The Federal Election Commission made it official on Thursday: Stephen Colbert can form his own super PAC. This means that the satirical newsman joins the 100-odd similar committees who can raise (and spend) unlimited amounts to support or oppose candidates in the 2012 elections. The FEC ruling also had implications for media companies …
Campaign Finance
American Crossroads and the Ascendant Super PACs
The leaders of American Crossroads, the conservative super PAC formed last year under the watch of Karl Rove, sat down with reporters at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast in D.C. this morning. The subject of the discussion was, of course, money: the role deep-pocketed super PACs will play in 2012 and the specific spending plans of …
Behind Michele Bachmann’s Fundraising Magic
In three congressional terms, presidential contender Michele Bachmann has made a name for herself as a formidable fundraiser. As of her latest filing with the Federal Election Commission, Bachmann had $2.8 million cash on hand …
Ensign Report Raises Questions About Federal Election Commission
The Senate Ethics Committee’s report accusing John Ensign of violating federal and campaign-finance laws doesn’t just reflect poorly on the former Nevada senator. It also highlights lingering questions about the Federal Election Commission’s ability to do its job.
Among the investigation’s findings was the revelation that Ensign, who …
Outside Group Spending: A Tale of Two Barack Obamas
This is a tale of two Barack Obamas.
The first Barack Obama appears in December of 2007. It’s just a few days until the Iowa caucuses, and a shadowy third-party group with ties to John Edwards is about to start running ads, …
New Democratic “Super PACs” Start Spending
It’s been a tough stretch for Republican Congressman Sean Duffy. A month ago, the prized recruit was embroiled in controversy after telling a town hall crowd back in Wisconsin’s Seventh District that he was “struggling” to pay …
Tinseltown Tender: Democrats’ Biggest Hollywood Donors
On Thursday night, political satirist Bill Maher donated $1 million to the pro-Obama super PAC, Priorities USA Action, making him one of the group’s largest single donors. As re-election fundraising kicks into high gear, TIME …
Is Obama a Money Disclosure Hypocrite?
It feels like a distant memory now, but you’ll recall that a big Democratic theme shortly before the 2010 elections was the way conservative “outside groups” not officially aligned with the party were bombarding Democratic candidates with attack ads funded by non-disclosed money. This was David Axelrod to ABC News in
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