political Accountability responded to recent Wall Street Journal attacks on corporate political disclosure in a letter published in today�s paper. CPA chair John Milton Cooper, Jr. wrote that companies are not being silenced but �are responding to the...    more

Oct 28, 2011 CPA-Zicklin Index Press Release    October 28, 2011
CPA-Zicklin Index findings indicate corporate disclosure of political spending is now the norm as companies restrict campaign outlays - Rankings produced for disclosure practices of the companies in the S&P 100.    more

Dec 15, 2010 Mutual Funds Back Corporate Political Disclosure in 2010 Proxy Season    December 15, 2010
Washington, D.C. -- Continuing a strong trend, mainstream mutual funds registered this year the lowest resistance ever to corporate political disclosure resolutions, the Center for Political Accountability reported today.    more

Nov 1, 2010 Groundbreaking Corporate Political Activity Handbook Sets Out Emerging Best Practices for Political Spending    November 1, 2010
On the eve of the most expensive mid-term election in American history, The Conference Board today released a groundbreaking Handbook on Corporate Political Activity, co-authored by Center for Political Accountability president Bruce F. Freed and counsel Karl Sandstrom with...    more

Nov 1, 2010 CPA Finds Solid Business Leader Support for Corporate Political Disclosure and Accountability in New Survey    November 1, 2010
Washington, D.C. - U.S. business leaders overwhelmingly say they support disclosure and board oversight of corporate political spending, the Center for Political Accountability reported in highlighting a new survey commissioned by the Committee for Economic Development (CED).    more

Jun 29, 2010 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

Jun 24, 2010 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

May 20, 2010 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

May 5, 2010 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

Apr 22, 2010 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

Feb 24, 2010 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

Jan 21, 2010 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

Dec 14, 2009 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

Jul 30, 2009 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

Jul 21, 2009 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

Jul 17, 2009 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

Jun 30, 2009 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

Apr 23, 2009 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

Mar 24, 2009 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...

Feb 26, 2009 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...

Feb 23, 2009 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...

Jan 16, 2009 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...

Jan 8, 2009 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...

Dec 17, 2008 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...

Dec 11, 2008 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

Sep 26, 2008 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

Jul 28, 2008 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

May 28, 2008 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

Apr 21, 2008 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

May 14, 2012 Money Unlimited    May 14, 2012
The New Yorker
by Jeffrey Toobin
When Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission was first argued before the Supreme Court, on March 24, 2009, it seemed like a case of modest importance. The issue before the Justices was a narrow one. The McCain-Feingold...    more

May 13, 2012 2012 Election Drowning in Secret Money    May 13, 2012
United Press International
by Michael Kirkland
The 2012 elections are awash in secret money, with donors accountable to no one, while the national media sleeps and few voters seem to care. If money has an impact in U.S. elections, the race for the White...    more

May 10, 2012 Super PAC Spending Teeters at $100 Million Mark    May 10, 2012
OpenSecrets.org
by Russ Choma
Expenditures by super PACs were expected to hit the $100 million mark today, further proof that outside spending will far outstrip anything seen in previous election cycles.    more

May 9, 2012 Campaign Finance Bill Targets Nonprofits    May 9, 2012
New Hampshire Union Leader
by Ted Siefer
The Senate is set to vote today on a bill that would require nonprofit organizations and other groups to report the money they spend on state and national political races. Both liberal and conservative-oriented groups...    more

May 7, 2012 Shareholders United    May 7, 2012
The Daily Beast
by Rob Cox
It�s worrying to think that shareholder democracy is needed to rectify shortcomings in the real thing, yet this week two of the nation�s biggest corporations will give their investors precisely that opportunity. Motions on the ballots...    more

May 5, 2012 'Super PAC' Rethinks Certain Donations    May 5, 2012
Miami Herald
by Matea Gold
Anxiety about the effect of a ban on political spending by federal contractors is prompting new caution by a company connected to such donations and a "super PAC" that accepted them.    more

May 4, 2012 Show Me the Money    May 4, 2012
Huffington Post
by Bob Burnett
Six months before the November 6th presidential election, Barack Obama leads Mitt Romney by three percentage points. The most common explanation for the closeness of a race that should be Obama's to lose is the weak economy. Another...    more

May 2, 2012 Cracks in Citizens United    May 2, 2012
California Lawyer
by Thomas Brom
Last December, Second Circuit Judge Guido Calabresi opened his concurring opinion upholding limits on local campaign contributions in New York City by citing the New Testament. Luke 21:1-4 recounts Jesus's parable of the rich...    more

May 1, 2012 Conservative Group Seeks FEC Approval to Keep Donors Secret    May 1, 2012
Chicago Tribune
by Matea Gold
A conservative group that plans to run a barrage of television ads attacking President Obama has asked the Federal Election Commission if it can avoid disclosing its donors by not naming him explicitly in its commercials.    more

Apr 30, 2012 Study: Big Corporate Donors Are Bad Investments    April 30, 2012
Time
by Gary Belsky
How about this for a new investing strategy: Avoid the stock of companies that make big political contributions. The more they give, it seems, the worse their share prices perform.    more

Apr 26, 2012 Corporate Campaign Contributions Show Some Industries Giving Up Appearance of Bipartisanship    April 26, 2012
Huffington Post
by Dan Froomkin
Money traditionally follows power in the nation's capital. As a result, corporate campaign contributions have historically been split among incumbents of both political parties, with a decided advantage for whichever controls...    more

Apr 24, 2012 Most Independent Ads for 2012 Election Are From Groups That Don't Disclose Donors    April 24, 2012
Washington Post
by Dan Eggen
Nearly all of the independent advertising being aired for the 2012 general-election campaign has come from interest groups that do not disclose their donors, suggesting that much of the political spending over the next six months...    more

Apr 22, 2012 Reports Show Hard-to-Track Donors Dominate Outside Giving    April 22, 2012
USA Today
by Fredreka Schouten and Christopher Schnaars
Millions of dollars flowing to independent political groups dominating this year's presidential and congressional contests have come from mystery and hard-to-find donors, newly filed campaign reports show.    more

Apr 21, 2012 Vast Mexico Bribery Case Hushed Up by Wal-Mart    April 21, 2012
The New York Times
by David Barstow
In September 2005, a senior Wal-Mart lawyer received an alarming e-mail from a former executive at the company�s largest foreign subsidiary, Wal-Mart de Mexico. In the e-mail and follow-up conversations, the former executive...    more

Apr 20, 2012 Investors Want Disclosure of Corporate Political Contributions and Lobbying Expenditures    April 20, 2012
Forbes
by Christopher Skroupa
The U.S. Supreme Court has brought front and center the debate on the role of the public corporation in our democracy with its recent decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.    more

Apr 17, 2012 Secret Donors Pour Millions of Dollars Into Crossroads GPS    April 17, 2012
Los Angeles Times
by Matea Gold
Crossroads GPS, a conservative nonprofit group that is one of the most prominent critics of President Obama, raised nearly $77 million in its first 19 months from a small cadre of secret donors, including two dozen who wrote...    more

Apr 15, 2012 A Surprisingly Effective New Path to Neutralizing the Political Influence of Big Business    April 15, 2012
The New Republic
by Mark Schmitt
Every four or five years, it seems, progressives and the media discover ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, anew. I�m old enough that the latest �OMG!� reaction to the existence of the conservative legislative...    more

Apr 13, 2012 Corporations Under Pressure on Political Spending    April 13, 2012
USA Today
by Fredreka Schouten and Martha T. Moore
American companies are discovering the perils of politics as activists and public pension fund officials apply new pressure on corporations to disclose their political spending � or cease it entirely....    more

Apr 13, 2012 Mystery Donor Gives $10 Million to Crossroads GPS Group to Run Anti-Obama Ads    April 13, 2012
Washington Post
by T.W. Farnam
An anonymous donor gave $10 million late last year to run ads attacking President Obama and Democratic policies, escalating the money race that is defining the 2012 presidential campaign. And in the new, free-wheeling environment...    more

Apr 12, 2012 Ban on Political Ads on Public TV Struck Down    April 12, 2012
Reuters
by Jonathan Stempel, Terry Baynes, and Jasmin Melvin
A divided U.S. appeals court struck down a federal ban on political advertising on public TV and radio stations, a decision that could open the public airwaves to a heavy dose of campaign ads leading...    more

Apr 11, 2012 Presidential Election 2012 to Play Out on New Campaign Finance Field    April 11, 2012
Huffington Post
by Paul Blumenthal
As Rick Santorum exits the Republican presidential primary campaign stage right and Newt Gingrich wallows in a sea of debt, the general election match-up between President Barack Obama and presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney...    more

Apr 11, 2012 Super PACs Largely Free to Spend Remaining Cash    April 11, 2012
BusinessWeek
by Jack Gillum
When a presidential candidate throws in the towel, what can a "super" PAC that once supported the campaign spend its money on? Pretty much anything it wants.    more

Apr 11, 2012 Montana Pushes Back on High Court Campaign Finance Case    April 11, 2012
Law.com
by Marcia Coyle
By the end of this month, Montana's attorney general will have made his best case to the U.S. Supreme Court against reversing a state court decision upholding Montana's ban on corporate independent campaign expenditures.    more...

Apr 9, 2012 FEC Ruling Leaves Ad Uncertainty    April 9, 2012
Roll Call
by Eliza Newlin Carney
A court ruling rejecting Federal Election Commission disclosure requirements as too lax has left political players unsure how much they need to report about the financing of issue ads, making the agency a battleground in the...    more

Apr 5, 2012 Efforts Broaden to Overturn Citizens United Court Case on Super PACs    April 5, 2012
The Salt Lake Tribune
by Cathy Mckitrick
A coalition of 11 state attorneys general has sent a letter to Congress, urging support for a constitutional amendment to overturn a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows corporations and labor unions to pour unlimited...    more

Apr 4, 2012 Democrats Make Headway in Push for Transparency on 'Issue Ads'    April 4, 2012
Washington Post
by T.W. Farnam
Democrats finally caught a break on their effort to increase regulation of money in politics last week when a federal judge in Washington threw out a loophole in disclosure requirements.    more

Apr 3, 2012 Shareholders Have a Right to Know About Political Contributions    April 3, 2012
USA Today
by Drew F. Cohen
As the 2012 election season heats up, campaigns have been soliciting donations to fuel what many expect to be the most expensive election cycle in U.S. history. Unbridled by the 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United, which...    more

Apr 3, 2012 Super PACs Can Be Thwarted, Even With 'Citizens United'    April 3, 2012
Washington Post
by Fred Wertheimer
Here is the only good news about the super PACs flooding the 2012 presidential race with negative ads funded by huge contributions from the super rich: These vehicles for corruption can be eliminated. Congress can pass...    more

Apr 2, 2012 A Judge Turns on the Light    April 2, 2012
The New York Times
A federal judge took an important step toward ending secret donations to big-spending political groups, striking down regulations that permitted some groups to hide their donors. Unfortunately, the ruling probably came too late to flush this...    more

Mar 31, 2012 Koch Brothers, Chamber of Commerce Face Possible Campaign Donation Disclosure After Ruling    March 31, 2012
Huffington Post
by Paul Blumenthal
On Friday evening, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a ruling that could begin the process of revealing the identities of secret donors to groups connected to Karl Rove and the Koch brothers.    more

Mar 29, 2012 Outside Political Spending Four Times Greater Than in 2008    March 29, 2012
The Florida Independent
by Ashley Lopez
Super PACs and other outside groups are already spending four times as much money on this upcoming presidential than in 2008, the Sunlight Foundation reports.    more

Mar 28, 2012 Campaign Spending Shows Political Ties, Self-Dealing    March 28, 2012
ProPublica
by Kim Barker and Al Shaw
For an example of the fluidity of campaign finance rules, as well as the tangled web of connections between candidates and super PACs, look no further than the digital consulting firm Targeted Victory.    more

Mar 28, 2012 Beware of the Super-PAC: More Lawmakers Are Fearing an Ad Ambush    March 28, 2012
The Hill
by Joe Picard
The proliferation of super-PACs has come in a presidential election year, and their attacks have mostly been aimed at White House hopefuls. But members of Congress should not rest easy, according to Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.).    more

Mar 27, 2012 McCain Rips Super PACs    March 27, 2012
The Daily Beast
by Howard Kurtz
Any notion that John McCain might be abandoning his longtime crusade for campaign-finance reform vanished on Tuesday as he sprayed a variety of targets, from the Supreme Court to super PACs to his fellow Republicans.    more

Mar 24, 2012 New Arguments Filed in Campaign Finance Case    March 24, 2012
Great Falls Tribune
by Matt Gouras
The Montana attorney general's office filed new arguments Friday in the ongoing court battle over Montana's political spending restrictions, saying the state's ban on corporate campaign contributions is constitutional. The...    more

Mar 24, 2012 Campaign Disclosure Loophole Worries Iowans    March 24, 2012
Quad-City Times
by Rod Boshart
State election watchdogs are worried that a loophole in Iowa�s campaign finance disclosure law, if left unchecked this legislative session, could release a flood of contributions from secret donors. The fear is that nonprofit...    more

Mar 20, 2012 Dialing Up the Dollars: Telecommunications Interests Donated Heavily to NC Lawmakers    March 20, 2012
Follow the Money
by Denise Roth Barber
In the spring of 2011, North Carolina became became 19th state to restrict local governments from building publicly-owned broadband networks. North Carolina's two biggest cable providers, Time Warner Cable and...    more

Mar 20, 2012 Rules of the Game: Bad News for Nation's Nonprofits    March 20, 2012
Roll Call
by Eliza Newlin Carney
In an election that until lately has been dominated by super PACs, politically active nonprofits are the new bad guys, drawing ethics complaints, letters to the IRS and legislative action. That is bad news for the nation�s...    more

Mar 19, 2012 Could Corporations Take Tax Breaks on Political 'Dark Money'?    March 19, 2012
Pro Publica
by Justin Elliott
The Supreme Court�s 2010 Citizens United decision opened the way for unlimited corporate spending on politics and has led to the proliferation of nonprofit political groups that do not have to disclose the identities of their...    more

Mar 17, 2012 Post Citizens-United Money May Swamp Congressional Candidates    March 17, 2012
Huffington Post
by Dan Froomkin
Political spending by deep-pocketed donors and cash-rich corporations threatens to sow chaos in this year's congressional races, political consultants warn. A billionaire or corporation writing a check for $1 million -- or...    more

Mar 16, 2012 California Gets Top Marks for Public Disclosure of Political Spending    March 16, 2012
San Diego Union-Tribune
by Will Evans
California has some of the best public disclosure of independent political spending in the country, according to a report released yesterday, but the state ethics watchdog wants to go further. The National Institute on...    more

Mar 16, 2012 Buying a Political Ad? Let a SuperPAC Foot the Bill    March 16, 2012
NPR
by Brian Naylor
There has been one constant throughout the GOP campaign � Mitt Romney and the superPAC that supports him have vastly outspent his rivals. An NPR analysis of various campaign data finds a new trend is now apparent � most of the TV ads...    more

Mar 15, 2012 GOP Super PAC Men Seek to Overturn Donation Limits    March 15, 2012
iWatch News
by Michael Beckel
As unlimited contributions flow into super PACs this year, one man is at the center of a new effort to allow people to donate more money, to more candidates, at the national stage. �I don�t believe government is there to limit...    more

Mar 14, 2012 Since Citizens United, Outside Political Spending in Elections Has Doubled    March 14, 2012
International Business Times
by Ashley Portero
Independent, free-spending "super PACs" have become a troubling but accepted part of the American political landscape since the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door to their formation in 2010....    more

Mar 13, 2012 Poll: Voters Want Super PACs to Be Illegal    March 13, 2012
Washington Post
by Chris Cilizza and Aaron Blake
Nearly seven in 10 registered voters would like super PACs to be illegal, including more than half who feel that way strongly, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.    more

Mar 12, 2012 Congress Moves to Turn Back SOX, Dodd-Frank Compliance    March 12, 2012
Compliance Week
Only in the rarified world of Washington could lawmakers push legislation dubbed a �jobs bill� to help small business that actually does almost nothing to help small business�and imposes more risks on investors, and throws more money to Wall Street...    more

Mar 9, 2012 The Numbers Don't Lie    March 9, 2012
Slate
by Richard L. Hasen
Most of what you hear about Citizens United v. FEC is negative. By opening the door for corporations to spend unlimited sums in elections and to allow for the creation of super PACs, the Supreme Court has made a campaign finance system...    more

Mar 8, 2012 Super PACs Ramp Up Spending on Races Where Control of Congress Is at Stake    March 8, 2012
Bloomberg News
by Laura Litvan
Redistricting obliterated his House seat serving central Iowa. Still, Republican Representative Tom Latham has something going for him: a 4-1 cash edge in his re- election race against Democratic Representative Leonard Boswell in...    more

Mar 8, 2012 Corporations Don't Pony Up for Super PACs    March 8, 2012
Politico
by Anna Palmer and Abby Phillip
When super PACs emerged two years ago, critics howled that corporations would take advantage of a newfound tool to flex their muscle in politics. But so far this campaign season, publicly traded companies have shied...    more

Mar 6, 2012 Scrutiny of Political Nonprofits Sets Off Claim of Harassment    March 6, 2012
The New York Times
by Jonathan Weisman
The Internal Revenue Service is caught in an election-year struggle between Democratic lawmakers pressing for a crackdown on nonprofit political groups and conservative organizations accusing the tax agency of conducting a...    more

Mar 5, 2012 Super PACs Target Congressional Races    March 5, 2012
Roll Call
by Eliza Newlin Carney
Super PACs and other unrestricted groups have moved beyond the presidential campaign trail to target key House and Senate races, and Congressional candidates don�t know whether to laugh or cry. Several candidates have asked...    more

Mar 4, 2012 Super Tuesday Ad Spending Nearly Tops $10 Million    March 4, 2012
Seattle Times
by Beth Fouhy and Jack Gillum
The Republican candidates and a few independent groups have spent nearly $10 million on television and radio ads in seven states that vote on Super Tuesday, and more than half of that total comes from the Mitt...    more

Mar 2, 2012 Secret Donors to 'C4s' Play Behind-the-Scenes Politics    March 2, 2012
Los Angeles Times
by Michael Hitzik
There's no mystery about why a business or industry group might be shy about how it spends money on election campaigns. Just ask department store chain Target. In 2010, Target, which had been known for its progressive...    more

Mar 1, 2012 Super PACs, Candidate Blur Line Ahead of November 6    March 1, 2012
USA Today
by Fredreka Schouten
Presidential candidates and the super PACs accepting unlimited donations to help their campaigns cannot coordinate their activity, yet they are sharing consultants, donors and even advertising footage, raising new questions about...    more

Feb 29, 2012 Evil Lurks in Super PACs    February 29, 2012
Los Angeles Times
by Steve Lopez
You and I have been here before, with me recommending something you don't want to hear about, even though it'll be good for you. No, I didn't get another colonoscopy. I'm talking about those three dreaded words: Campaign...    more

Feb 27, 2012 Drug Lobby Gave $9.4 Million to Nonprofits That Spent Big on 2010 Election    February 27, 2012
iWatch News
by Michael Beckel
The drug lobby's trade association was a multimillion-dollar donor to nonprofit groups that were actively working to elect federal candidates during the 2010 election, an iWatch News analysis of documents filed with the...    more

Feb 27, 2012 Corporate Political Spending Tops List of Resolutions in 2012, Report Says    February 27, 2012
Financial Advisor
by Jim McConville
Companies will face a bevvy of social and environmental shareholder resolutions during this year's corporate annual meeting season on topics ranging from corporate political spending and mortgage foreclosures to coal use...    more

Feb 26, 2012 Romney Camp, Super PAC Share High Level Aides    February 26, 2012
Washington Times
by Luke Rosiak
Mitt Romney�s presidential campaign and the super PAC accepting million-dollar contributions to support him are barred by law from coordinating, yet they share many of the same top-level workers, a fact both groups have...    more

Feb 23, 2012 DiNapoli gets three CA-based companies to disclose political donation system    February 23, 2012
WNYC.org
by Colby Hamilton
Not too long before Governor Andrew Cuomo went on Fred Dicker�s radio program to declare �you are either with the special interests or your with the people� on pension reform, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli put out a statement that...    more

Feb 22, 2012 'Super PAC' leaders profit from lack of oversight    February 22, 2012
Los Angeles Times
by Melanie Mason and Matea Gold
The Red White and Blue Fund, a "super PAC" backing the presidential bid of Republican Rick Santorum, paid more than half a million dollars last month to a newly formed direct mail firm. The owner of that...    more

Feb 21, 2012 Super PAC Money Getting More Scrutiny, Complaints    February 21, 2012
Roll Call
by Eliza Newlin Carney
Presidential hopeful Rick Santorum is drawing more scrutiny as his poll numbers rise, and so is the increasingly lucrative super PAC backing the former Pennsylvania Senator.    more

Feb 20, 2012 G.O.P. Campaigns Grow More Dependent on �Super PAC� Aid    February 20, 2012
The New York Times
by Nicholas Confessore
Weeks of intense campaigning in the early nominating states have left the leading Republican presidential candidates increasingly dependent on millions of dollars spent on their behalf by outside �super PACs,�...    more

Feb 17, 2012 Two Justices Suggest Citizens United Ruling Should Be Reconsidered in Montana Case    February 17, 2012
Washington Post
by Robert Barnes
Two Supreme Court justices suggested Friday that the court reconsider its controversial 2010 decision that allowed unlimited corporate and union spending in elections. The suggestion came as the court blocked a Montana...    more

Feb 16, 2012 Super PACs Play Growing Role in Congressional Races    February 16, 2012
Real Clear Politics
by Caitlin Huey-Burns
A press release was recently sent out in Ohio, West Virginia and Montana accusing the recipients' respective Democratic U.S. senators, all of whom are up for re-election, of embracing "the Washington insider...    more

Feb 16, 2012 Campaign Hits Corporation Donation    February 16, 2012
Politico
by Anna Palmer
California utility PG&E�s decision to give money to a super PAC may be a cautionary tale for corporations thinking about ponying up � and to super PACs willing to take the money. PG&E, under scrutiny after a pipeline explosion...    more

Feb 13, 2012 New Mexico Legislature to Congress: Amend Against Citizens United    February 13, 2012
The Nation
by John Nichols
The Constitution of the United States can be amended in two formal ways: from the top down and from the bottom up. But New Mexico legislators have found a third way and, hopefully, other state legislators around the country...    more

Feb 10, 2012 Dueling pledges face off in Montana race    February 10, 2012
Politico
by Robin Bravender
Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg has challenged Sen. Jon Tester to keep all out-of-state money out of their battle for the Senate seat, rejecting an earlier proposal from Tester that sought to limit third-party cash.    more

Feb 9, 2012 Chamber Of Commerce Makes $10 Million Ad Buy for Congressional Races    February 9, 2012
Talking Points Memo
by Eric Kleefeld
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is making a big-time money drop into the 2012 Congressional races, with a big buy of ads across the country. The Chamber�s press release announces ads in 16 states and 40 total media...    more

Feb 8, 2012 Some Super PAC Money    February 8, 2012
Roll Call
by Eliza Newlin Carney
Six of the top 10 super PACs active in the 2012 elections have received money from untraceable sources, including nonprofits and shell corporations, according to a report released today by two progressive advocacy groups.    more

Feb 6, 2012 Secret Money Is Funding More Election Ads    February 6, 2012
Washington Post
by Dan Eggen
More than a third of the advertising tied to the presidential race has been funded by nonprofit groups that will never have to reveal their donors, suggesting that a significant portion of the 2012 elections will be wrapped in a...    more

Feb 3, 2012 With Spotlight on Super PAC Dollars, Nonprofits Escape Scrutiny    February 3, 2012
Pro Publica
by Kim Barker, Al Shaw and Ariel Wittenberg
When super PACs announced their 2011 fundraising numbers earlier this week, it provided an early glimpse into how the new way of financing political campaigns may work in the upcoming election. The...    more

Feb 2, 2012 Corporations are sending more contributions to super PACs    February 2, 2012
Washington Post
by T.W. Farnam
Corporations appear to be embracing, albeit slowly, new campaign rules that allow them to make direct contributions to political groups. The super PACs that have been playing a significant role this election season are...    more

Feb 1, 2012 'Super PACs' largely funded by a wealthy few    February 1, 2012
Los Angeles Times
by Matea Gold, Tom Hamburger, and Maloy Moore
Reporting from Washington and Los Angeles� When it comes to big money in politics, Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons' influence has long been apparent in Texas, where he has plowed more than $1...    more

Jan 31, 2012 Congress can fix the Super PAC problem    January 31, 2012
Salon.com
by Adam Skaggs
Election junkies circled January 31st on their calendars months ago � but not because of Florida�s primary today, no matter how important it is to Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. Tuesday�s real significance deals with Super PACs �...    more

Jan 31, 2012 Harold Simmons gave Karl Rove-linked Crossroads groups $7 million    January 31, 2012
Politico
by Kenneth Vogel
The Karl Rove-linked juggernaut Crossroads groups raised $51 million last year � including a whopping $7 million from Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons � but that�s still a far cry from the $300 million the two-pronged outfit...    more

Jan 30, 2012 Push for transparency focuses on campaign spending, gift giving    January 30, 2012
Arizona Capitol Times
by Caitlin Coakley Beckner
In the wake of two of Arizona�s biggest political shake-ups of last year, lawmakers are hoping a little sunshine will help clean up the mess. Shadowy groups involved in the recall of then-Senate President...    more

Jan 26, 2012 Super PACs' Money Could Tip Balance of Power in Congress    January 26, 2012
CNN
by Martina Stewart
The 2010 Supreme Court ruling that allows unlimited contributions by corporations and unions has already affected the 2012 presidential campaign. But it could play a larger part in the balance of power in Congress this fall.    more

Jan 25, 2012 SOPA-Supporting California Politicians Receive Cash Flow From Hollywood    January 25, 2012
Huffington Post
by Will Evans
Hollywood is threatening politicians with one thing they hold very dear: campaign cash. As anti-piracy legislation stalled in Congress last week, the movie industry's top lobbyist, former U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, warned...    more

Jan 24, 2012 Super PACs Set Sights on 2012 Congressional Races    January 24, 2012
USA Today
by Fredreka Schouten
Outside political groups, already big players in this year's GOP presidential battle, have started to train their firepower on Senate and House races.    more

Jan 21, 2012 Meet the Super Super PAC    January 21, 2012
Politico
by Dave Levinthal
Super PACs are just so 2011. Meet the next big thing in U.S. politics: the super super PAC. These nascent groups can not only raise mega cash to promote candidates, but give money to candidates� campaigns � a kind of political...    more

Jan 20, 2012 As 'Citizens United' Turns 2, SuperPACs Draw Protests    January 20, 2012
National Public Radio by Peter Overby
Saturday is South Carolina's Republican presidential primary. It's also the second anniversary of the Supreme Court's famous Citizens United decision. That's the case that allows corporations to explicitly support or attack...    more

Jan 19, 2012 Investors Announce New Shareholder Initiative Seeking Disclosure of Company Lobbying Activities    January 19, 2012
Market Watch
Investors today announced the filing of shareholder resolutions at 40 corporations, for votes at 2012 shareholder meetings; the resolutions urge the corporations to report on lobbying expenditures, including indirect funding of lobbying through trade...    more

Jan 12, 2012 Citizens Divided    January 12, 2012
Colorado Springs Independent
by Steven Rosenfeld
On Dec. 30, Montana's Supreme Court issued a stunning rebuke to the U.S. Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision that infamously decreed corporations had constitutional rights to directly spend money on...    more

Jan 11, 2012 Time to Revive Democracy in the U.S.: Tell Shareholders How Their Dollars Are Used in Politics    January 11, 2012
Nonprofit Quarterly
by Rick Cohen
Between those advocating for economic democracy who think there's too much wealth and power concentrated in the hands of 1 percent of the nation's population, and those advocating for corporate democracy advocated by...    more

Jan 10, 2012 GOP: Corporate Donation Ban Unconstitutional    January 10, 2012
Politico
by Josh Gerstein
The century-old ban on corporate donations to federal political campaigns should be junked as unconstitutional, the Republican National Committee argued in a legal brief filed Tuesday that could lead to new attacks on the GOP as...    more

Jan 9, 2012 The Power of Super PACs    January 9, 2012
Washington Post
�WELL, OF COURSE, it�s former staff of mine. And, of course they�re people who support me. They wouldn�t be putting money into a PAC that supports me if they weren�t people who support me.� That was former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in...    more

Jan 8, 2012 Super PACs Alter the Dynamics of Fundraising    January 8, 2012
Washington Post
by T. W. Farnam
Well-established candidates have always had the edge in fundraising, but under the new rules governing money in politics, it looks as if the rich are just getting richer. The vast majority of the $14 million in spending from...    more

Jan 7, 2012 Chamber's Attack Ads Draw Local Criticism    January 7, 2012
Great Falls Tribune
by John S. Adams
Chamber of Commerce officials in three Montana communities have publicly responded to a political attack ad created and paid for by their parent organization, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The national chamber...    more

Jan 6, 2012 The Biggest Threat to Citizens United    January 6, 2012
Salon.com
by David Sirota
Last week, while the national press corps was busy pretending the tiny Iowa caucus was the only news in America, a major ruling out of Montana paved the way for a likely U.S. Supreme Court showdown over the role of corporate money in...    more

Jan 4, 2012 In Montana, Corporations Aren't People    January 4, 2012
Slate
by Dahlia Lithwick
On the rare occasions when the world talks to you in stereo, it�s a good idea to set aside your knitting and listen. This week, Americans got their first good look at what super PACs�political organizations that can receive unlimited...    more

Jan 4, 2012 ISS Policy Shift Favors Disclosure of Political Spending    January 4, 2012
Inside Investor Relations
by Brad Allen
Attention on corporate political spending promises to ratchet up from next month, and it�s not just because the US presidential campaign is swinging into full gear. Proxy adviser Institutional Shareholder Services...    more

Jan 3, 2012 Three Campaign-Finance Lawsuits on the Heels of 'Citizens'    January 3, 2012
Law.com
by Marcia Coyle
Three key campaign-finance challenges, one already at the U.S. Supreme Court, seek to push through doors left open by the justices' controversial Citizens United decision.    more

Jan 1, 2012 'Super PACs' Are Showing Their Power    January 1, 2012
Los Angeles Times
by Tom Hamburger and Melanie Mason
Political committees unfettered by donation limits are dominating the last weeks of the presidential nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, funding aggressive attack campaigns that are swamping the...    more

Dec 31, 2011 MT Court Restores Corporate Campaign Spending Ban    December 31, 2011
Boston Globe
by Matt Gouras
The Montana Supreme Court restored the state�s century-old ban on direct spending by corporations on political candidates or committees in a ruling Friday that interest groups say bucks a high profile U.S. Supreme Court decision...    more

Dec 31, 2011 Super PACs Dominate Iowa Caucus, Helping Mitt Romney Run Ahead    December 31, 2011
Huffington Post
by Paul Blumenthal
"This is politics," Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney declared Dec. 21, dismissing calls for him to condemn ads attacking former House Speaker Newt Gingrich that were run by an independent group supporting...    more

Dec 30, 2011 Group's Ads Rip at Gingrich as Romney Stands Clear    December 30, 2011
The New York Times
by Nicholas Confessore and Jim Rutenberg
The attacks began three weeks ago and have not let up since: Television ad after television ad slamming Newt Gingrich for having �more baggage than the airlines,� for being fined by Congress for...    more

Dec 27, 2011 Outside Groups Air Barrage of Ads in Mass. Race    December 27, 2011
Boston Globe
by Andrew Miga
Watch the political advertising and Elizabeth Warren, the leading Democratic Senate candidate in Massachusetts, either "sides with extreme left" protesters or has a history of being too cozy with Wall Street. Or Republican...    more

Dec 27, 2011 'Reform' Initiative on 2012 Ballot Is Not at All What It Seems    December 27, 2011
The Modesto Bee
by Dan Morain
The latest initiative to qualify for the 2012 ballot is thick with the earnest rhetoric of white-hat-wearing good government reformers. It's also dripping with cynicism.This may come as a shock, but the "Stop Special Interest...    more

Dec 21, 2011 Challenge to NY Campaign Finance Laws Fails    December 21, 2011
Thomson Reuters
by Basil Katz
A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday tossed out a challenge to New York City anti-corruption campaign finance laws, finding the so-called "pay to play" rules do not violate free speech rights.    more

Dec 21, 2011 Super PACs: The Bad Cops of 2012    December 21, 2011
Politico
by Robin Bravender and Dave Levinthal
The bad cops of 2012 are here. Super PACs with ties to Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum launched a negative advertising blitz this month in Iowa that has let the candidates � with ties to the groups � stay...    more

Dec 21, 2011 Romney-Gingrich Super PAC Spat Highlights Hazy Rules    December 21, 2011
Real Clear Politics
by Scott Conroy
A day after he condemned current campaign finance regulations for making "a mockery of our political campaign season," Mitt Romney appeared to change his tune on Wednesday morning after Newt Gingrich publicly called on...    more

Dec 21, 2011 Five Constitutional Amendments That Could Overturn Citizens United - How Are They Different?    December 21, 2011
International Business Times
by Ashley Portero
While the U.S. Supreme Court treats corporations like people who can use money as a form of expression, a handful of congressman -- Democrats, Independents and even a Republican -- have taken steps to overturn...    more

Dec 18, 2011 Starve the Beast. End the Stalemate    December 18, 2011
Washington Post
by Steven Pearlstein
There is a branch of economics known as game theory, which tries to figure out how various �players� in a market maximize their welfare based on the expected behavior of other �players,� all of whom are doing the very...    more

Dec 15, 2011 Close Super PAC Ties Draw Ire    December 15, 2011
Roll Call
by Eliza Newlin Carney
In this year's brawling and unpredictable GOP presidential primary, super PACs have emerged as the latest magnet for controversy.    more

Dec 15, 2011 FEC Quashes New Disclosure Rules    December 15, 2011
Politico
by Robin Bravender
New rules that would pull back the curtain on who is behind big-money political advertising were quashed Thursday by the Federal Election Commission, thanks to unified opposition from the panel�s Republicans.    more

Dec 12, 2011 Who is Behind the Attacks on Dem Senate Candidate Elizabeth Warren?    December 12, 2011
OpenSecrets.org
by Michael Beckel
Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies -- the conservative nonprofit advocacy group founded with assistance from GOP strategist Karl Rove -- wants you to believe that Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren is too...    more

Dec 12, 2011 Actually, Corporations That Lobby and Make Campaign Contributions Get Special Benefits    December 12, 2011
Huffington Post
by Stephen Strauss
Recent reports reveal that: GOP Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich received nearly $2 million for activities (not technically within the definition for lobbying) resembling lobbying, and former GOP Congressman Tauzin --...    more

Dec 10, 2011 Unlimited Campaign Cash Fuels "Super PACs"    December 10, 2011
CBS News
by Phil Hirschkorn
Even before it had filed its paperwork with the Federal Election Commission, a "Super PAC," or political action committee, supporting Texas Governor Rick Perry for president was filming his announcement speech in Charleston,...    more

Dec 9, 2011 Oil and Gas: Industry Pours Campaign Cash Into State, Local Races    December 9, 2011
E&E Publishing
by Mike Soraghan
The chairwoman of the Texas Railroad Commission, Elizabeth Ames Jones, gets more campaign contributions from oil and gas than from any other industry. The Railroad Commission doesn't oversee railroads. By accident of...    more

Dec 8, 2011 Illinois mulls public financing of elections    December 8, 2011
Illinois Times
by Patrick Yeagle
Illinois needs a system to publicly fund election campaigns, reform advocates told a state committee examining potential campaign finance reforms last week. But one expert says lawmakers probably won�t go for it.    more

Dec 7, 2011 Measure to curb union, corporate clout qualifies    December 7, 2011
Mercury News
by Judy Lin
California Republican interests have qualified a ballot measure that would severely curb the political influence of public and private employee unions while depriving Democratic political candidates of a major source of campaign cash.    more

Dec 3, 2011 Some Say the American Legislative Exchange Council Influences Legislation Too Much in Texas and U.S.    December 3, 2011
Star-Telegram
by Aman Batheja
It may be the most powerful force in Texas politics you've never heard of. The American Legislative Exchange Council has helped enact hundreds of pieces of legislation in states nationwide. The conservative, pro-business...    more

Dec 1, 2011 OCCUPIED Amendment Would Overturn �Citzens United�    December 1, 2011
The American Independent
by Ashley Lopez
Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, appeared on MSNBC�s Dylan Ratigan Show yesterday to discuss a newly proposed amendment to the Constitution he introduced to reform campaign finance in the U.S.    more

Dec 1, 2011 FEC Deadlocks on Coordination Among Candidates as Super PACs Expand to Capitol Hill    December 1, 2011
Washington Post
by Jack Gillum, AP
How much can an outside group, bankrolled by millionaires, help a candidate win an election? In the midst of a bitterly divided campaign season, not even the country�s top election officials could decide.    more

Nov 28, 2011 As White House Candidates Abandon Public Funding, Republicans Look to End System    November 28, 2011
Washington Post
by Ben Pershing
At some point in 2012, President Obama and his GOP opponent will formally declare whether they plan to take public funding for their general-election campaigns. If House Republicans get their way, there won�t be a choice to...    more

Nov 26, 2011 TV Attack Ads Aim at Obama Early and Often    November 26, 2011
The New York Times
by Jeremy Peters
Inside the debate halls, the clash may be Republican versus Republican. But offstage, conservatives are mounting a unified and expensive air assault on the candidates� common opponent: President Obama.    more

Nov 24, 2011 Money & Politics: New study tracks independent spending    November 24, 2011
Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
by Bill Lueders
In four critical Wisconsin state Senate races last year, groups making independent campaign expenditures actually spent more than the candidates themselves.    more

Nov 24, 2011 Despite pledge, donations flow from Starbucks    November 24, 2011
Associated Press
by Mike Baker
If Starbucks chief Howard Schultz wants voters to withhold campaign cash from federal politicians, he may need to start with trying to halt the flow of donations coming from the people who work for him.    more

Nov 23, 2011 New state website to help in finding campaign finance data    November 23, 2011
Rapid City Journal
by David Montgomery
Political donations in South Dakota will take a big step into the 21st century next month when Secretary of State Jason Gant rolls out a new website to monitor money in state elections.    more

Nov 21, 2011 Main Street Alliance challenging Humana on contributions to anti-reform forces    November 21, 2011
Insider Lousiville
Staff Article
The liberal Main Street Alliance is asking Louisville insurer/health care provider Humana to come clean on political donations related to Obama health care reform.    more

Nov 21, 2011 Freedom and its Price: Shareholders Seek Disclosure of Corporate Political Spending    November 21, 2011
Corporate Political Activity Law Blog
by Jisha V. Dymond
In the past few years, pay-to-play restrictions have flourished, particularly in the context of contracts related to the management of public pension plan assets and similar government investment...    more

Nov 19, 2011 Corporate power grows stronger as government wanes    November 19, 2011
Los Angeles Times
by Tom Petruno
In the dreams of the Occupy Wall Street movement, America will look like a very different place five years from now. The power and influence of corporations will be sharply curbed, good jobs will be plentiful and income...    more

Nov 18, 2011 California Retirement Systems/ISS United On Corporate Political Spending    November 18, 2011
California Corporate & Securities Law
by Keith Paul Bishop
On Tuesday, I wrote about CalPERS� adoption of updated governance principles, including this new Principle 6.5: Robust board oversight...    more

Nov 17, 2011 2012 Corporate Governance Policy Updates and Process    November 17, 2011
Institutional Shareholder Services
Executive Summary
Read the Executive Summary of the 2012 Corporate Governance Policy Changes Here.    more

Nov 14, 2011 Calpers Approves Policy on Corporate Political Contributions    November 14, 2011
Bloomberg Businessweek
by Michael B. Marois
The California Public Employees� Retirement System approved new guidelines calling on companies in which the largest U.S. public pension invests to disclose their political contributions annually.    more

Nov 14, 2011 Talking Points: What Boards Need To Know About Corporate Political Spending    November 14, 2011
Boardmember.com
by Bobby R. Burchfield
It is expected that $6 billion will be spent fueling election campaigns in 2012. Bobby Burchfield, a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP based in the firm�s Washington, D.C. office , recently spoke...    more

Nov 13, 2011 Unveiling secret corporate political money    November 13, 2011
United Press International
by Michael Kirkland
The Securities and Exchange Commission is being flooded with support for a proposed regulation that would undo at least some of the effects of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United vs. Federal...    more

Nov 9, 2011 Coalition Seeks Disclosure Rules for Corporate Political Contributions    November 9, 2011
Corporate Counsel
by Sue Reisinger
A coalition of 40 investment professionals, foundations, religious investors, and financial planners have come out in support of a proposal to require public companies to disclose their spending on political campaigns.    more

Nov 4, 2011 CalSTRS Adopts Policy on Corporate Political Contributions Disclosure    November 4, 2011
Reuters
Press Release
The California State Teachers� Retirement System (CalSTRS) adopted a policy calling for portfolio companies to annually report their expenditures on political contributions.    more

Nov 2, 2011 FCC Wants Political Ad Spending Disclosure    November 2, 2011
TMCNet.com
by Peter Bernstein
It kind of went unnoticed given all of the commotion at the Federal Communications Commission�s (FCC) open meeting on October 27 about the Universal Service Fund (USF) and Intercarrier Compensation System (ICC) reform....    more

Nov 1, 2011 ISS Seeks Investor Input for Revised Proxy Voting Policies    November 1, 2011
Institutional Shareholder Services
by Robert Kropp
The contribution of proxy advisory services is credited as a factor in the marked increases in shareowner support for environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) proposals over the past two proxy...    more

Oct 31, 2011 Politics, money and taxes    October 31, 2011
The Los Angeles Times
Editorial
Mention "social welfare organization" and the last thing that comes to mind is a group that expends millions of dollars to influence a federal election. But Crossroads GPS, which spent more than $17 million in 2010 to elect...    more

Oct 29, 2011 Outside Groups Eclipsing G.O.P. as Hub of Campaigns    October 29, 2011
The New York Times
by Nicholar Confessore
About once a month, a dozen or so of the country�s most influential Republicans meet in a bare-walled conference room in Washington to discuss how to make further gains in the Congressional elections next year and...    more

Oct 28, 2011 Political Ad Funders Must Not Dodge Scrutiny    October 28, 2011
Bloomberg Businessweek
by Susan Crawford
Thanks to the Supreme Court�s decision last year to allow corporations and unions to make unlimited campaign contributions, Americans in the coming year may be blitzed by $1 billion of essentially anonymous...    more

Oct 27, 2011 FCC To Rule On Online Political Advertisement Disclosure    October 27, 2011
The Huffington Post
by Paul Blumenthal
Everyone is used to seeing a flood of political advertising, whether they are vicious attack ads or saccharine puff pieces, in the months before an election. Soon, the public may get a huge amount of information about...    more

Oct 25, 2011 Influence of Corporate Campaign Contributions in Government Contract Award Decisions    October 25, 2011
Journalist's Resource
by Elise Shanbaker
In the wake of the 2010 Supreme Court decision �Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission,� the level of corporate spending on federal elections is likely to increase. In making such donations, corporations...    more

Oct 25, 2011 Super-Soft Money: How Justice Kennedy paved the way for �SuperPACS� and the return of soft money.    October 25, 2011
Slate
by Richard Hasen
Soft money is coming back to national politics, and in a big way. And we can blame it all on a single sentence in Justice Anthony Kennedy�s opinion in 2010�s controversial Citizens United decision�a sentence that was unnecessary to...    more

Oct 24, 2011 'Pivotal Role' for General Counsel in Corporate Political Activity    October 24, 2011
Corporate Counsel
by Catherine Dunn
The machinations of the 2012 election cycle are fully in motion, with each televised debate and catchy tax proposal marking the countdown to the primaries and general election�and in the national, state, and local...    more

Oct 24, 2011 A new way to buy real influence    October 24, 2011
Politico
by Anna Palmer & Jim Vandehei
Good news for rich people, corporate power players and labor bosses who want to buy some real influence with members of Congress: It just got a lot easier. Many voters assume it�s always been easy to buy influence...    more

Oct 21, 2011 With Political Spending Outrage In The Streets, Corporate Leaders Talk About Transparency, Accountability    October 21, 2011
Huffington Post
by Paul Blumenthal
Four miles north of the occupied Zuccotti Park, where protesters have urged an end to corporate influence in politics, business executives met at the Waldorf Astoria, the former home of President Herbert Hoover, to talk...    more

Oct 20, 2011 House Democrats Urge SEC To Require Disclosure of Campaign Donations    October 20, 2011
The Wall Street Journal
by Andrew Ackerman
)--A group of 43 House Democrats is urging the Securities and Exchange Commission to require public companies to disclose the political contributions they make, a followup to a 2010 Supreme Court ruling...    more

Oct 18, 2011 Corporate-backed 'Super-PAC' raising eyebrows    October 18, 2011
The Orlando Sentinel
by Mark K. Mathhews
A Hialeah-based funeral service -- called Deep Sea Burial for obvious reasons -- has become the first corporation to register a so-called Super-PAC with the Federal Election Commission that will allow it to raise...    more

Oct 17, 2011 The Perils of Donating to Perry    October 17, 2011
The Weekly Standard
by Mark Hemingway
Last week, the Rick Perry campaign announced with great fanfare that the Texas governor had raised $17 million for his presidential campaign in the July-September quarter. That�s more than any other GOP hopeful, and...    more

Oct 12, 2011 Fighting for Corporate Disclosure    October 12, 2011
Roll Call
by Eliza Newlin Carney
All eyes seem to be on Wall Street these days, which is turning out to be good timing both for soul-searching CEOs and for reform activists taking aim at corporate money. A far-flung corporate reform coalition is pushing to...    more

Oct 10, 2011 Rove vs. the Koch Brothers    October 10, 2011
Politico
by Kenneth P. Vogel
Karl Rove�s team and the Koch brothers� operatives quietly coordinated millions of dollars in political spending in 2010, but that alliance, which has flown largely under the radar, is showing signs of fraying.    more

Oct 3, 2011 Dealing with Political Contribution Disclosures    October 3, 2011 Corporate Secretary
by Gary Stern
Corporate secretary plays a key role in deciding disclosure policy by advising management and board. The Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision granted corporations the right to contribute to federal elections for the...    more

Sep 27, 2011 The Counter-Reformation: The Fall of Campaign Finance Reform    September 27, 2011
Huffington Post
by Josh Blumenthal
WASHINGTON -- In the first two weeks of January 2006, the Senate Judiciary Committee held confirmation hearings for President George W. Bush's second nominee to the Supreme Court, Samuel Alito. By replacing Justice Sandra...    more

Sep 26, 2011 Business Executives Call for End to Anonymous Cash    September 26, 2011
Politico
by Dave Levinthal
An alliance of business executives is posing a challenge to its corporate brethren: stop giving out anonymous cash. The nonpartisan Committee on Economic Development wants companies to be upfront about their political...    more

Sep 17, 2011 The Deregulated Campaign    September 17, 2011
National Journal
by Eliza Newlin Carney
When comedian Stephen Colbert won the Federal Election Commission�s approval in June to run his own so-called super political action committee, he lost no time soliciting money for it.    more

Sep 15, 2011 Suit: State Farm covered up donations to justice who voted in its favor    September 15, 2011
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
Lawyers in a class-action case accuse insurance giant State Farm of defrauding the Illinois Supreme Court by covering up its support of the Republican candidate in the most expensive state judicial race in U.S. history.    more

Sep 13, 2011 Rick Perry and HPV vaccine-maker have deep financial ties    September 13, 2011
Washington Post
by Dan Eggen
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, whose bid for the White House depends heavily on support from religious conservatives, finds himself confronting an issue that is a flash point for that part of his base: his attempt to order schoolgirls...    more

Sep 8, 2011 Barbour Adds More Financial Heft to Crossroads Super PAC    September 8, 2011
Roll Call
by Shira Toeplitz
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour signed on to aid the fundraising efforts of American Crossroads, the conservative group that is expected to spend millions to boost Republicans in the 2012 cycle.    more

Aug 27, 2011 Amazon Spends Millions to Fight Internet Sales Tax    August 27, 2011
New York Times
by Aaron Glantz
When it comes to avoiding the requirement of collecting sales tax from its consumers, Amazon is not afraid to open its wallet. More than nine months before a proposed June 2012 referendum asking that California's new Internet...    more

Aug 24, 2011 'Candidate super PACs' surge ahead in the 2012 money race    August 24, 2011
Washington Post
by Dan Eggen
Until this month, Steven C. Roche was one of Mitt Romney's most trusted advisers, helping the former Massachusetts governor raise tens of millions of dollars in his long quest for the White House. Now Roche has jumped ship to...    more

Aug 24, 2011 100+ CEOs promise no campaign donations    August 24, 2011
CNNMoney
by Charles Riley
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) --You know who's really mad at Washington? Corporate America. Led by Howard Schultz of Starbucks (SBUX, Fortune 500), more than 100 CEOs have signed a pledge to halt all political campaign contributions until...    more

Aug 18, 2011 Super PACs Changing 2012 Landscape    August 18, 2011
U.S. News and World Report
by Susan Milligan
Sen. John McCain worked tirelessly a decade ago to achieve a long-desired reform of campaign finance law, working with another Republican and two Democrats to win approval of one of the last, big bipartisan policy...    more

Aug 10, 2011 Super PACs new playground: 2012    August 10, 2011
Politico
by Kenneth P. Vogel
First came American Crossroads, Commonsense Ten and their ilk - so-called super PACs set up with unlimited cash that poured millions of dollars into ads benefiting multiple candidates and attacking their opponents. Now comes...    more

Aug 10, 2011 New Balance distances itself from donation to Romney supporting 'super PAC'    August 10, 2011
Washington Post
by Dan Eggen
A Boston-based sneaker manufacturer under fire from gay rights activists is seeking to distance itself from a political donation by its chairman, who gave $500,000 to an independent group supporting Republican Mitt Romney for...    more

Aug 10, 2011 GOP Feels the Influence of Outside Money Groups    August 10, 2011
NPR
by Peter Overby
Even as Republicans have made their presence felt this summer in Congress and on the presidential campaign trail, some party leaders have begun to feel their own control of Republican activism slipping away.    more

Aug 9, 2011 Serving Shareholders and Democracy    August 9, 2011
New York Times
When the Supreme Court ruled that the government may not ban campaign spending by corporations in the landmark Citizens United decision last year, it argued that disclosure of contributions would protect American democracy from hidden corporate...    more

Aug 9, 2011 Both sides dash for anonymous cash    August 9, 2011
Politico
by Kenneth P. Vogel
If anyone had doubts about the role that anonymous and untraceable money will play in the 2012 campaign ad wars, a flurry of recent reports and voluntary disclosures should put them to rest.    more

Aug 5, 2011 SEC urged to make companies list political spending    August 5, 2011
Reuters
by Karey Wutkowski
(Reuters) - A group of securities law experts are pushing for federal regulations forcing companies to reveal how much they spend on political activities. The 10 professors have formally petitioned the Securities and Exchange...    more

Aug 5, 2011 Law Professors Ask SEC to Require Disclosure of Campaign Donations    August 5, 2011
Wall Street Journal
by Danny Yadron and Andrew Ackerman
A group of 10 corporate law professors asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to require corporations to disclose to shareholders most political spending. In a petition filed Thursday with the SEC,...    more

Aug 4, 2011 Firm gives $1 million to pro-Romney group, then dissolves    August 4, 2011
MSNBC
by Michael Isikoff
A mystery company that pumped $1 million into a political committee backing Mitt Romney has been dissolved just months after it was formed, leaving few clues as to who was behind one of the biggest contributions yet of the 2012...    more

Aug 4, 2011 $30 Million Pouring In to Influence Wisconsin Recall Elections    August 4, 2011
ABC News
by Shushannah Walshe
Months have passed since protests snared the Wisconsin state capital and a collective bargaining argument shut down the state government. But the anger has not died away, and legislators from both parties face recall elections. It...    more

Jul 29, 2011 Wisconsin recall ad deluge may presage 2012 election    July 29, 2011
Reuters
by James B. Kelleher
(Reuters) - A deluge of political advertising in Wisconsin this summer to sway the largest wave of special state elections in U.S. history may be a harbinger of the partisan onslaught expected in the 2012 national elections.    more

Jul 28, 2011 Shareholders Press on CSR Risks    July 28, 2011
Directorship
by Steve Starbuck and Ann Brockett
As proxy season comes to a close, an analysis of shareholder proposals continues to indicate a growing belief on the part of institutional investors that a company's social and environmental policies correlate...    more

Jul 28, 2011 Shareholders Press on CSR Risks    July 28, 2011
Directorship
by Steve Starbuck and Ann Brockett
As proxy season comes to a close, an analysis of shareholder proposals continues to indicate a growing belief on the part of institutional investors that a company's social and environmental policies correlate...    more

Jul 5, 2011 New breed of 'super PACs,' other independent groups could define 2012 campaign    July 5, 2011
Washington Post
by Dan Eggen
One commercial accuses the president of worsening the deficit and says, "It's time to take away Obama's blank check." Another attacks Republican tax and Medicare policies, saying, "We can't rebuild America if they tear down the...    more

Jun 15, 2011 U.S. Federal Election Commision Deadlocks on Greater '12 Donor Disclosure    June 16, 2011
Bloomberg
by Jonathan Salant
The U.S. Federal Election Commission failed to approve a proposal that could lead to greater disclosure of donors to independent groups poised to spend millions on attack ads in the 2012 presidential race. The FEC deadlocked...    more

Jun 2, 2011 California presses for disclosure of political donations    June 2, 2011
Financial Times
by Dan McCrum and Nicole Bullock
Bill Lockyer, the state treasurer for California, has asked the state�s leading public pension funds, the two largest such asset managers in the US, to use their influence to press for full disclosure of political...    more

Jun 1, 2011 California pensions may target firms' political outlays    June 1, 2011
Reuters
by Jim Christie
(Reuters) - California's treasurer on Wednesday urged state pension funds to back shareholders pressing companies to disclose political spending, which many of his fellow Democrats expect to rise and be used against them in the 2012...    more

Jun 1, 2011 Citizens United: The Shareholders Strike Back    June 1, 2011
Mother Jones
by Andy Kroll
The battle against the effects of the Supreme Court's game-changing Citizens United decision, the ruling that ripped down the wall between corporations and American elections, is gathering steam among an unlikely group: investors. With...    more

May 23, 2011 Minnesota upholds disclosure law    May 23, 2011
Inside Investor Relations
by Brad Allen
Appeals court votes to keep law requiring disclosure of political contributions that was brought in following the Citizens United decision    more

May 22, 2011 Transparency vs. Free Speech    May 22, 2011
National Journal
by Eliza Newlin Carney
It's become popular in certain circles to assail political transparency as a nefarious threat to free speech. Once a bipartisan touchstone, campaign finance disclosure rules are now the target of court challenges,...    more

May 21, 2011 Political groups, now free of limits, spending heavily in 2012    May 21, 2011
Washington Post
by Dan Eggen
A contentious special election in Upstate New York has quickly become a test run of sorts for 2012 as outside political groups pump more than $2 million into an obscure three-way House contest. Republican and conservative groups,...    more

May 19, 2011 Secret Donors Multiply in U.S. Election Spending    May 19, 2011
Washington Post
by John Crewdson, Alison Fitzgerald, Jonathan Salant and Charles Babcock
In the weeks before last November's election, television viewers in South Carolina were treated to an animated caricature of Representative John Spratt high- kicking in a...    more

May 14, 2011 News Corporation Will Disclose its Political Donations    May 14, 2011
New York Times
by Brian Stelter
Beginning this summer, the News Corporation, the media company controlled by Rupert Murdoch, will announce each year all the political contributions it has made.    more

May 12, 2011 IRS Moves to Tax Gifts to Groups Active in Politics    May 12, 2011
New York Times
by Stephanie Strum
Big donors like David H. Koch and George Soros could owe taxes on their millions of dollars in contributions to nonprofit advocacy groups that are playing an increasing role in American politics. Invoking a provision that had...    more

Apr 29, 2011 Exclusive: New Dem money group to take on GOP    April 29, 2011
Politico
by Jeanne Cummings
Democrats with ties to the Obama White House on Friday are launching a two-pronged fundraising effort aimed at countering deep-pocketed GOP groups in 2012 - and adopting some of the same policies on unlimited, secret donations that...    more

Apr 29, 2011 Groups Form to Aid Democrats With Anonymous Money    April 29, 2011
New York Times
by Jim Rutenberg
MANCHESTER, N.H. - A group including former White House officials, union leaders and one of Hollywood�s biggest producers have joined forces to start an outside effort to help President Obama and Congressional Democrats in 2012...    more

Apr 12, 2011 Adapting to campaign finace rulings, Democrats build big-spending network    April 12, 2011
Washington Post
by Dan Eggen
The first sign that the ground had shifted in political fundraising came last year, when conservative groups quickly took advantage of new court rulings to dramatically outspend their liberal rivals. Now comes the next tremor,...    more

Apr 7, 2011 Democrats following Republicans into field of undisclosed donors    April 7, 2011
Los Angeles Times
by Matea Gold and Tom Hamburger
Democrats putting together new independent political organizations for the 2012 campaign are embracing a model that will allow them to conceal their donors - the very tactic for which they criticized Republicans...    more

Apr 4, 2011 Big money, union fight shape Wisconsin court race    April 4, 2011
Politico by Kenneth P. Vogel
A conservative judge's campaign for reelection to the Wisconsin Supreme Court has become the next front in a growing multistate Republican effort to limit the power of organized labor. The once-obscure judicial race, which will be...    more

Apr 1, 2011 Former Obama aides likely to start independent fundraising group    April 1, 2011
Los Angeles Times
by Matea Gold and Christi Parsons
As President Obama prepares to kick off his reelection campaign, two former key White House aides are likely to launch an independent political group in support of his bid, a direct response to the pent-up...    more

Mar 24, 2011 Haley Barbour known for fundraising talent and tactics    March 24, 2011
Los Angeles Times
by Matea Gold
As he ponders a run for president, Haley Barbour would not seem a natural fit for the anti-establishment political mood now brewing: The governor of Mississippi is a longtime inside-the-Beltway operator who lobbied for the...    more

Mar 4, 2011 Duking it out: The pitfalls of corporate political activity    March 4, 2011
Fortune
by Eleanor Bloxham
As Duke Energy takes heat over private meetings it had with its regulator, corporate boards should expect tough questions from shareholders on political activities this proxy season.    more

Feb 4, 2011 Investors Target Political Spending    February 4, 2011
Inside Investor Relations
by Jeff Cossette
Doling out corporate cash to support political campaigns is not winning any votes with shareholders    more

Dec 14, 2010 Crossroads GPS prepares offensive    December 14, 2010
Politico
by Alex Isenstadt
Crossroads GPS�the conservative group that carpet-bombed Democrats with a wave of attack ads during the 2010 midterm election-is about to launch its first offensive of the 2012 election cycle.    more

Dec 14, 2010 Group Behind Election Ads Weigh in On Tax Deal    December 14, 2010
NPR
by Peter Overby
A new voice is weighing in on the congressional tax debate: Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies, an outside group that spent millions to create a Republican majority in the House.    more

Dec 13, 2010 A look back at 2010 spending    December 13, 2010
Politico
by Kenneth P. Vogel
The Service Employees International Union made a mistake in targeting Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) during her Democratic primary in September, but won�t rule out backing 2012 primary challengers to White House-backed lawmakers,...    more

Dec 10, 2010 Anonymous donors $132 million on 2010 campaign ads    December 10, 2010
Wall Street Journal
NEW YORK � Independent groups that do not disclose the identity of their donors spent $132.5 million to influence elections nationwide this year, accounting for about a third of all spending by outside groups in the 2010 election cycle, a...    more

Dec 7, 2010 Angry member groups shun Chamber    December 7, 2010
Politico
by Jeanne Cummings
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is under fire from some local chambers over its hard-hitting $75 million ad campaign to elect a Republican House, with dozens of hometown groups distancing themselves from the effort and a handful even...    more

Dec 3, 2010 72 super PACs spent $83.7 million on election, financial disclosure reports say    December 3, 2010
Washington Post
by T.W. Farnam
The newly created independent political groups known as super PACs, which raised and spent millions of dollars on last month's elections, drew much of their funding from private-equity partners and others in the financial...    more

Dec 2, 2010 Pair of conservative groups raised $70 million in midterm campaign    December 2, 2010
Washington Post
by Dan Eggen and T.W. Farnam
A pair of conservative groups founded with the help of Republican political guru Karl Rove raised more than $70 million since their inception last spring, making them the undisputed leaders of an onslaught of...    more

Nov 23, 2010 Effort for Liberal Balance to G.O.P. Gropus Begins    November 23, 2010
New York Times
by Michael Luo
In what may prove a significant development for the 2012 elections, David Brock, a prominent Democratic political operative, says he has amassed $4 million in pledges over the last few weeks and is moving quickly to hire a...    more

Nov 20, 2010 Democrats strategists ready to take page from GOP playbook in 2012    November 20, 2010
Washington Post
by Dan Eggen and T.W. Farnam Major Democratic strategists, still reeling from a barrage of midterm spending by conservative groups, are planning a similarly well-funded campaign by liberal organizations aimed at reelecting President Obama in 2012.    more

Nov 17, 2010 Insurers Gave U.S. Chamber $86 Million Used to Oppose Obama's Health Care Law    November 17, 2010
Bloomberg
by Drew Armstrong
Health insurers last year gave the U.S. Chamber of Commerce $86.2 million that was used to oppose the health-care overhaul law, according to tax records and people familiar with the donation.    more

Nov 17, 2010 Settlement discloses $1.2 million in donations    November 17, 2010
Billings Gazette
by Mike Dennison
HELENA - A Montana group that financed three conservative ballot measures in 2006 has settled a long-running dispute with the state's chief campaign cop, agreeing to disclose the source of $1.2 million used to support the...    more

Nov 9, 2010 White House open to Democratic outside groups in 2012    November 9, 2010
Politico
by Jeanne Cummings
The White House is bracing for an onslaught of $500 million or more in spending by outside Republican groups opposed to President Barack Obama's 2012 re-election, prompting Obama advisers to give the green light to big Democratic...    more

Nov 2, 2010 On eve of election, companies want more political disclosure    November 2, 2010
MarketWatch
by Ron Orol
On the cusp of one of the most expensive mid-term elections in history, company leaders are saying they want more disclosure in political spending. Specifically, two-thirds of 301 business leaders surveyed by pollster Zogby...    more

Nov 1, 2010 Conservative Donor Groups Lay a Base for 2012 Elections    November 1, 2010
New York Times
by Jim Rutenberg
WASHINGTON DC - The midterm election campaign will end Tuesday, but one of its most marked developments - the emergence of outside groups, often backed by anonymous donations, that can direct waves of advertising into...    more

Oct 30, 2010 WellPoint gave $1.4 million to elect Republicans    October 30, 2010
Indianapolis Star
by Maureen Groppe
WASHINGTON --Indianapolis-based WellPoint has given nearly $1.4 million in contributions to help put Republicans in governors' mansions and in other state offices around the country, according to campaign disclosure reports.    more

Oct 28, 2010 Southwest Ambulance keeps funding campaigns    October 28, 2010
Arizona Republic
by Beth Duckett
Southwest Ambulance continues to spend tens of thousands of dollars in support of local candidates in Tuesday's election. The donations were made in City Council races taking place in Scottsdale and Chandler, bringing...    more

Oct 28, 2010 3M, Pentair take heat for political gifts    October 28, 2010
Star Tribune
by Jackie Crosby
Several socially responsible investment companies that already have taken Target and Best Buy to task for political donations to MN Forward, have now added 3M and Pentair to their lists.    more

Oct 27, 2010 Corporate campaign ads haven't followed Supreme Court's prediction    October 27, 2010
Los Angeles Times
by David G. Savage
The Supreme Court sent a wave of corporate and union money flooding into campaign ads this year, but it did so with the promise that the public would know - almost instantly - who was paying for them. "With the advent...    more

Oct 27, 2010 'Independent' Groups Behind Ads Not So Independent    October 27, 2010
NPR
by Peter Overby and Andrea Searbrook
These are the final frantic days of the campaign season. From Missouri to Hawaii, New York to California, political groups are jamming in their last attacks. It's a banner year for attack ads - and the organizations...    more

Oct 24, 2010 What's legal? Ruling on corporate political spending in Montana leaves uncertainty    October 24, 2010
Associated Press
by John Gouras
HELENA - A judge's recent decision to toss Montana's century-old ban on corporate political spending has left observers and enforcers alike trying to figure out exactly what is now legal. Some experts feel Judge Jeffrey...    more

Oct 23, 2010 Aiona violated campaign gift rules, Dems say    October 23, 2010
Honolulu Star-Advertiser
by Derrick DePledge
Hawaii Democrats filed a complaint yesterday with the state Campaign Spending Commission alleging that Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona's campaign for governor and the Republican Governors Association coordinated...    more

Oct 22, 2010 A Cautionary Tale of Corporate Political Spending Emerges in Minnesota    October 22, 2010
ABA Journal
by John Gibeaut
Long regarded as a leader in campaign finance reform, Minnesota until this year had some of the nation’s toughest laws on political spending by corporations. With the federal government and many other states, Minnesota for...    more

Oct 22, 2010 Secret Spending Defines Midterm    October 22, 2010
National Journal
by Eliza Newlin Carney
By now, the two defining trends of this midterm are clear: Big money and unprecedented secrecy. It�s a toxic combination, arguably tailor-made to usher in a new generation of scandals and fresh calls for reform.    more

Oct 21, 2010 Top Corporations Aid U.S. Chamber of Commerce Campaign    October 21, 2010
New York Times
by Eric Lipton, Mike McIntire, and Don Van Natta, Jr.
Prudential Financial sent in a $2 million donation last year as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce kicked off a national advertising campaign to weaken the historic rewrite of the nation's...    more

Oct 18, 2010 Judge Strikes Down Montana's Ban on Corporate Political Expenditures    October 18, 2010
Wall Street Journal
by Jess Bravin
A state judge Monday struck down Montana's 98-year-old ban on corporate political expenditures, ruling that it conflicts with the U.S. Supreme Court's January decision voiding similar provisions of federal law.    more

Oct 18, 2010 National cash fuels campaigns in state    October 18, 2010
Star Tribune
by Kevin Diaz and Pat Doyle
WASHINGTON - National political groups are funneling millions of dollars into Minnesota's governor race as part of a massive infusion of cash generated by interest groups across the country.    more

Oct 14, 2010 'Nonpolitical' Groups Target Dems in Ad Blitz    October 14, 2010
National Public Radio
by Peter Overby and Andrea Seabrook
This election season, more money than ever is flowing from supposedly nonpolitical groups into TV ad campaigns. Most of the ads are negative, sponsored by ambiguously named organizations like...    more

Oct 8, 2010 Union disclosure unlike other groups'    October 8, 2010
Politico
by Ben Smith
Defenders of the outside Republican groups that don't disclose their donors -- the Chamber of Commerce and Crossroads GPS are the biggest this year -- have sometimes made the argument that Democrats have no right to gripe about this,...    more

Oct 7, 2010 Money Talks Louder Than Ever in Midterms    October 7, 2010
New York Times
by Michael Luo
The dominant story line of this year's midterm elections is increasingly becoming the torrents of money, much of it anonymous, gushing into House and Senate races across the country.    more

Oct 6, 2010 Battle Escalates Over Undisclosed Campaign Cash    October 16, 2010
CQPolitics
by Steven T. Dennis
Democrats and Republicans ratcheted up their battle Wednesday over private nonprofit groups that are spending millions of dollars on advertisements in campaigns across the country, largely favoring the GOP, without disclosing...    more

Oct 5, 2010 Secret donors fuel American Crossroads media buy    October 5, 2010
Politico
by Kenneth P. Vogel
A massive $4.2 million ad buy announced Tuesday by American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS erases any doubts that the groups, conceived by veteran GOP operatives Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie, have the cash to be major players in next...    more

Sep 21, 2010 Donor Names Remain Secret as Rules Shift    September 21, 2010
New York Times
by Michael Luo and Stephanie Strom
Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies would certainly seem to the casual observer to be a political organization: Karl Rove, a political adviser to President George W. Bush, helped raise money for it;...    more

Sep 16, 2010 The New GOP Money Stampede    September 16, 2010
Time
by Michael Crowley
In recent days, Ohio voters have probably seen a TV spot ripping Democratic "stimulus and debt" policies, courtesy of a group calling itself Crossroads GPS. They may also have caught an ad by an outfit called the American Action...    more

Sep 15, 2010 Oil companies split on bid to suspend global warming law    September 15, 2010
Los Angeles Times
by Margot Roosevelt
Is Big Oil really backing Proposition 23? Maybe not. Among California's major oil refiners, Shell Oil opposes the November ballot initiative to suspend the state's global warming law. Chevron Corp. is officially...    more

Sep 15, 2010 Despite Supreme Court support, disclosure of funding for 'issue ads' has decreased    September 15, 2010
Washington Post
by T.W. Farnum
A Supreme Court decision this year dramatically altered the regulation of money in politics, and a recent vote by the Federal Election Commission could change one area of the law that the court left intact: rules governing...    more

Sep 15, 2010 Fading Away: Increasing Number of Electioneering Groups Keeps Donors' Identies Secret    September 15, 2010
Public Citizen
by Taylor Lincoln and Craig Holmen
In his 2010 majority opinion in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Justice Anthony Kennedy justified lifting restrictions on corporate and union electioneering activities in part because of...    more

Sep 14, 2010 Groups' Spending for GOP on the Rise    September 14, 2010
Wall Street Journal
by Brody Mullins
Conservative and business groups, fueled by newly legal large donations from corporations, are mounting an effort to elect Republican candidates that could rival political spending by labor unions and liberal...    more

Sep 13, 2010 G.O.P. Allies Drive Ad Spending Disparity September 13, 2010
New York Times
by Michael Luo
Outside groups supporting Republican candidates in House and Senate races across the country have been swamping their Democratic-leaning counterparts on television since early August as the midterm election season has begun... more

Sep 9, 2010 U.S. Chamber of Commerce launches ad attack on Boxer September 9, 2010
Los Angeles Times
by Tom Hamburger
Reporting from Washington - The nation's largest business organization launched a multimillion-dollar advertising attack in California on Wednesday night on U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, part of a nationwide effort targeting... more

Sep 8, 2010 Companies spend indirectly on politics September, 8, 2010
USA Today
by Fredreka Schouten
WASHINGTON — Some of the nation's largest publicly traded companies said they will not channel corporate funds directly into political advertising that targets candidates, even though it is legal for them to do so. more

Sep 8, 2010 Right pours cash into Senate races September 8, 2010
Politico
by Manu Raju
Spending by conservative third-party organizations surged in August, as Republican-aligned groups plunged millions of dollars into key Senate races, potentially neutralizing the strong financial advantage Democrats have enjoyed this... more

Sep 7, 2010 Judge tosses Wash. limit on late campaign spending September 7, 2010
Seattle Post Intelligencer
by Curt Woodward
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- State officials are mulling their next steps after a federal judge overturned a state law limiting campaign contributions in the final weeks of ballot measure campaigns. more

Sep 4, 2010 Bid to suspend CA globa-warming law gets $1 million from billionaire brothers' firm September 4, 2010
LA Times<
by Margot Roosevelt
The fight over a November ballot initiative to suspend California's global warming law has escalated sharply with the Koch brothers, oil billionaires and "tea party" backers, making a million-dollar entry into the fray. The... more

Sep 2, 2010 Americans United for Life Targets Pro-Abortion Democrats in Three States September 2, 2010
LifeNews
by Steven Ertelt
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Americans United for Life is targeting three pro-abortion Democrats in tight election contests with radio ads talking about abortion issues. The ads are also meant to be the first by the group... more

Sep 1, 2010 Texas: Bell Gets $2 Million in Lawsuit Against RGA September 1, 2010
CQPolitics
by Tricia Miller
Former Rep. Chris Bell (D) was awarded a $2 million settlement from the Republican Governors Association in the resolution of a campaign finance issue from the 2006 Texas gubernatorial race, the Houston Chronicle reported on... more

Aug 29, 2010 Big money taints judicial elections August 29, 2010
Seattle Times
by Neil Peirce
It's tough to underestimate the peril to impartial American justice that's been highlighted in a new report on the big-time campaign money flowing into elections for justices on state Supreme Courts. more

Aug 26, 2010 GOP bringing in the bucks for House midterms August 26, 2010
Washington Post
by T.W. Farnum and Dan Eggen
This week, the top Republican in the House, Minority Leader John A. Boehner (Ohio), pledged that the party would spend $50 million assisting House candidates in the midterm elections. The National Republican... more

Aug 25, 2010 Citizens United Aftershocks August 25, 2010
Washington Post
by Katrina vanden Heuvel
What are the consequences of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision allowing corporations "unlimited spending in pursuit of political ends"? The world of campaign finance is new, confusing -- and very alarming. more

Aug 24, 2010 Political groups set up for ad blitz August 24, 1010
USA Today
by Fredreka Schouten
WASHINGTON More than a dozen political groups have organized in recent weeks to spend large amounts of money on attack ads against House and Senate candidates as special interests on the left and right play a larger role in... more

Aug 22, 2010 Secret money flows through election loophole August 22
Detroit Free Press
by Jennifer Dixon and M.L. Elrick
Michigan's campaign finance laws are designed to let voters know whose money is trying to influence them. Yet it's virtually impossible to tell where more than $4 million -- nearly 40% -- of the money... more

Aug 22, 2010 U.S. Chamber of Commerce amplifies political spending August 22, 2010
Associated Press
by Jim Kuhnhehn
WASHINGTON - At times subtle, at times loud, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is spending record amounts on lobbying and in election battlegrounds, elbowing into the nation's politics in unprecedented ways for the business community. more

Aug 20, 2010 Target feels backlash from shareholders August 20, 2010
Los Angeles Times
by Jennifer Martinez and Tom Hamburger
After weeks of public protest over its financial support of an organization that backed a GOP gubernatorial candidate opposed to gay rights, Target Corp. now faces a new form of pressure: demands from... more

Aug 20, 2010 Judge asked to overturn state law on disclosing corporate donations August 20, 2010
Star Tribune
by Pat Doyle
In the wake of the uproar over Target's spending on politics, a federal judge was asked Friday by abortion opponents and other backers of GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer to block a state law that requires such disclosures by... more

Aug 19, 2010 Exercising new ability to spend on campaigns, Target finds itself a bulls-eye August 19, 2010
Washington Post
by Jia Lynn Yang and Dan Eggen
When Target gave money in July to a pro-business group in Minnesota, the company thought it was helping its bottom line by backing candidates in its home state who support lower taxes. Instead, the retailer has... more

Aug 19, 2010 Ads Go After Ohio Democrats August 19, 2010
CQPolitics
by John McArdle
A shadowy Republican-leaning 501(c)4 group that goes by the name of the Committee for Truth in Politics shelled out more than $320,000 this week for ads in the Cleveland market targeting Democrats in tough races and appears set to... more

Aug 19, 2010 Karl Rove-Linked Conservative Group, American Crossroads, Adapts to New Campaign Finance Landscape August 19, 2010
OpenSecretsBlog
by Michael Beckel
American Crossroads, which some have dubbed the “shadow Republican National Committee,” is at the vanguard of political entities that are taking advantage of the new campaign finance landscape in the wake of January’s... more

Aug 19, 2010 GOP outside cash worries Dems August 19, 2010
Politico
by Kenneth P. Vogel
With less than three months until Election Day, Democrats are becoming increasingly concerned that the independent groups they are counting on for support won't have the money to counter what they fear will be an unprecedented... more

Aug 18, 2010 Voter (and Customer) Beware August 19, 2010
New York Times
The Target Corporation has a well-earned reputation for hiring and advancing the rights of people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender. But a controversial political donation has stirred the nationwide wrath of gay and lesbian groups that... more

Aug 17, 2010 News Corp. donates $1 million to GOP Governors August 17, 2010
New York Times
by Brian Stelter
The News Corporation, controlled by Rupert Murdoch, contributed $1 million to the Republican Governors Association this summer, the Bloomberg news service reported this week. more

Aug 17, 2010 Rulings Cover Political Donors in Veil of Secrecy August 17, 2010
National Public Radio
by Peter Overby
In the first 17 days of August - not normally a time of major campaign activity - independent groups spent $2.4 million to promote or attack candidates in the midterm elections. The spenders included unions and... more

Aug 16, 2010 Conservative group kicks off $4.1 million election ad campaign August 16, 2010
Los Angeles Times
by Michael A. Memoli and Tom Hamburger
The ads decrying Washington policies will run in markets including 24 competitive congressional races. The midterm election appears likely to be the most expensive on record. more

Aug 16, 2010 Fox parent gives $1 million to RGA August 16, 2010
Politico
by Ben Smith
News Corp., which owns Fox News and the New York Post, gave $1 million to Haley Barbour's Republican Governors Association this year, according to the RGA's most recent filing. more

Aug 16, 2010 Target: No equality in donations August 16, 2010
Politico
by Jeanne Cummings
Target Corp., for now, has rejected demand from the Human Rights Campaign that the retailer donate to pro-gay rights candidates in order to balance its contribution to a group backing Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate... more

Aug 16, 2010 The Real Lesson in Target's Campaign Cash Trouble August 16, 2010
National Public Radio
by Peter Overby
During this election season, there's likely to be a lot more corporate cash in politics, following a Supreme Court ruling last winter that lifted restraints on companies and labor unions. more

Aug 13, 2010 Court halts rule on political ads August 13, 2010
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
by Jason Stein
Madison- Piling on to an agreement already reached in a federal lawsuit, a divided state Supreme Court put a freeze late Friday on a state rule regulating political ads and messages in the run-up to elections. more

Aug 13, 2010 Donation Backlash still haunts Target August 13, 2010
Minneapolis Star Tribune
by Jackie Crosby
The controversy surrounding Target Corp.'s $150,000 donation to an organization backing Republican Tom Emmer for governor continues to smolder, despite an apology last week from the CEO. more

Aug 13, 2010 Target stores negotiate with gay/lesbian group over political spending August 13, 2010
Los Angeles Times
by Tom Hamburger and Jennifer Martinez
Last week, faced with waves of protests, retailer Target Corp. apologized for its $150,000 donation to an organization backing a Republican candidate with a long record of opposing gay rights. more

Aug 12, 2010 Political ads, brought to you by Goldman Sachs? August 12, 2010
Fortune
by Tory Newmyer
FORTUNE -- More than seven months after it was handed down, the Supreme Court's ruling that rolled back limits on corporate participation in elections remains mired in controversy. more

Aug 10, 2010 Firms think twice about political ads August 10, 2010
Politico
by Jeanne Cummings
As the Minnesota primary for governor draws to a close Tuesday, the controversy over corporate-backed political ads for Republican candidate Tom Emmer is far from over. more

Aug 9, 2010 Google Urged to be more open about political spending August 9, 2010
DailyTech
by Shane McGlaun
Google is the biggest search engine in the U.S. and one of the largest search engines in the world. The company has the most lucrative online advertising program around which fills its coffers with money and allows the company to... more

Aug 7, 2010 Target Discovers Downside to Political Contributions August 7, 2010
Wall Street Journal
by Brody Mullins and Ann Zimmerman
arget Corp. sought to take advantage of new campaign-finance rules, but ended up putting a bull's eye on its back. The Minneapolis retailer recently donated $150,000 to a political group, Minnesota... more

Aug 6, 2010 Target could have avoided Emmer woe, experts say August 6, 2010
Minneapolis Business Journal
by John Vomhof, Jr.
When Target Corp. became the first corporate supporter of MN Forward, the new business-focused political action committee, the retailer likely didn't think its $150,000 contribution would generate much attention. more

Aug 6, 2010 Outside groups unleash late ads in Colorado's Senate race August 6, 2010
Denver Post
by Michael Booth and Allison Sherry
A late round of Senate ads, one a harsh attack on Sen. Michael Bennet and the other a bold boost for Republican Jane Norton, will test the ability of wealthy outside groups to reach ballot procrastinators in... more

Aug 6, 2010 Wall St. cuts political donations, shuns ad campaigns August 6, 2010
The Economic Times
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK: Major Wall Street firms have cut back sharply on political contributions for November's mid-term US elections and are pledging to avoid direct sponsorship of political advertising campaigns. Donations by leading Wall Street... more

Aug 5, 2010 A guide to the 'shadow GOP': the groups that may define the 2010 and 2012 elections August 5, 2010
Yahoo! News
by Holly Bailey
It's a nondescript office building just two blocks from the White House � but in politics, it's ground zero for what many are referring to as the "shadow GOP." On the 12th floor of this New York Avenue office complex, four separate... more

Aug 5, 2010 Corporate money helping legislative candidates too August 5, 2010
Minnesota Public Radio
by Tim Pugmire
MN Forward, a new business-backed group that's using corporate donations to support political candidates, has announced its first list of favored state legislative candidates. more

Aug 5, 2010 Target CEO apologizes to employees for MN Forward donation August 5, 2010
Minneapolis Business Journal
Target Corp. CEO Gregg Steinhafel on Thursday apologized to the retailer�s employees for a corporate political donation that had drawn criticism from both inside and outside the company. Read more: Target CEO apologizes to employees... more

Aug 2, 2010 Political ads off limites, Goldman promises August 2, 2010
New York Times
by Javier C. Hernandez
Facing pressure from critics of Wall Street to limit its role in elections, Goldman Sachs has pledged not to spend any of its vast corporate reserves on political advertising. more

Aug 2, 2010 Corporate Campaign spending picks up speed August 2, 2010
LA Times
by Tom Hamburger
Reporting from Washington � Driven by increasing anger at Democratic policies and by recent Supreme Court decisions unshackling corporate contributions, business and conservative groups are preparing a flood of campaign money to try... more

Aug 1, 2010 Political opposites protest ad rules August 1, 2010
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
by Jason Stein
Madison � An unlikely duo of a conservative group and a liberal organization together have brought a lawsuit to block a new state rule regulating political issue ads and messages that took effect Sunday. more

Jul 28, 2010 Will Coal Bosses Band Together to Influence Elections August 28, 2010
ABC News
by Hanna Seigel
Top officials at the country's major coal companies, including Massey Energy, owner of the West Virginia mine where 29 died earlier this year, apparently want to take advantage of looser campaign finance laws and use corporate money... more

Jul 28, 2010 New business plan: crushing Dems July 28, 2010>br> Politico
by Jeanne Cummings and Chris Frates
Democrats may be going out of their way to say they aren�t anti-business, but business is gearing up to demonstrate that it�s anti-Democrats � at least when it comes to members of the party�s liberal wing. more

Jul 28, 2010 Coal execs hope to spend big to defeat Conway and Chandler July 28, 2010
Lexington Herald-Leader
by John Cheves
Several major coal companies hope to use newly loosened campaign-finance laws to pool their money and defeat Democratic congressional candidates they consider "anti-coal," including U.S. Senate nominee Jack Conway and U.S.... more

Jul 27, 2010 After political gift, Target feels backlash July 27, 2010
Star Tribune
by Jackie Crosby and Baird Helgesen
Target Corp. is discovering that a new era of political giving presents a double-edged sword. A January Supreme Court ruling allows companies to donate directly to campaigns. But the Minneapolis-based retailer... more

Jul 27, 2010 Target Corp. defends Minnesota political donation July 27, 2010
Associated Press
by Martiga Lohn
ST. PAUL, Minn. � Target Corp. on Tuesday defended the use of its new freedom to spend money on political campaigns as employees and gay organizations criticized a $150,000 donation that will help a Minnesota GOP gubernatorial... more

Jul 25, 2010 10 states add campaign finance laws July 25, 2010
USA Today
by Fredreka Schouten
WASHINGTON � Ten states have swiftly passed new laws requiring additional disclosure of political spending, following a Supreme Court ruling that lets corporations and unions pump unlimited amounts of money into certain campaign... more

Jul 24, 2010 Initiatives backed by corporate funds July 24, 2010
TriCity Herald
by Michelle Dupler
OLYMPIA -- A Public Disclosure Commission report released Friday shows corporate, union and special interest group money has paid for the lion's share of efforts to get initiatives on the November general election ballot. more

Jul 23, 2010 "Grassroots" Rove-linked group funded almost entirely by billionaires July 23, 2010
Salon
by Justin Elliott
Virtually all of the $4.7 million raised by Karl Rove's new conservative outfit was contributed by just four billionaires, three of whom are based in Dallas, Texas, and two of whom made their fortune in the oil and gas industry. more

Jul 21, 2010 15 year-old Alabama law on donations to judicial candidates never enforced July 21, 2010
Birmingham News
by Mary Orndorff
A 15-year-old Alabama law that says judges should not hear cases in which one of the parties donated at least $2,000 to their campaigns has never been enforced, locked in a stalemate over whether it first needs to be reviewed by... more

Jul 21, 2010 Corporate campaign cash: CU and raise you July 21, 2010
Politics in Minnesota
by Charley Shaw
For the past six months there has been no shortage of speculation about the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court's January ruling in the Citizens United case, but many observers failed to note one of the likeliest consequences... more

Jul 20, 2010 Rove-linked group uses secret donors to fund attacks July 20, 2010
Politico
by Kenneth P. Vogel
A new political operation conceived by Republican operatives Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie formed a spinoff group last month that - thanks in part to its ability to promise donors anonymity - has brought in more money in its first... more

Jul 7, 2010 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

Jun 17, 2010 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

Jun 9, 2010 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

Jun 4, 2010 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

Jun 3, 2010 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

Jun 2, 2010 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

Jun 1, 2010 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

May 14, 2010 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

May 4, 2010 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

May 2, 2010 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

Apr 27, 2010 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

Apr 17, 2010 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

Apr 9, 2010 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

Apr 8, 2010 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

Apr 7, 2010 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

Apr 5, 2010 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

Mar 28, 2010 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

Mar 28, 2010 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

Mar 27, 2010 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

Mar 27, 2010 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

Mar 26, 2010 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

Mar 25, 2010 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

Mar 25, 2010 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

Mar 24, 2010 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

Mar 9, 2010 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

Feb 27, 2010 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

Feb 17, 2010 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

Feb 10, 2010 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

Feb 1, 2010 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

Jan 23, 2010 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

Jan 22, 2010 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

Jan 12, 2010 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

Jan 12, 2010 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

Jan 9, 2010 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

Jan 7, 2010 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

Nov 24, 2009 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

Nov 19, 2009 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

Nov 18, 2009 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

Nov 17, 2009 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

Nov 12, 2009 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

Oct 22, 2009 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

Oct 19, 2009 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

Oct 18, 2009 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

Oct 15, 2009 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

Oct 15, 2009 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

Oct 14, 2009 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

Oct 14, 2009 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

Oct 14, 2009 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

Oct 13, 2009 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

Oct 7, 2009 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

Oct 6, 2009 '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

Oct 3, 2009 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

Sep 29, 2009 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

Sep 29, 2009 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

Sep 27, 2009 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

Sep 23, 2009 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

Sep 18, 2009 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

Sep 10, 2009 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

Aug 11, 2009 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

Jul 17, 2009 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

Jun 30, 2009 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

May 18, 2009 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

May 8, 2009 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

May 5, 2009 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

Apr 21, 2009 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

Apr 12, 2009 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

Apr 8, 2009 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

Mar 19, 2009 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

Feb 10, 2009 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

Jan 6, 2009 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

Nov 7, 2008 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

Oct 10, 2008 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

Oct 9, 2008 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

Oct 9, 2008 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

Jul 26, 2008 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

Jul 3, 2008 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

May 31, 2008 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

May 25, 2008 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

May 12, 2008 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

Apr 24, 2008 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

Apr 17, 2008 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

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