| By The Numbers |
| $1,200,000 - Rep. Daryl Issa buys condo on Kalorama in 2000 |
| $2,443,400 - Current assessed value in 2012. |
| $2,546,300 - New assessment for 2013. |
| $102,900 - Increase 2012-2013. |
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Dennis Kucinich Won't Run Here - Or Anywhere Else
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5/16/2012
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Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) will not seek a House seat in Washington state this year after losing a primary to a fellow Democratic Member in March. View Roll Call article. Kucinich has just returned from a May 7-10 trip to Dubai where he was the keynote speaker at the 15th Commencement Exercise of American University in Dubai. The university paid $14,563 cost of the trip.
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April Fundraising Reports Due Sunday
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5/16/2012
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Campaign finance reports covering April activity are due at the FEC on Sunday the 20th. Early filings and press release indicate it was a good month for candidates.
National Beer Wholesalers Assn. PAC reported raising $167,936 and disbursing $162,611. They gave $162,500 to federal candidates and committees.
GoDaddy.com PAC reported it had stepped up their contributions to candidates and political parties, giving out $55,000. The company GoDaddy.com also continues to be paid by candidates and committees for domain name registrations. Use Political MoneyLine's disbursement search to view the 726 payments this cycle.
Lockheed Martin reported giving $207,000 to federal candidates and committees.
Texas Medical Assn. PAC reported prior to its primary that it had made $400,253 in disbursements, $46,500 to federal candidates and $328,094 to state and local candidates.
Emily's List reported it raised $2,479,171 and disbursed $1,851,498, leaving cash on hand of $2,765,527.
Labor organizations also stepped up their giving. The United Assn. Political Education Committee gave out $273.047. The Engineers Political Education Committee disbursed $252,765, including $250,000 to Lunchpail Republicans PAC on 4/9.
Independent expenditures were also reported by the Committee to Elect and Effective Valley Congressman. It paid $96,219 on 5/14 to U.S. Int'l Media for ads supporting Howard Berman (D-CA). The Texas Conservatives Fund spent another $250,000 opposing Rafael Cruz (S-TX).
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Clawback Gets $50K from Republican Governors Assn.
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5/15/2012
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The Republican Governors Assn., a Section 527 organization, reported in its 2012 first quarter report that it had paid Douglas A. Kelly-Receiver (Minneapolis, MN) $50,000 as a refund on 2/6. Kelly was appointed by the federal government as receiver to recover funds from the Petters Ponzi scheme involving 150 companies. Thomas Petters (Petters Group Worldwide) was listed in earlier reports as donating $50,000 on 12/7/2006. Use Political MoneyLine's donor search to view others who received funds from Thomas Petters.
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Court Decision: Groups Now Required to Disclose Contributors Financing "Elections Communications"
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5/15/2012
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In a press release today Democracy 21 said "a three-judge panel of the
Court of Appeals for the D.C.
Circuit late yesterday turned down a request to stay a district court ruling
that struck down an FEC regulation that had all but eliminated the disclosure of
donors to groups that make “electioneering communications” in federal
elections. The district court ruling by
Judge Amy Berman Jackson on March 30, 2012 came in a case brought last year by
Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and held that the FEC regulation was in
violation of a statutory requirement that “all contributors” to such groups be
disclosed."
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Nonprofit Prods Ron Paul for Repayment of Flights
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5/15/2012
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A libertarian organization that paid for plane tickets and other expenses for Rep. Ron Paul says after an audit that the Texas Republican defrauded the group for about $20,000. The group is pushing Paul for repayment and exploring legal remedies. View Roll Call article.
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Super PAC Spends $1 Million in the U.S. Senate Primary in Texas
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5/14/2012
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The Texas Conservatives Fund, a Super PAC, reported today that it had paid $1 million to SRH Media in Silver Spring, MD. on 5/14 , and $13,334 to Savanna Communications in Washington, D.C. on 5/14 for independent expenditures opposing Rafael Cruz in the U.S. Senate race in the Texas Republican Primary. The Texas Conservatives Fund is supporting David Dewhurst and received early financial help from Bob Perry (Perry Homes).
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ActBlue Hits $49 Million Mark
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5/14/2012
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ActBlue reported it had raised $4,188,526 and spent $4,889,613 during April. The group passed along $4.7 million in contributions to federal candidates and committees. The group has $5,329,905 cash on hand. The group has averaged over $5 million a month in receipts in 2012, compared with $1.8 million a month for the first four months of 2011, and $2.3 million a month for the first four months of 2010. The group collected $63 million in the 2010 cycle and has already collected $49 million in the first 16 months of this cycle.
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The Lobbyist in the Gray Flannel Suit
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5/14/2012
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As the American political classes become more polarized, with faction pitted against faction, there is a consolidating force at work in the $6 billion-a-year influence-peddling industry. View Thomas Edsall's NewYork Times article.
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Landry Ads Raise Questions
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5/14/2012
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Louisiana Rep. Jeff Landry's single largest office expense during the third quarter of last year was $30,000 for radio ads promoting meetings outside his current district but within a redrawn one where he may battle a fellow House Republican should be run for a second term. View Roll Call article.
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Independent Expenditures In Nebraska Republican Primary
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5/13/2012
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Ending Spending Action Fund, a Super PAC that supported Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker and had spent against Sen. Harry Reid in Nevada in 2010, reported it had made $248,363 in independent expenditures on 5/12 for the U.S. Senate campaign in the Nebraska Republican Primary. The group paid $248,363 to Smart Media Group for ads supporting Debra Fischer ($100,181) and opposing Jon Bruning ($100,181). It also paid $48,000 to Strategic Perception Inc. for ads supporting Debra Fischer ($24,000) and opposing Jon Bruning ($24,000). The group was founded by Joe Ricketts, former CEO and chairman of TD Ameritrade, based in Nebraska.
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Sen. Lugar and Hatch Share Home Buying History
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5/13/2012
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Both Sen. Dick Lugar and Sen. Orrin Hatch came to the Senate
in 1977 and both quickly bought houses in the same community.
Lugar bought a newly built Washington, D.C. area home in March
1977 for $154,500. The single-family,
detached, two-story, five bedroom house now has a 2012 tax assessed value of
$1,103,760. It has 3,550 square feet of
living space and the lot is 43,590 square feet. It increased $10,890 in value
between tax year 2011 and 2012. Its
highest assessed value was in tax year 2008 when it was valued at $1,234,100.
Hatch bought a newly built Washington, D.C. area home in January
1977 for $129,500. The single-family,
detached, split level, brick, four bedroom house now has a 2012 tax assessed
value of $767,300. It has 2,055 square
feet of living area and the lot is 43,704 square feet. It decreased $11,140 in
value between 2011 and 2012. Its highest
assessed value was in tax year 2006 when it was valued at $853,290.
Political MoneyLine includes in its profile of each member
of Congress the value of their Washington, D.C. area owned home, if any. The value is not required to be reported in their
personal financial disclosure statements.
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U.S. Chamber Launching Targeted YouTube Ad Campaign
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5/12/2012
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The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, on pace to spend upward of $50 million on voter mobilization this campaign cycle, has launched a YouTube advertising campaign targeting residents of seven Congressional districts. More ads in other districts are likely on the horizon. View Roll Call article.
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$1.9 Million Spent for Romney
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5/12/2012
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Restore Our Future Inc., a Super PAC, reported on 5/12 that it paid Mentzer Media Services $1,965,689 on 5/10 as an independent expenditure in support of Mitt Romney.
The Majority PAC, a Democratic Party-oriented Super PAC, reported it had made independent expenditures of $300,701 on 5/10 opposing Josh Mandel (S-OH). They also spent $126,283 on 5/11 opposing Jesse Kelly (AZ-08). They also spent $141,286 on 5/11 supporting Julia Brownley (CA-26). They also spent $21,931 on 5/11 opposing Linda Parks (CA-26).
The Conservative Renewal PAC reported independent expenditure spending of $125,000 on 5/11 supporting David Dewhurst (S-TX) and $47,500 on 5/11 opposing Thomas Leppert (S-TX).
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Hollywood Fundraising Events Hard To Document
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5/12/2012
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The receipts and disbursements for Jeffrey Katzenberg’s fundraising
event in Hollywood Thursday night at the home of George Clooney should be
reported in the June 20th filing disclosure report of the joint fund
raising committee, the Obama Victory Fund 2012, set up by Obama’s campaign
committee Obama For America ($2,500 limit) and the Democratic National
Committee ($35,800 limit). However, some
events in the past have been cascading events that get out of the control of
the federally regulated committee. This is especially true when the event is in
someone’s home, is in a city that is not the location of the committee staff,
and is swayed by persons that can bowl over committee staff or make commitments
or decisions on their own.
In August 2000 a “Hollywood tribute to William Jefferson
Clinton” at the Brentwood home of Ken Roberts was setup by New York Senate 2000,
a joint soft and hard money fundraising event for the Hillary Rodham Clinton
for U.S. Senate Committee, the DSCC, and the New York State Democratic Party.
The committee was later fined $35,000 by the FEC (MUR 5225) and was required to
amend their reports to show an additional $721,000 in contributions from Peter
Paul, one of the event organizers. The committee had only reported $366,000 of
his contributions.
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N.Y. Congressman Will Reimburse Costs for $22,000 Taiwan Trip
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5/12/2012
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Rep. Bill Owens, D-N.Y., said that he will personally reimburse a Taiwan university for the $22,132 trip he took to the island with his wife in December. View ProPublica article. View Owen's January travel report.
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FEC Revises Guidebook for Enforcement Process
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5/11/2012
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The Federal Election Commission approved a revised Guidebook for Complainants and Respondents on the FEC Enforcement Process. The Guidebook summaries the Commission's general enforcement policies and procedures and offers additional guidance concerning the enforcement process. The revised document adds descriptions of and links to the policies, procedures, and directives relevant to the enforcement process that the Commission has approved since the original publication of Guidebook in December 2009. View approved agenda document. Make a copy - Save legal fees.
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FEC Approves Legislative Recommendations to Congress
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5/11/2012
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The Federal Election Commission unanimously approved five legislative recommendations for 2012 to be submitted for consideration to Congress: (1) to require electronic filing for Senate candidates; (2) to make permanent the Administrative Fine program, which gives authority to the Commission to assess administrative fines for committees that fail to timely report receipts and disbursements in a timely manner; (3) to expand the prohibitions on fraudulent misrepresentation of campaign authority; (4) to extends the personal use restrictions to all political committees; and (5) to delete the exclusion of the Commission from eligibility for the Senior Executive Service. View FEC agenda document.
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El Paso Corp PAC Makes Record Contributions in April
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5/10/2012
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The El Paso Corporation PAC reported it had disbursed $237,000 to federal candidates during April, and $9,000 to state candidates and committees. This is the largest monthly payout ever. Through March the El Paso Corp PAC had given out only $64,500 to candidates, 79% to Republicans. Kinder Morgan Inc. and El Paso Corp. hope to complete their merger on May 24th and this PAC activity may be part of the effort to close the El Paso Corp. PAC. The PAC took in no receipts in April and has only $10,193 cash on hand on 4/30.
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Top Associations Giving To Candidates
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5/10/2012
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Fifteen national associations have each given more than $1 million to federal candidates in the first fifteen months of this election cycle. Six of those have given more than $1.5 million. Leading the list is the National Assn. of Realtors PAC $2.2 million, the National Beer Wholesalers Assn. PAC $2.1 million, the American Assn. for Justice PAC $1.8 million, the American Bankers Assn. PAC $1.8 million, the PAC of the Credit Union National Assn. $1.6 million, and the Dealers Election Action Committee of the National Automotive Dealers Assn. $1.5 million.
Also in the top list are the American College of Radiology Assn. PAC $1.2 million, the National Air traffic Controllers Assn. PAC $1.2 million, the PAC of the American Assn. of Orthopaedic Surgeons $1.1 million, the American Dental Assn. PAC $1.1 million, the Action Committee for Rural Electrification of the National Rural Electric Cooperative $1.1 million, the Independent Community Bankers PAC $1 million, the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers PAC $1.1 million, the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers PAC $1.1 million, and the American Society of Anesthesiologists PAC $1 million.
View full ranking of the top 100 association PACs' contributions to candidates, including their Democrat/Republican breakdown.
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Ethics Panel Says It Will Continue Probe of Buchanan
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5/10/2012
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The House Ethics Committee said Wednesday that it would continue reviewing whether Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) offered almost $3 million to settle a series of legal disputes with a former business partner in exchange for him filing a false affidavit with the Federal Election Commission. View Roll Call article.
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Super PAC Spends $542K For Massie
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5/10/2012
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Liberty For All Super PAC reported it had paid Nebo Media $542,600 for independent expenditures supporting Thomas Massie (R-KY-04). The PAC had previously endorsed Ron Paul for president and Thomas Massie. The Massie campaign had reported raising $232,520 and spending $75,442 in the first quarter, leaving cash on hand of $157,088 and debts of $80,000.
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Realtors Spend $433,600 for Gary Miller in California
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5/9/2012
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The National Assn. of Realtors PAC reported today that they had made $433,600 in independent expenditures supporting Gary Miller (R-CA-42). They paid SSG media $396,000 on 5/9, and they paid DDC Advocacy $37,000 on 5/9.
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Democrats Far Behind in Super PAC Money
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5/9/2012
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For Democratic super PACs struggling to catch up with their cash-flush GOP counterparts, the news that financier George Soros will soon give $2 million to a couple of progressive groups comes as small consolation. View Roll Call article. View Super PACs' overall receipts and party orientation.
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Sen. Bingaman 'consultant' Was Lobbyist
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5/9/2012
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A lobbyist for a generic drug company was introduced as a special consultant to Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) during negotiations on patent law, according to others who attended the meeting. View The Hill article.
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Pawlenty Terminates Federal PAC
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5/8/2012
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Former presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty today filed a termination report for his federal political action committee, Freedom First PAC, effective 4/30. His electronic letter indicated all debts have been paid. During its existence the PAC raised and spent $3.7 million.
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Today's Primary Elections
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5/8/2012
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N.C. Primaries Map Likely GOP Pickups. Primary voters are headed to the polls today in North Carolina, a state that the GOP has a lot riding on at the presidential and Congressional levels this November. View Roll Call article. View money tally as of 4/18 in North Carolina.
Downballot, Established Candidates Lead In Indiana. Sen. Dick Lugar's uphill re-election battle is the marquee race on the GOP ballot today in Indiana, where primary voters are headed to the polls to decide the six-term Senator's political fate. View Roll Call article. View money tally as of 4/18 in Indiana.
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AMA Picks Up The Beat
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5/8/2012
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The American Medical Association PAC has increased their activity by giving out $114,000 during April in contributions to campaigns. This is the largest monthly amount this election cycle. They also have been carrying a cash on hand balance of $2.4 million. View chart of last 16 months activity. View PAC profile and money given to Republicans and Democrats from 1980 to the present.
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Many in Google Inc.'s Army Are Paid To Wait
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5/8/2012
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Google Inc.'s first K Street hire was a fledgling shop whose two lobbyists had been the subject of a mass mail alleging they had an extramarital affair. That was nine years ago. View Roll Call article. View lobbying by Google and the lobbying firms they have hired.
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Realtors List $1.8 Million Going Into Fund
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5/7/2012
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The National Association of Realtors reported it had moved $1,809,934 from their corporate treasury during April into their National Association of Realtors Congressional Fund, a Super PAC that makes independent expenditures. During April the fund made $136,315 in independent expenditures for Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA). The fund had cash on hand of $1,676,195 as of 4/30. The Fund was started in September of 2010 when NAR gave it $1.1 million.
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Super PAC Sets Up Separate Account for Hard Money
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5/7/2012
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The Red White and Blue Fund, a Super PAC that supported Rick Santorum, filed an amended statement of organization today to indicate that they are setting up a separate account to be used for making contributions to federal candidates and committees. Santorum used the fund last week to pay for an announcement of his support for Attorney General Jon Bruning in the Nebraska Republican Senate primary. The fund may become Santorum's political organization. The fund has raised over $8 million since Oct. 1, 2011 and had $262,949 cash on hand as of 3/31.
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Super PAC Spends $2 Million For Romney
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5/7/2012
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Restore Our Future Inc., a Super PAC, reported on Saturday that it had paid Mentzer Media Services Inc. $2,031,560 on 5/3 for independent expenditures supporting Mitt Romney. They also paid McCarthy Hennings Media Inc $12,962. This brings the committee's calendar year to date amount to $2,044,522 for supporting Romney.
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Lobbyists Focus On Tea Leaves
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5/7/2012
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DLA Piper hosted an elegant two-course breakfast briefing at the Willard InterContinental last week. The audience was a collection of clients, Hill aides, lawyers, diplomats and reporters. The fare was unabashedly political. And that was the point. View Roll Call article.
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RIM's Team Messages Any Action on Spectrum Legislation
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5/5/2012
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Canadian multinational telecommunications company Research In Motion (RIM) reported it had spent $832,000 on
lobbying in the first quarter of 2012. This is down slightly from the fourth
quarter of 2011 when it reported spending $884,000. Their specific lobbying issues
included: S.455 RADIOS Act, S.415 Spectrum Optimization Act, H.R. 911 Spectrum
Inventory and Auction Act, H.R. 3261 Stop Online Piracy Act, S.968 Protect IP
Act, S.2105 The Cybersecurity Act f 2012, and H.R. 3630 Middle Class Tax Relief
and Job Creation Act. RIM's products include the Blackberry wireless solution. In-house lobbyists included Clint Robinson and Jason Scism. Also included in the amount of money spent in the first quarter are payments to seven lobbying firms: Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti $50,000 (twelve lobbyists); Vinson & Elkins $50,000 (one lobbyist); The Walter Group $45,000 (one lobbyist); Clark Lyttle Gedulding & Cranford $30,000 (six lobbyists); Franklin Square Group $30,000 (five lobbyists); Park Strategies Washington Group $30,000 (two lobbyists); and Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre $20,000 (one lobbyist). View the lobbying reports of these, including the lobbyist names and their previous government positions.
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Soros Money Moves to Super PAC
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5/5/2012
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The Jewish Council for Education and Research, a Super PAC,
reported it had raised $202,140 in the first quarter and spent $2,284, leaving cash on
hand of $200,050. The major donor was
Alexander Soros (student, NY, NY) who gave $200,000 on March 28th.
Alexander is the son of George Soros.
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FEC Federal/State Disclosure Directory Available
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5/5/2012
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The Federal Election Commission has updated its Combined
Federal/State Disclosure and Election Directory. This publication identifies
the federal and state agencies responsible for the disclosure of campaign
finances, lobbying, personal finances, public financing, candidates on the
ballot, election results, spending on state initiatives and other financial
filings. View FEC publication.
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Romney Super PAC Donors Put At Credit Card Risk
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5/4/2012
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The political fund that has raised more than $50 million to support Mitt
Romney’s bid for the presidency has been collecting money online with a system
so insecure that it exposes donors’ credit card information to even casual
snoopers. View Washington Times article.
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Senate Candidates Add Millions
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5/4/2012
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Two Senate candidates recently contributed more than a million dollars to their own campaigns in 2012. John Brunner (R, Oregon) contributed $1,207,000 in the first quarter of 2012 and contributed $1,035,614 in 2011. Eric Hovde (R, Wisconsin) contributed $1,200,000 on March 28th and $300,000 on March 29th.
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Former Members Sit On Millions
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5/4/2012
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Former Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN, January 3, 1999 to January 3, 2011), now a partner with the law firm McGuireWoods, still has the Evan Bayh Committee campaign account going with a reported March 31, 2012 cash on hand figure of $10,151,217. Former Rep. Marty Meehan (D-MA, January 3, 1997 to July 1, 2007), now Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Lowell, still has a campaign account open, showing March 31, 2012 cash on hand of $4,785,943. Over the last several years the Marty Meehan for Congress Committee has given some contributions to party committees and to other candidates for Congress, as well as some charities. The committee has also given $40,000 to the Marty Meehan Educational Foundation.
Use Political MoneyLine's Candidate $ Leaders chart to rank all candidates by receipts, disbursements, individual contributions, PAC money, Party money, candidate money, and cash on hand.
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Lobbying Firm Registers After German Court Rules Against Microsoft
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5/3/2012
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Schmitz Global Partners LLP (formerly Gray & Schmitz LLP) today filed a registration statement indicating they were hired by Microsoft to lobby on issues in the area of computers and antitrust, effective January 1, 2012. One of the lobbyists is John P. Schmitz, a former White House Deputy Counsel under President George H.W. Bush. Schmitz has a long background in U.S. and German political regulatory concerns. On Wednesday a German court ruled that Microsoft should remove from the German market all products that infringe on the patents of Motorola Mobility, including the Windows 7 operating system and Xbox 360 console. The parties have seven days to appeal.
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FEC Opinion Requested for Texting Donations Scheme
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5/3/2012
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Two political consulting firms have requested an advisory opinion from the Federal Election Commission regarding a plan to permit individuals to text a code indicating they want a contribution of $50 or less per billing quarter to be sent to a particular candidate or committee. The requestors hope the FEC will permit the transaction to be counted as an anonymous contribution in each billing period (and not aggregated with later similar contributions) and not require full donor identification to be reported and disclosed in FEC reports. View Advisory Opinion Request.
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Obama's Not-So-Hot Date With Wall Street
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5/3/2012
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In late January, Brad Thompson, the Obama campaign’s
chief liaison to major donors in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, called
some of his contacts in the area, most of them Wall Street executives. The
president’s next trip to town would be in early March. Would they be interested
in helping to host a small dinner? View New York Times article.
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Brad Sherman Invests Campaign Cash
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5/3/2012
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Rep. Brad Sherman insists he's no financial whiz, but you wouldn't know it looking at his campaign finance reports. The California Democrat has raked in an astounding $652,000 from investing millions of dollars that his political supporters have sent him over the years. View Politico article.
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FEC Questions Donations to Rubio's PAC
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5/3/2012
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Sen. Marco Rubio has lost no time paying an $8,000 civil penalty to the Federal Election Commission for taking campaign donations beyond the legal limit in his 2010 Senate race. But the Florida Republican's disputes with the agency may not be over. View Roll Call article.
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Super PAC Spends Almost $300,000 More For Don Stenberg
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5/2/2012
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The Senate Conservatives Fund filed an independent expenditure notice with the FEC indicating it had spent $295,525 on 5/2 in support of Don Stenberg in the Nebraska Senate race. Sternberg is the current Treasurer of Nebraska. Major expenditures included $259,440 paid to Red Sea LLC; $20,000 to Infocision; and $14,580 to Printing Express. For the year they have spent $833,924 supporting Sternberg.
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FEC Summarizes Almost $2 Billion in 2011 Political Money
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5/2/2012
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Presidential and congressional candidates running in the current election cycle,
political parties and political action committees (PACs) collected more than
$1.9 billion and disbursed more than $1.3 billion in 2011, according to campaign
finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission from January 1
through December 31, 2011. Independent expenditure and electioneering
communication filings submitted to the Commission in 2011 totaled $22 million. View FEC press release.
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Drinker Biddle & Reath Finally Reports Tribal Funds
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5/2/2012
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Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP has just filed eighteen lobbying reports covering their activity and payments from the Quapaw Tribal Business Committee from the fall of 2007 to the end of March 2012. The firm indicated it lobbied the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the House, and the Senate on Indian Trust reform, economic development, gaming, energy, and other indian issues. The funds paid each quarter ranged from less than $5,000 to $40,000. The firm had filed a lobbying termination report in the summer of 2007 and nothing since regarding this client.
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Will Chesapeake Energy Political Money Still Flow?
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5/1/2012
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Oklahoma-based Chesapeake Energy Corporation announced today that it would separate the jobs of CEO and Chairman, and fill the chairman's position with another person. Aubrey McClendon had held both positions but had become embroiled in controversy over an arrangement that permitted him to buy a share of every Chesapeake well. Using his well stakes as collateral he had obtained $1.1 billion in personal loans. McClendon had controlled his company and some felt its political money as well. On 9/30/11 Chesapeake Energy Corporation gave $125,000 to Make Us Great Again, a super PAC supporting Rick Perry. Chesapeake Energy is one of only a few publicly-traded corporations to give to a super PAC. Also on that same day the company PAC, Chesapeake Energy Corporation Fed-PAC gave $125,000 to Make Us Great Again. It is unclear how the increased board oversight may will impact the flow of political money. McClendon has almost maxed out to the limit that is permitted for contributing to candidates and committees in this cycle.
Chesapeake Operating Inc. also gave to Section 527 organizations. In 2011, it gave $500,000 to the Republican Governors Assn, $50,000 the Democratic Governors Assn., $25,000 to the Republican State Leadership Committee, and $5,000 to the Democratic Attorneys General Assn. In earlier years it has given several hundred thousand a year to the RGA. In 2004 McClendon had given $625,000 to Americans United to Preserve Marriage, and Tom Ward, an executive at Chesapeake Energy had given $525,000 to the group from 2004-2007. The Section 527 organization is run by Gary Bauer, who still receives $36,000 a year in salary. Bauer is also president of American Values, a non-profit organization, and operates a federal PAC, Campaign for Working Families.
For the first quarter of 2012, Chesapeake Energy reported spending $490,000 on lobbying regarding hydraulic fracturing, Dodd-Frank reform, the Volcker Rule, intangible drilling costs, natural gas act, and other oil and gas issues. |
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American Future Fund Asks FEC If Key Words, Voices and Pictures Reference a Clearly Defined Candidate
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5/1/2012
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The American Future Fund, a 501c4 organization, has requested an advisory opinion from the Federal Election Commission seeking guidance as to whether or not the use in eight television advertisements of certain key words (such as Obamacare or Romneycare), voices (such as President Obama or the White House Press Secretary), or pictures (such as the White House or the Health & Human Services building) would be a reference to a clearly identified candidate for federal office and therefor fall under certain campaign finance regulations dealing with electioneering communications. View FEC advisory opinion request.
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Equity Firm Investors Tied to Romney '08 Donors
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5/1/2012
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Solamere Capital, a fund of funds equity firm, raised $244 million from sixty-four investors and has had a 20% return since 2010. The firm was started by Tagg Romney and Spencer Zwick, Mitt Romney's 2008 top fundraiser. View New York Times article.
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New Berman Ad Features Betty White
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5/1/2012
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Betty White, the 90-year-old actress starring in the hit TV show “Hot in
Cleveland,” just waded into the hottest Congressional race in the San Fernando
Valley. View Roll Call article.
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We're Back!
Kent Cooper
and
Tony Raymond
, the original
producers of PoliticalMoneyLine, FECInfo and Tray.com return to counting the money
and highlighting key transactions and rankings.
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