Even as most of the presidential candidates have pivoted their focus to foreign affairs and the rise of ISIS, poll after poll makes one thing clear: voters are still concerned about the influence of money in the political system. This voter alarm is escalating hand in hand with campaign spending. The Pew Research Center released […]
Campaign Spending
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Obama’s One Last Chance to Tackle Dark Money Spending
Progressives who have been pressuring President Barack Obama to sign an executive order that would require federal contractors to more fully disclose their political spending got fresh ammunition this week with the release of a scathing report faulting the president’s campaign finance “legacy of inaction.” President Obama has talked a big game on campaign-finance reform, […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
GOP Budget Rider Takes Aim at Campaign-Finance Rules
Republicans are once again using the politically volatile process of funding the government as a clearinghouse for a whole host of ideological riders-from defunding Planned Parenthood to curtailing the ability of the government to enforce labor and environmental regulations. And congressional Republicans are unified in backing all these riders-except one. Conservatives stirred up a GOP […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Super PAC Debate Spotlights Illegal Coordination
Candidate-specific super PACs have raised more than $250 million in this election and have taken over basic campaign functions.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
How Hillary Clinton Can Shake the One Charge That Sticks to Her
Proposing fairer taxes on the financial sector is the best way for Hillary to distance herself from Wall Street.Â
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Why Clinton’s Fundraising Prowess Cuts Both Ways
With Hillary’s fundraising machine kicking into full gear, her credibility as a genuine reform advocate will be put to the test.Â
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
The Koch Brothers’ Political Surveillance
Just how influential are the Koch brothers? It’s common knowledge that the billionaire industrialists have funneled hundreds of millions into American elections via a broad network of conservative tax-exempt groups. The Koch network’s estimated $889 million budget for the 2016 election rivals what will be spent by the national political party committees. But the true […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
How Scott Walker and the Kochs Are Making Wisconsin Corruption-Friendly
He may no longer be seeking national office, but three new state bills aim to entrench the power of the Wisconsin governor and his big-money allies.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
After Public Pressure, Clinton Swears Off Private-Prison Lobby’s Money
This morning, Hillary Clinton’s campaign told Fusion that she would no longer accept contributions from federally registered lobbyists or private-prison companies and said that her campaign will donate any previously raised money from private-prison lobbyists to charity. As Jorge Rivas reports, the announcement comes after growing pressure from criminal justice reformers on Clinton and other […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Billionaire Makes $150 Million Threat to Get Congress to Cut Corporate Tax Rate
Yesterday, billionaire Carl Icahn, who has made his fortune as a ruthless corporate raider, issued a clear demand to Congress: cut corporate tax rates or face a whirlwind of outside spending from his new $150 million super PAC. “I believe the time has come to also hold Senators and Congressmen accountable for the current gridlock […]
