Campaign Finance
Suburbs pay for St. Paul’s mayoral race in Minn.
Tim Nelson and MaryJo Sylwester of the Saint Paul Pioneer Press analyzed nearly 12,000 campaign contributions to show that St. Paul, Minn., suburbs are paying for most of the mayoral race. According to the analysis, suburban residents have made 52 percent of the campaign contributions to the two general election candidates so far whereas donations…
Read MoreHatch leads in money from alcohol interests
Lee Davidson at Salt Lake City's The Deseret Morning News reported that Orrin Hatch, despite being a former Mormon bishop teetotaler, has received more from alcohol interests than any other U.S. Senator this year — and he’s among the top five in money from tobacco interests. The Deseret Morning News also searched Federal Election Commission…
Read MoreMaps show campaign contributions in Va.
With the Virginia governor’s race just weeks away, the Virginia Public Access Project used mapping technology to create online dynamic maps of campaign contributions received by Virginia’s statewide candidates. The map shades contributions by county and city, and links to detailed data on individual donors in those localities.
Read MoreMayoral candidates raise money far and wide
Gregory Korte of The Cincinnati Enquirer analyzed campaign finance reports and found that more than half the contributions in a mayoral race comes from outside Cincinnati. There have been fund-raising evemts for the race held in San Francisco, New York City, Denver and Washington, D.C. The analysis also reveals that one candidate relies on larger…
Read MoreContributors get the contracts in Ohio
James Drew and Mike Wilkinson of The (Toledo) Blade examine the relationships between Ohio politicians and the businesses that do work for the state’s Department of Transportation. “Over the last decade, a Blade investigation shows, those firms have contributed more than $1 million to politicians, political parties, and political action committees. In the last five…
Read MoreVery few hold power in Richmond
Staff at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, along with Aaron Kessler used the social network analysis program UCINET and more than 50 interviews to investigate who really wielded power in Richmond, Va. The series includes a story about the four men central to Richmond’s power, a story about minorities and how political influence does not equal power,…
Read MoreState lobbyists spending nears $1 billion
An analysis by The Center for Public Integrity found that lobbyists and their employers in 42 states reported spending nearly $953 million in 2004 attempting to influence state legislators and executive branch officials. That figure is up from the $904 million reported in 2003. “It seems likely that state lobby expenditures will exceed the $1…
Read MoreHonorary program gives political insiders cop-like badges
Trent Seibert and Brad Schrade of The Tennessean use state department records to investigate an “honorary captains” program that gives campaign donors, political insiders and friends troop-like badges. “Officials say the program is an atta-boy, a way to recognize people’s contributions to the state. But critics say it’s an invitation for the well-connected to brandish…
Read MoreCalif. donors use 527 groups to bypass regulations
Ronald Campbell of The Orange County Register analyzed California campaign finance data to find that the top 100 donors gave more than $150 million to candidates and political committees in 2003 and 2004. Donors also helped put California in the stem-cell business. “Some 26 wealthy couples and individuals contributed more than half the campaign money…
Read MoreEx-aides use connections to make money
James Drew and Steve Eder of The (Toledo) Blade traced the path of former Ohio state aides-turned-lobbyists who “have traded their official titles for personal riches and the influence that comes with helping select a U.S. president.” Some of Gov. Bob Taft’s closest aides have gone onto lucrative lobbying and consulting businesses; one “has raked…
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