Campaign Finance
Amnesty execs contribute maximum to Kerry
Rowan Scarborough of The Washington Times used Federal Election Commission records finding that the top leadership of Amnesty International contributed the maximum of $2,000 to Sen. John Kerry’s presidential campaign. Amnesty International describes itself as nonpartisan. William F. Schulz, executive director of Amnesty USA and Joe W. “Chip” Pitts III, board chairman of Amnesty International…
Read MoreSheriff deputized friends, family, supporters
Christine Hanley of the Los Angeles Times reports on an Orange County Sheriff who deputized friends, family and political supporters. “Of the original 86 reserve deputies, 29 had contributed to Carona’s inaugural election campaign in 1998 and his re-election campaign in 2002.” The Times used hundreds of documents received through public records requests and provided…
Read MoreState senator makes big bucks with bank
Craig R. McCoy, Jennifer Lin and Mario F. Cattabiani of The Philadelphia Inquirer detailed the relationship between state Sen. Vincent J. Fumo and the bank he heads, finding that “PSB Bancorp Inc. has served one man especially well: its chairman, Sen. Fumo. The bank paid Fumo $709,800 last year. For a few years, it provided…
Read MoreDelay gives more to colleagues than any other legislator
Jonathan Salant of Bloomberg Markets analyzed Federal Election Commission records finding that House Majority Leader Tom Delay “gave more money to U.S. congressional candidates than any lawmaker in the last decade … the Texas representative has contributed $3.5 million to 432 congressional candidates …” After Delay, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is next in helping…
Read MoreFront-runner grabs majority of contributions
Andrew Conte and Mark Houser of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review analyzed and mapped campaign contributions for the Pittsburgh mayoral race. They found that “nearly two-thirds of the $1.2 million raised by front-runner Bob O’Connor … has come from outside the city.” A lot of O’Conner’s contributions were found to have come in large chunks. The story…
Read MoreSpecial interest groups paying for congressional travel
Jeff Zeleny, Mike Dorning and Michael Tackett of the Chicago Tribune reviewed travel records for Illinois’ congressional delegation, finding that “at least 835 trips taken by either Illinois Congress members or their staff highlight the uneasy intersection between private dollars and public policy that raises questions about whether a special interest group is trying to…
Read MoreState legislators spend lavishly due to leeway in laws
Jennifer Dixon and Victoria Turk of The Detroit Free Press used state campaign finance records to show that “Michigan legislators have dipped into campaign cash to buy cars, jewelry, expensive gifts and entertainment in possible violation of federal tax codes.” The IRS is investigating whether the spending, which lawmakers defend as necessary, constitutes a personal…
Read MoreU.S. legislative leaders take frequent trips on corporate jets
R. Jeffrey Smith and Derek Willis from The Washington Post analyzed federal campaign expenditure records to find that top congressional leaders “flew on corporate-owned jets at least 360 times from January 2001 to December 2004.” Members of both parties took part in the practice, although leading Republicans flew more often than Democrats. “The records show…
Read MoreGovernor took gifts from lobbyists
James Salzer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution used state records to show that “Gov. Sonny Perdue has championed limiting the gifts that lobbyists can give legislators and other state officials, but he has accepted airplane rides, NASCAR tickets and dinners from lobbyists.” Among the gifts was a 30-mile flight to Atlanta Motor Speedway and dinner and…
Read MoreHouse members hire family, pay with campaign funds
Larry Margasak and Sharon Theimer of the Associated Press reviewed federal campaign filings to find that “dozens of lawmakers have hired their spouses and children to work for their campaigns and political groups, paying them with contributions they’ve collected from special interests and other donors.” The AP identified about 50 House members who pay their…
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