An interview with Adam Sheingate, whose new book explores the lucrative business of political consulting.
Campaign Spending
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
The Democracy Prospect: Bracing for a Costly, Ugly Ad Blitz
GOP ads skip the fact check, Marco Rubio wants to amend the Constitution, and why super PAC money can’t buy everything.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Why California’s Citizens United Ballot Initiative May Not Matter
Voters in California-the most populous state in the union-have won the right to voice their collective opinion on whether Congress should pass a constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United, the infamous Supreme Court decision that opened the floodgates to unlimited outside political spending in 2010. The issue could make it onto the state’s 2016 ballot thanks […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
2016: The Year of the Billionaire
This presidential election could show how private capital and secrecy conspired to take the political process away from the American people.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Political Money in 2015: More Secrecy, Deregulation, Voter Anger
As lax enforcement unleashes the full power of dark money, voter disillusion has found unexpected outlets.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Democracy Prospect: Omnibus Battles Spotlight Political Money Fault Lines
The GOP blocks campaign-finance reforms in the new budget bill, 2016 is set to break outside spending records, and Sheldon Adelson buys Nevada’s biggest paper.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
GOP Riders Fuel Secret Spending
Conservative riders in the new omnibus budget bill explicitly ban the SEC and IRS from taking critical steps against dark money spending.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
For the GOP, A Small Step Forward on Campaign-Finance Reform
Conservative Republicans in Congress have taken one small step on campaign-finance reform, and one (potentially) giant leap forward for bipartisanship. Last week, Freedom Caucus conservative and Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar introduced a bill, the Stop Foreign Donations Affecting our Elections Act, that would close a loophole he says allows foreigners to illegally make online contributions […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
For Watchdogs, Budget Deal a Mixed Bag
For the past couple of weeks, a number of controversial riders aimed at deregulating the campaign finance system and curtailing President Obama’s ability to increase the transparency of undisclosed political spending have been at the center of federal budget negotiations. A coalition of progressive reformers has been mobilizing to stop the riders. And now, with […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Is Adelson Spending Going Underground?
Tonight, the leading Republican presidential contenders will descend upon Las Vegas to participate in this year’s final GOP debate. And in a perfect metaphor for the rising influence of billionaire mega-donors, the debate is being held at The Venetian, the palatial casino owned by notorious Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson. Adelson spent close to $100 million […]
