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In the News
Original journalism from the Center's OpenSecrets News
Kirsten Gillibrand, rejecting PACs but backed by Wall Street, announces presidential bid
January 16, 2019 | Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who has gotten plenty of Wall St. money, announced that she has formed an exploratory committee for a presidential run.
The usual suspects placed bets on this year's most competitive races
November 28, 2018 | Winning Democratic challengers and losing incumbent Republicans drew from very different sources of funding during the 2018 election.
Months after deadline, financial disclosures for Mnuchin, DeVos, Ross still not public
November 21, 2018 | Financial disclosures for Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross have yet to be released.
Major industries shift contributions from Republicans to Democrats ahead of election day
November 2, 2018 | Wall Street gave 71 percent of its $7.86 million in campaign contributions to Democrats in the most recent pre-general election FEC filing period.
Blue wave of money propels 2018 election to record-breaking $5.2 billion in spending
October 29, 2018 | The Center for Responsive Politics projects that more than $5.2 billion will be spent this cycle, making the 2018 midterms the most expensive ever.
Trump's top SCOTUS picks less wealthy than current court
July 6, 2018 | The median net worth of Supreme Court justices was $4.6 million in 2017. The reported frontrunners to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy are relatively less wealthy.
Trump's state in the eye of the Union
January 30, 2018 | What's to come in President Trump's first State of Union? Expect the phrase "America First." The name Gorsuch. And something will be "great."
What does the 2018 election hold for House leadership?
July 31, 2017 | The Center will soon be updating web pages for members to include 2018 cycle data. As a preview of what's coming, here are some preliminary numbers for House leaders Paul Ryan and Nancy Pelosi. Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House. Ryan is clearly popular with Wall Street – his candidate committee…
Biden's new PAC could be a signal…or not
June 1, 2017 | Remember when we told you super PACs are already gearing up for 2018, and even in some cases 2020? Looks like a potential challenger to President Donald Trump is also stocking a warchest more than three years in advance: former Vice President Joe Biden. "[T]he negativity, the pettiness, the small-mindedness of our politics today drives…
Biggest share of inaugural funding came from Wall Street
May 4, 2017 | For someone who repeatedly berated Wall Street during his campaign, President Trump received a lot of inauguration help from its inhabitants. The securities and investment industry contributed the greatest chunk to Trump's inaugural festivities, $14.3 million, or about 13 percent of all donations. To compare, Obama received $4.6 million from Wall Street in 2009 and $3…
The revolving door always spins for Goldman Sachs — by design
March 23, 2017 | Each time President Donald Trump adds another Goldman Sachs alum to his administration, it's tempting to bring up his campaign-trail rhetoric about the investment bank. After all, it seems as though Trump is trying to drain the swamp by forcing it to overflow; last week, he nominated Goldman managing director James Donovan to the post of deputy Treasury…
OpenSecrets adds data on executive branch personal finances – but White House officials have yet to file disclosures
March 23, 2017 | Today, the Center for Responsive Politics is releasing new personal financial data for members of the Trump administration. Collected from reports that executive branch nominees are required to submit to the Office of Government Ethics (OGE), the data gives the public an inside look at the financial interests of what is likely the wealthiest cabinet…
Donors who are anti-NAFTA in the running for Commerce
November 22, 2016 | Update Nov. 30: President-elect Donald Trump selected Wilbur Ross as his Treasury Secretary. Read on for more information or see summary data on his contribution history here. Trump chose Todd Ricketts as Deputy Secretary. The competition for slots in Donald Trump's future Cabinet has the feel of a reality show: Lots of media attention, "contestants" presenting…
Here's where World Series champ owners give their campaign cash
November 3, 2016 | It only took 108 years. The Chicago Cubs finally achieved what seemed to be the impossible, breaking the Curse of the Billy Goat in a remarkable comeback to beat the Cleveland Indians in the World Series 4 games to 3. In honor of the end of the drought, OpenSecrets Blog thought it would be only fitting to profile the…
Fundraising histories and lots of experience in speculative Clinton Cabinet
October 28, 2016 | Washington thrives on speculation and now, after months of guessing at things like primary contenders and vice presidential picks, it's time to draft potential cabinets. With no shortage of well-educated guesses on who might lead the various executive departments, certain names crop up more often than others, often officials and bureaucrats with substantial political and policy…
Total cost of 2016 election could reach $6.6 billion, CRP predicts
October 25, 2016 | Note: Please see our updated prediction of the cost of the 2016 election. Is 2016 the Year of the Billionaire when it comes to financing the election? There are plenty in the mix. And they've helped fuel what is turning out to be the most expensive election ever. The Center for Responsive Politics projects that candidates,…
Trump's tax losses, and the political power of real estate
October 7, 2016 | The possibility that Donald Trump avoided paying income tax for nearly two decades has stirred debate about how, exactly, he managed to report almost $1 billion in net operating losses on his 1995 tax return. It has also triggered buzz about the copious benefits available to the real estate industry in our tax code. The exact…
Pence, Kaine share long histories in the fundraising trenches
October 4, 2016 | Though divided ideologically, Indiana's Republican Gov. Mike Pence and Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia have traced similar paths through state and federal politics on their way to being nominated for vice president. Both have served in Congress and as governors, and now hope to assume the government's second-from-the-top job. Though they may not discuss it…
Donald Trump's fractional fundraising
September 29, 2016 | Donald Trump and Mitt Romney may not have much in common, and the 2012 GOP presidential nominee has made no bones about his visceral dislike of the pugilistic businessman who is carrying his party's banner this time around. When it comes to campaign fundraising, though, there's a lot of overlap in their pools of donors.…
Funds gush in deep blue Land of Lincoln as Kirk struggles to hold seat
September 14, 2016 | One-term Sen. Mark Kirk's success or failure in his heated struggle to retain his seat will help determine whether Republicans or Democrats control the Senate come January. No surprise, then, that the race's fundraising totals have soared. The most recent fundraising reports show that Kirk, a Republican, and his opponent, Democratic Rep. Tammy Duckworth, each had raised more than $10…
Clinton's list of bundlers shorter than Obama's, and she's disclosing less
August 12, 2016 | Hillary Clinton's record of bundlers contains some familiar names — though it's not nearly as long as President Barack Obama's list was at this point in 2012. Clinton has so far received at least $49.6 million from nearly 500 bundlers, or individual fundraisers who collect money from friends and acquaintances in order to deliver a candidate a…
Setting it straight: Hedge funds to Clinton plus super PACs, $25.6 million; to Trump, $2,000
August 3, 2016 | A July 29 Wall Street Journal article crediting our data is headlined, "Hedge-Fund Money: $48.5 Million for Hillary Clinton, $19,000 for Donald Trump." The startling disparity in numbers led other media outlets to cite the piece — as did Trump himself. The article was shared on Facebook over 27,000 times and generated more than 500…
GOP Veepstakes: The money behind the contenders
July 13, 2016 | The anticipation is killing us: What name will appear along with Donald Trump's on the Republican ticket? The presumptive nominee could announce his VP pick any day now, just in time for the Republican National Convention in Cleveland next week. The Donald is reported to be appearing at a public event with his chosen running mate on Friday, according…
Bayh is back — with a bulging war chest
July 13, 2016 | When former Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) retired from politics at the end of 2010, more than $10 million sat in his campaign account. Now, after five years of work as a partner in a lobbying firm and an adviser for a private equity group, Bayh is mounting a bid to return to the Senate. News that he planned…
Clinton and Wall Street: What's the deal, really?
July 12, 2016 | In May, Wall Streeters donated more than any other industry to Hillary Clinton's campaign and pro-Clinton super PACs – nearly $4.45 million out of her total $314 million raised. Retired people and the printing & publishing industry took the Nos. 2 and 3 spots. This news tracks with one of the major critiques of Clinton: that…
For campaign cash, many lawmakers use a big map; Rob Bishop nears 93 percent out-of-state
July 8, 2016 | Home may be where the heart is, but for a growing number of congressional campaigns, it's not the best place to round up cash. In a political environment that increasingly emphasizes the national over the local, more and more members of Congress are depending on out-of-state contributions — with some bringing in nearly all of their money…
With presidential fundraising not far behind him, Rubio gears up for Senate race
June 22, 2016 | Marco Rubio may have promised "like 10,000 times" that he would be a private citizen in January 2017, but he apparently didn't say it enough to make it stick — the Florida senator announced his intent to run for re-election Wednesday morning. Rubio suspended his presidential campaign in March, though his candidate committee lives on…
Wall Street's fab five: House members, candidates most reliant on funding from finance industry
June 1, 2016 | This post has been updated. Hedge fund and other private equity managers have created a huge imbalance in the campaign finance picture with their massive contributions to super PACs. But as an industry, Wall Street writ large makes its mark in the simplest of ways: by simply giving more, by far, to candidates than any…
Hedge fund megadonors capitalize on offshore opportunities
May 12, 2016 | On the list of the largest U.S. companies by market value, those in the $30 billion to $45 billion range are household names: Capital One Financial, DirecTV, Phillips 66, Yahoo. But far fewer people know much, if anything, about Citadel Multi-Strategy Equities Master Fund Ltd., with a gross asset value of $33 billion, or Elliott…
What's a hedge fund? A major donor industry, briefly explained
May 12, 2016 | It's probably fair to say that the average American doesn't understand hedge funds. After all, very few people have the expertise or the money necessary to participate in this corner of the financial market. But the industry is currently dominating political giving. In the 2016 cycle, they gave more than ever before to political candidates…
Are super PACs becoming captive to hedge funders? Six give nearly $10 million to presidential groups in March alone
April 21, 2016 | Hedge fund managers know something about when to hold and when to fold. Last month, they did more of the former when it came to political giving, holding steady with their pattern of making uber-contributions to presidential super PACs — even after the favored candidate of some of them dropped out of the race. Wall Street…
Liberal megadonors outspending conservatives on joint fundraising committees
April 15, 2016 | With the Republican contest in disarray at the top of the ticket, party operatives are encouraging megadonors to look further down the ticket. But deep-pocketed conservatives are falling behind their liberal counterparts in the race to fund some of the vehicles that will help carry down-ballot candidates: joint fundraising committees, or JFCs. A Center for Responsive Politics analysis…
UBS, accused of helping tax evaders, leads the way in foreign-connected PAC giving
April 7, 2016 | As a huge documents leak turns a spotlight on the global tax evasion industry, a Swiss company in hot water for similar activity is responsible for the greatest amount of known foreign-connected money in U.S. elections so far this cycle. News outlets brought together by the Washington, D.C.-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists this week began…
Presidential hopefuls stretch the truth talking about campaign finance
March 1, 2016 | The financing of candidates' campaigns has become a central theme of the primaries, although — aside from Trump's truth-adjacent claims that he is self-financing his bid — Republicans mention the topic significantly less often than do Democrats. We offer this analysis of the veracity of statements by various candidates aiming for the White House. Sen.…
Super PACs allow Wall Street to dominate presidential giving in 2015
February 2, 2016 | The securities and investment industry flexed serious financial muscle in the presidential money race last year. At $102 million contributed to all candidates, current and former, and the super PACs supporting them, it led all industries tracked by the Center for Responsive Politics, new data show. Super PACs allowed the industry to gain an outsize share…
Most Clinton campaign donors are women, but super PACs still dominated by men
February 1, 2016 | Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign received contributions from more women than men in 2015, a breakdown unique among the presidential candidates so far this cycle. The gap isn't huge, but it's real: Clinton received contributions from more than 25,000 women who gave more than $200 in 2015. The combined $37.6 million they…
Corker's top contributors are tenants in building he owns
January 20, 2016 | This post has been updated. The commercial building Sen. Bob Corker owns in Chattanooga, Tenn. has space for one restaurant, one retail store and at least three general offices. In one of the latter sits Corker's largest source of campaign contributions over his career, Center for Responsive Politics data show. Employees at the large southeastern law…
Reps. Israel and McDermott step off the fundraising circuit
January 6, 2016 | Two lawmakers, Democratic Reps. Jim McDermott (Wash.) and Steve Israel (N.Y.), announced their retirements this week, joining a parade of members of their party who will exit the House in 2017. In an interview with the New York Times, Israel indicated that the current campaign finance system, with its never-ending fundraising demands, had an impact…
Actually, Hillary Clinton's Wall Street money? More than double that 3 percent.
December 21, 2015 | This post has been updated to include a statement from the Clinton campaign. Not that you saw it or anything, but OpenSecrets.org got a pretty big shout-out over the weekend. When presidential candidate Hillary Clinton wants to get her facts about campaign finance straight, at least she knows where to come. "I think it's important to point…
Personal wealth: a nation of extremes, and a Congress, too
November 17, 2015 | A yearly report from the Center for Responsive Politics. Wealth inequality in the United States is pervasive — so much so that it's apparent even in Congress. The House and Senate have their own form of inequality within their ranks. Of the 534 current members, the 53 richest owned nearly 80 percent of the estimated wealth held by…
Lawyers backing Clinton, financiers flocking to Bush: Who's funding the race for the White House
October 22, 2015 | Lawyers are showing a lot of love for Hillary Clinton, while Wall Street is investing most heavily in Jeb Bush. Outside of retirees, a traditional and unsurprising donor base for most candidates, the 2016 presidential candidates looked to a variety of industries in their quest for campaign money from individuals in 2015's third quarter, a Center…
Candidates for House leadership posts nowhere near as giving as Boehner
September 29, 2015 | No one in the House leadership race right now can touch soon-to-be-former Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) when it comes to career fundraising prowess, but speaker candidate and current Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has also been magnanimous when it comes to giving back to the team. Over his career, Boehner gave a generous 42 percent of his…
Boehner raised nearly $100 million over career, gave much of it to party and candidates
September 25, 2015 | Whatever else is said about him, you can't say he didn't share. Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) raised $97 million for his House campaigns and leadership PAC from the time he received his first donations in 1989, Center for Responsive Politics data shows — far more than any other sitting House member. Only Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lamar…
Dold, Poliquin rake in most Wall Street money in competitive House races
August 27, 2015 | The Dow's recent skids have investors on edge about how bad things might get on Wall Street. But there is one thing they can count on: the financial industry's place as a top donor to congressional candidates cycle after cycle. Consider some of the pivotal House races taking shape, for example, where Wall Street is…
Diverse 2016 candidates take in largely similar industry contributions
August 11, 2015 | As many Americans sat in front of their television sets Thursday evening to watch the first party-sanctioned debate of the 2016 presidential election season, they were probably not surprised that the GOP contenders attempted to differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack. As the Center's recently updated 2016 presidential profiles show, however, the candidates' top…
Trash-talking Washington, but cleaning up with D.C. donors
July 29, 2015 | When former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) announced his run for the presidency back in June, he tried to cast himself as a Washington outsider — despite his family's long-standing ties to the nation's capital. "We are not going to clean up the mess in Washington by electing the people who either helped create it…
Harvard's billionaire benefactor also a GOP sugar daddy
June 4, 2015 | Founded in 1636, Harvard University is generally considered to be the oldest university in the United States. With a $36.4 billion endowment, it is generally considered to be the richest university in the United States as well. And Harvard just got richer, with some help from a big Republican donor. Yesterday, Harvard College President Drew…
"Campaign donor" is not a job — but occupation can predict party preference
May 19, 2015 | In the world of money in politics, many interest groups behave predictably. Election after election, contributions from oil and gas companies, for instance, flow overwhelmingly to Republicans, while those who work in education favor Democrats. What about when contributions break down differently within industries? The CFO and the janitor, for instance, may have opposing political views,…
Huckabee Hopes, But Many Fundraising Doors are Closed
May 6, 2015 | Mike Huckabee's newly-announced run for the White House clearly anticipates that he'll be able to repeat, and build on, his success in the 2008 GOP presidential primaries, when he pulled off a surprising victory in the Iowa caucus and several other states. Huckabee later parlayed his folksy charm into a lucrative television pundit career. But…
Major Financial Players Lobby Around Obama's Investment Rules
May 1, 2015 | In the months since President Obama announced his support for new retirement investment rules that would stop advisers from pushing high-fee plans on small-fry American investors, several major financial organizations have lobbied hard on a bill that would undermine the commander in chief's agenda, according to recently released lobbying records for the first quarter of the year. The…
The Political One Percent of the One Percent in 2014: Mega Donors Fuel Rising Cost of Elections
April 30, 2015 | In the 2014 elections, 31,976 donors — equal to roughly one percent of one percent of the total population of the United States — accounted for an astounding $1.18 billion in disclosed political contributions at the federal level. Those big givers — what we have termed the Political One Percent of the One Percent —…
Despite Predictions, Business is Down on K Street
April 24, 2015 | Some K-Street watchers predicted that the first quarter of 2015 would mark a return to boom times for lobbyists, what with a new GOP- dominated Congress digging in to legislation. But success for some of the top firms does not appear to have translated into a pickup overall. Once again, the first quarter of the…
Will Clinton Win Back Wall Street for Democrats?
April 14, 2015 | Wall Street has been remarkably bipartisan for much of the last 25 years, but a swerve to the right a few years ago cut its flow of campaign cash for Democrats practically to a trickle. That may change as Hillary Clinton's official announcement of a presidential bid returns to the spotlight a Democratic candidate whom Wall…
Schock Campaign's Travel, Catering Bills Rival Those of Party Leaders
February 13, 2015 | Rep. Aaron Schock has had a bad few weeks. He's been mocked for redecorating his congressional office in the style of Downton Abbey, accused of selling his house to a campaign donor for an inflated price and savaged for his extravagant spending of taxpayer and campaign donors' money; that doesn't even include losing a key…
Who Cares About SOTU? We Have a Few Guesses
January 20, 2015 | The economy is growing steadily, unemployment is down, the stock market is soaring, gas prices are diving. Good luck getting a rise out of someone by mentioning the deficit at a Washington dinner party, something that would have been unimaginable in the not-so-distant past. There's plenty of good news for President Obama to dwell on…
Wall Street's Investments in Deregulation
January 14, 2015 | Wall Street did its part to make 2014 the most expensive midterm election ever, outpacing its 2010 total and once again putting the bulk of its financial muscle behind GOP candidates and groups. Donors from the securities and investment industry, otherwise known as Wall Street, contributed a total of $184 million to candidates, parties and outside…
One Member of Congress = 18 American Households: Lawmakers' Personal Finances Far From Average
January 12, 2015 | It would take the combined wealth of more than 18 American households to equal the value of a single federal lawmaker's household, the Center for Responsive Politics' latest analysis of congressional wealth finds. The median net worth of a member of Congress was $1,029,505 in 2013 — a 2.5 percent increase from 2012 — compared with an average American…
Wall Street's Omnibus Triumph, and Others
December 12, 2014 | In the wake of the passage of the $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill last night, it's no easy thing sorting out the winners and the losers. The wide variety of riders and add-ons means a slew of interest groups can claim victory, even if it's hard to pin down exactly who should claim credit for stuffing the…
MoveOn.org to Back Another Clinton Opponent
December 10, 2014 | The progressive political group MoveOn.org is making a not-so-subtle push to get Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) into the 2016 presidential race. Nearly two years ahead of the first open presidential race since 2008, MoveOn has pledged at least $1 million to help Warren after gaining majority approval in a vote put to its 8 million…
Lost Cause Candidate Against Lowey Gets A Shot of Mysterious Outside Spending
November 3, 2014 | Republican Chris Day is a longshot to defeat incumbent Democratic Rep. Nita Lowey tomorrow in New York's 17th Congressional District, but that didn't stop a conservative super PAC from dropping $24,000 on the race over the weekend for "mobile advertising". Yes, there's lots of spending, this cycle and every cycle, on lost causes. What makes this…
Wall Street Continues to Favor House Republicans in Campaign Donations
November 3, 2014 | Six of the top 10 House candidates drawing money from Wall Street in the 2014 cycle are Republicans, showing the industry is sticking with its recent preference for the GOP. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has received more money in campaign contributions from the securities and investment industry than any other House candidate this cycle.…
Overall Spending Inches Up in 2014: Megadonors Equip Outside Groups to Capture a Bigger Share of the Pie
October 29, 2014 | This Center for Responsive Politics report is part of #Money14, a series of independent reports exposing the role of money in American politics. Join us for an event around the fifth anniversary of Citizens United to hear more about the participating organizations' innovative research and work together for a more inclusive, transparent, and participatory democracy.…
Khanna v. Honda: Challenger Outraising Incumbent in Democratic Faceoff
October 10, 2014 | California congressional candidate Ro Khanna is one of only eight challengers in the country who led their incumbent opponents in fundraising as of mid-year, and the only Democrat running to unseat a member of his own party. Khanna is trying to oust seven-term Rep. Mike Honda to represent California's 17th District, which includes much of…
Candidates in Little New Hampshire Get Big Out-of-State Money
September 10, 2014 | His victory last night in New Hampshire's GOP primary means Scott Brown will continue to catch flak for moving from Massachusetts to try to take Democrat Jeanne Shaheen's Senate seat. Shaheen has been working hard to tag Brown with the carpetbagger label. But the reality is that almost all of the fuel for this fight…
In New York's 19th, Cash is Always Greener
August 1, 2014 | In New York's 19th district, a race between a former Army colonel, Republican Rep. Chris Gibson, and Sean Eldridge, the husband of Facebook co-founder and The New Republic publisher Chris Hughes, would seem to be a study in contrasts. And yet their fundraising style isn't so different: both have a donor base that is spread far and…
The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, Brought To You By Wall Street, Real Estate Developers and Insurance Companies
July 24, 2014 | Who says Congress can't get anything done? The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, first passed in the aftermath of 9/11 to relieve insurers of deep losses in connection with terrorist acts, was reauthorized easily in the Senate last week. The extremely deep pockets of industries that lobbied aggressively for the bill might have had something to…
Scalise Victory Upends Conventional Wisdom on Leadership Cash
June 19, 2014 | Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) triumphantly took his spot as the No. 2 Republican in the House this afternoon, stepping up from No. 3. But Rep. Pete Roskam (R-Ill.), who was one rung lower on the ladder as deputy whip, did not manage to ride McCarthy's coattails. Instead, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) became majority whip —…
Organizing for Action: Who's Giving to Obama-Linked Nonprofit?
June 17, 2014 | Since the beginning of the 2014 campaign cycle last year, 14 donors — running the gamut from a hedge fund manager to a gay rights activist to a little-known Salt Lake City venture capitalist — have given $100,000 or more to President Barack Obama's avowedly un-campaign committee, Organizing for Action. Another 26 have ponied up…
Is K Street Down the Road for Cantor?
June 13, 2014 | Though it has now come to a screeching finish, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.)'s leadership position in the House has brought him enduring connections, political clout and insider knowledge — in other words, potent K Street cred. "He brings incredible contacts with the whole Republican caucus in both houses" of Congress, said Ivan H. Adler, a…
More Insiders Aim to Move Up Leadership Chain
June 13, 2014 | Most Washington insiders seem convinced that House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will take over for Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) at the end of July; then again, most of these people were convinced Cantor would cruise to an easy re-election. But if the real race now is to see who takes over as Majority Whip,…
McConnell May Coast on Tuesday, but the Money is Still Big
May 16, 2014 | Matt Bevin was considered, at one time, a possibly serious threat to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). No more: When Republican voters go to the polls on Tuesday to select their nominee, McConnell will likely win by a wide margin. Still, the early threat froom Bevin has helped push fundraising in the race sky-high. The two GOP…
Prescription for Winning: Doctors Rake in Campaign Cash from Medical Connections
March 26, 2014 | Professionals in health care look after their own.
Real Estate, Private Equity Industries Fighting Camp's Tax Plan
February 28, 2014 | Any plan to overhaul the tax code is bound to poke the bee's nest of special interests, as Dave Camp is finding out.
Politiquizz: In the Driver's Seat
February 19, 2014 | Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is about to step into the chairmanship for the Senate Committee on Finance, while Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) will take his place as chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Who are their biggest donors?
Wall Street's Rightward Bolt
January 28, 2014 | Nazi comparisons aside, venture capitalist Tom Perkins echoed what a number of wealthy people have been demonstrating with their checkbooks.
Most Likely to Exceed: Who's Poised to Double Down Post-McCutcheon
January 15, 2014 | In anticipation of the Supreme Court's ruling in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, the Center for Responsive Politics and the Sunlight Foundation have teamed up to look at the deep-pocketed donors who could give even more if the justices strike down another limit on the amount of money in U.S. politics.
Millionaires' Club: For First Time, Most Lawmakers are Worth $1 Million-Plus
January 9, 2014 | A watershed moment for the finances of members of Congress: In 2012, more than half were millionaires, a new analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics shows. Also, Darrell Issa reclaims the top spot.
Herbalife Battle Weapons Include Lobbyists, Campaign Dollars
December 6, 2013 | A pair of billionaire investors battling over dietary supplement maker Herbalife are deploying an arsenal of weapons -- including lobbyists and campaign contributions.
Debt Crisis "Nay"-Sayers Received Large Sums from Business, Finance Interests
October 22, 2013 | A joint analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics and the Washington Post shows that business interests played a key role in helping elect lawmakers who rejected their plea to raise the debt ceiling and end the shutdown.
GOP House Member Tim Griffin Announces Retirement
October 21, 2013 | Second-term Rep. Tim Griffin (R-Ark.), whose biggest source of contributions has been the oil and gas industry, announced that he won't be running for re-election in 2014.
Who Does Fund the Dissidents?
October 4, 2013 | Yesterday we showed that the biggest thorns in the Republican leadership's side weren't getting leadership donations. So who is funding them? Don't look to Wall Street.
Rep. Spencer Bachus, Popular with the Finance Sector, to Leave Congress
September 30, 2013 | Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.) announced today that he won't be seeking reelection in 2014. Here's a look at the money trail he left behind.
NASDAQ Lobbyists Have Their Work Cut Out
August 22, 2013 | The NASDAQ stock exchange took an abrupt break this afternoon, halting all trading because of a problem in the system that records trades. According to OpenSecrets.org data, cybersecurity law and the software and procedures required to run a safe, secure and transparent trading exchange have been the topics of an ongoing conversation between the NASDAQ and Washington.
Wall Street Shaped Bill Easing Oversight, and Kept Contributions Coming
May 24, 2013 | Lobbyists from the banking industry had significant input into the wording of a bill exempting certain kinds of trades from regulation under the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul. Players in the industry also had their checkbooks out for lawmakers on the House Financial Services Committee in the first quarter of this year.
Sanford and Colbert Busch Roughly Even On Cash, not on Outside Spending
May 3, 2013 | The candidates facing off in Tuesday's special election in South Carolina have roughly the same amount of money at their disposal. But the outside spending in the race -- fueled by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and House Majority PAC -- heavily favors Colbert Busch.
Site Spotlight #1: Senate Profiles
April 25, 2013 | Our first installment highlighting how to access and use the abundant data available on OpenSecrets.org
Finance Chair and Leading Fundraiser Max Baucus to Retire
April 23, 2013 | With the Montana Democrat's departure, Capitol Hill loses a prodigious fundraiser, and one who wasn't embarrassed about his close ties to lobbyists: They provided him more than $1 million in contributions since 1990.
Revolving Door Works for Staffers, Too
February 27, 2013 | A new analysis by Remapping Debate and the Center for Responsive Politics shows that 41 high-ranking staffers for new members of Congress came from organizations that have a lobbying presence in Washington.
Lobbying Again on Downward Slide in 2012
January 29, 2013 | Lobbying in Washington declined for the second straight year, to its lowest level since 2007. Wall Street, insurance, lawyers and law firms and other industries all took hits, but none more so than education. Patton Boggs remained the top lobbying firm in terms of billings, but even it saw less revenue than it did in 2011.
Capital Eye Opener, Jan. 8: Club For Growth and the Hell No Caucus, SEC Takes Up Campaign Finance and More
January 8, 2013 | The Club for Growth gave a huge helping hand to a group of new Republican congressmen known as the "Hell No Caucus."
Post-Sandy, a Campaign Cash Storm Warning
January 8, 2013 | Not many of those who voted against the Sandy relief package last week can afford to ignore New York and New Jersey as sources of campaign cash.
Capital Eye Opener, Jan. 7: Chuck Hagel's Distance From Defense, and More
January 7, 2013 | Chuck Hagel, President Obama's pick to take charge of the Defense Department, had little to do with the defense industry when he was in Congress.
Wall Street's Steeply Increasing Republicanism
January 4, 2013 | Wall Street loved Mitt Romney -- that much we know. But the gap between the financial industry's giving to the two parties hit almost historic levels in the third quarter of 2012.
Lawyers, Education Consistent as Obama's Top Industries, Wall Street True to Romney
December 12, 2012 | With the final fundraising numbers filed, Barack Obama's leading contributing industry was lawyers and law firms with $27 million, while Wall Street was Mitt Romney's, giving him $21 million.
Capital Eye Opener, Dec. 11: Banks in Potentially Crippling Lawsuits, A Cultural Misunderstanding Over Wal-Mart Lobbying, and the Death Star Petition
December 11, 2012 | Some of the nation's biggest banks are defendants in a whole new round of lawsuits over subprime mortgages, with potential liability in the hundreds of billions. WalMart is accused of illegal lobbying in India, though it all seems to be a misunderstanding.
After Spending Millions to Defeat Her, Wall Street May Answer to Warren
December 4, 2012 | In spite of Wall Street's efforts to keep Warren out of power, she's likely to have a heavy hand in regulating banks.
Grimm's Fundraising Robust Despite Accusations of Campaign Fraud
November 30, 2012 | Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) has been operating under a shadow since shortly after his election in 2010, accused of participating in major campaign finance wrongdoing. But even as his legal troubles continue to mount, Grimm has seen his fundraising efforts thrive and won re-election in his Staten Island district earlier this month.
Capital Eye Opener, Nov. 16: Whistleblowers, A Familiar Name in New Lobbying Registration Forms, and More
November 16, 2012 | Whistleblower protections eaten away by the courts are back -- and yes, there was lobbying on the bill. Meanwhile, the Torch is back, showing up on federal lobbying registration forms for the first time.
Lawyers Win Big While Wall Street Splits the Difference
November 15, 2012 | Lawyers and lobbyists invested their contributions in winners to a far greater degree than did Wall Street, health professionals, and the real estate industry.
Obama Keeps Most Major Contributors, Not Finance
November 14, 2012 | In the end, Obama kept most of his top donors from 2008. Wall Street was the striking exception.
Mixed Results for Challengers That Outraised Incumbents
November 7, 2012 | Some winning challengers yesterday had a cash advantage to neutralize the incumbent advantage, though a couple of races where challengers won the fundraising battle are still too close to call.
Hot Race for Nevada Senate Seat: Dean Heller vs. Shelley Berkley
November 2, 2012 | Democratic congresswoman Shelley Berkley tries her luck against Republican incumbent Dean Heller in Nevada's $45 million Senate race.
Hot Race for Virginia Senate Seat: Tim Kaine vs. George Allen
November 1, 2012 | Virginia's Senate race has proved to be much more than a barometer for national sentiment about Democrats and Republicans. With the help of outside spending, its cost is approaching $70 million, making it the nation's most expensive so far.
2012 Election Spending Will Reach $6 Billion, Center for Responsive Politics Predicts
October 31, 2012 | Earlier this year, the Center for Responsive Politics estimated that the 2012 election would cost $5.8 billion -- an estimate that already made it the most expensive in history -- but with less than a week to go before the election, CRP is revising the estimate upwards. According to CRP's new analysis of Federal Election Commission data, this election will likely cost $6 billion.
Wall Street Funds Down From Obama's Inaugural Run
October 25, 2012 | This time last cycle, Wall Street had give candidate Barack Obama $9 million more than this time around and was his fourth-highest contributing industry. Mitt Romney has received almost $13 million more from Wall Street than Obama.
In Third Quarter, Obama Gains 120 New Bundlers, At Least $37.25 Million
October 23, 2012 | Obama's new bundlers, famous and not so much, bring in a hefty share of the funds he's raised in the last three months.
White House Candidates Draw Funds From the Usual Suspects, but Poach on Hostile Turf Too
October 22, 2012 | With Election Day looming and the need for cash urgent, core constituencies for each of the presidential campaigns stepped up their support in the month of September. But each candidate also made headway fundraising from industries that have been stalwarts for their opponents.
More Romney Bundlers Revealed
October 17, 2012 | Sixty-three registered lobbyists have raised $14.3 million for the Romney campaign, and despite the campaign's refusal to publicly disclose its list of bundlers -- elite fundraisers who tap their personal and professional networks to raise funds. In addition, we've identified 37 of Romney's other, non-lobbyist bundlers, whose names the campaign has refused to disclose.
Debate Prep: Your Guide to the Issues and Who's Invested in Them
October 16, 2012 | Tonight's debate will be closely watched to see whether the president delivers a more energetic performance. But there are other reasons to tune in, including keeping an eye on whether the candidates' responses reflect the positions of their campaign contributors.
Capital Eye Opener, Oct. 15: Specter's Powerful Fundraising, People's Majority Returns, and More
October 15, 2012 | Former Sen. Arlen Specter won't just be remembered for his complicated political history, he was also a powerful fundraiser. Plus, one of the original super PACs is back, and conservative outside spending groups form a towering virtual campaign.
Hot Race for Wisconsin Senate Seat: Tammy Baldwin v. Tommy Thompson
October 9, 2012 | Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson and Rep. Tammy Baldwin are neck-and-neck in a race fueled by outside spending and money from beyond state borders.
Capital Eye Opener, Sept. 18: Citizens United's New Movie, Ways & Means' Closed-Door Meeting, and More
September 18, 2012 | Citizens United is back, four years later, with another hour-long documentary about another Democratic presidential candidate! We're trying not to get too nostalgic. But good luck finding it on your local cable lineup.
Capital Eye Opener, Sept. 13: New Report on F-22 Oversight, Gary Johnson Putters Along, and More
September 13, 2012 | Lawmakers presiding at a hearing today on problems plaguing the F-22 Raptor have taken in more money from the aircraft's maker than the average member of Congress, according to a new report using CRP data.
Super PAC Spending Skews Right As Heavy Hitters Tap Familiar Sources of Cash
August 22, 2012 | Super PAC spending has taken a hard turn for the right -- conservative super PACs have now spent $100 million more than their liberal counterparts. But who is funding super PACs? It turns out several of the top super PACs have developed distinctive bases of financial support.
Capital Eye Opener, August 21: Brand Names Step Up For Crossroads, Securities Lawyers Go Left, Humvee Veers Right
August 21, 2012 | The latest super PAC filings -- brand names you recognize writing checks to Crossroads, Wall Street backs Romney, but lawyers who sue Wall Street are organizing for Priorities USA, and the maker of Humvees chips in $1 million for Restore Our Future.
Following the Money in the Wisconsin, Florida and Connecticut Primaries
August 15, 2012 | This year's long, expensive and often unpredictable primary season is drawing to a close, but could still have some surprises in store. Races in Wisconsin and Florida pitted Tea Party favorites against members of the Republican old guard, and candidates are divided not just by philosophy but by fundraising style and super PAC support.
2012 Election Will Be Costliest Yet, With Outside Spending a Wild Card
August 1, 2012 | The 2012 presidential and congressional elections will be the most expensive on record, the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics estimates, though they likely won't beat 2008's number by much. Outside spending, though, is a wild card that makes predictions tricky, and it's clear that it will account for a larger share of the total than ever before.
Romney's Gender Gap Widens and Super PACs on Left Narrow Money Gap with Right: Our Breakdown of the June Reports
July 27, 2012 | The share of Romney's fundraising take from women hits a new low for 2012, while Obama's is again on the rise, and Wall Street falls out of the top five industry donors to the Republican candidate. And the gap between liberal and conservative super PAC spending is narrowing.
Capital Eye Opener, July 26: Small Donors Big on Elizabeth Warren, Bundler Blues, and American Future Fund Wants More
July 26, 2012 | Elizabeth Warren's record-breaking fundraising includes huge amounts from small donors -- almost half of the $24.5 million she's raised in the 2012 cycle. Meanwhile some of Obama's 2008 bundlers are blocked from helping him this year because, as ambassadors, they're government employees, while Romney still won't make public who his bundlers are. And American Future Fund, a 501(c)(4), wants to set up joint fundraising committees with candidates and super PACs, breaking down more walls between different types of politically active organizations.
A Heartbeat Away? The Money-and-Politics Veepstakes: Dark Horse Candidates
July 19, 2012 | The veepstakes is more art than science. Mindful of the fact that Mitt Romney could choose a running mate who's not prominent on anyone's radar screen, we bring you a list of sometimes-mentioned possibilities.
A Heartbeat Away? The Money-and-Politics Veepstakes: Kelly Ayotte
July 12, 2012 | After being elected to the Senate just two years ago, Ayotte is in the running as a possible veep candidate. She's one of Sarah Palin's "mamma grizzlies," and has attracted lots of checks from other politicians' leadership PACs as well as from insurance and financial firms.
A Heartbeat Away? The Money-and-Politics Veepstakes: Tim Pawlenty
July 9, 2012 | Working-class roots and a solid fundraising record could help the former Minnesota governor get the nod.
A Heartbeat Away? The Money-and-Politics Veepstakes: Marco Rubio
July 6, 2012 | After riding an anti-establishment Tea Party wave into office in 2010, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) has gone from being a relatively unknown state representative to a potential vice presidential pick in just two short years. Although some have reported that GOP candidate Mitt Romney is not vetting Rubio, the campaign insists it is considering the 41-year-old Florida native for the VP slot.
Capital Eye Opener, July 5: FCC Ad Disclosure Finish Line, Santorum's Political Nonprofit and Romney Loses a Fundraiser
July 5, 2012 | After months of debate, the FCC's rule requiring broadcasting companies to post information about political advertisements online is finally going into effect, Rick Santorum's new nonprofit may be violating IRS rules and Barclays' CEO resigns and will no longer host a Mitt Romney fundraiser.
A Heartbeat Away? The Money-and-Politics Veepstakes: Paul Ryan
July 3, 2012 | Although many in the Republican Party initially wanted Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) to run for president in 2012, they still may get to see him on the ticket as Mitt Romney's running mate.
A Heartbeat Away? The Money-and-Politics Veepstakes: Rob Portman
June 27, 2012 | Portman's assets include the fact that he's from the battleground state of Ohio. But he also has a broad range of experience, and -- by the way -- is pretty good at fundraising.
Obama and Romney Tread Familiar Fundraising Ground in May
June 22, 2012 | But other than the Hollywood bump, the sources of Obama's campaign cash remained fairly static. The president raised nearly $3 million from retired donors in May, a group which has held the top spot for both Obama and Romney for the entire cycle so far.
Our Shadow Money Conference, Rajat Gupta's Democratic Dollars and More in Capital Eye Opener: June 19
June 19, 2012 | On Wednesday, the Center for Responsive Politics will host a conference at the National Press Club on the growing role of groups like these -- politically active non-profit organizations -- in elections.
OpenSecrets PolitiQuizz: Dead-Set on Supporting Rick Perry
May 29, 2012 | Not all contributing industries are made for marquees. Some businesses making an electoral impact are more down to earth, or -- as is the case with the subject of this week's Politiquizz -- underneath it.
Bear Market For Wall Street's Contributions
May 21, 2012 | It was a bear market last month in terms of Wall Street's investment in the presidential race -- candidates and super PACs alike. OpenSecrets.org data shows that both the Mitt Romney campaign and Restore Our Future, the super PAC that is backing him, have seen significant drops in contributions from the securities and investment industry.
Chesapeake Energy CEO Invests Heavily in Politics
May 9, 2012 | Embattled Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon, embroiled in a corporate governance scandal, has invested heavily in Washington. As regulators probe his activities, he may be hoping those campaign contributions and lobbying expenditures bring a good return.
Wall Street's Huge Bet on Romney
March 23, 2012 | Let there be no doubt where Wall Street's political loyalties lie: Of all the money the securities and investment industry has poured into the 2012 presidential contest so far -- to the candidates and the super PACs behind them -- an unambiguous 92 percent has gone to the GOP, according to a new Center for Responsive Politics analysis.
American Future Fund's Wall Street Fantasy
March 13, 2012 | In an ad that started running at the end of February, the American Future Fund (AFF) tries to portray President Barack Obama as being cozy with Wall Street. Anyone who takes time to look at the facts (and that will be a small pool, AFF is likely betting) will find that the case is seriously overstated. And Center for Responsive Politics data is used to make a misleading point.
Moneyed Sectors Returned to Santorum After Big Win in Iowa
February 29, 2012 | January proved to be a financially fruitful month for presidential candidate Rick Santorum, bringing a spike in contributions from individuals in several important industries. See what sectors and industries were the most important to Santorum's campaign.
Wall Street Money Continues to Flow to Republican Mitt Romney
February 2, 2012 | Republican Mitt Romney relied on the finance, insurance and real estate sector for roughly $2 out of every $11 he raised during the fourth quarter of 2011, according to a new analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics of campaign finance documents submitted Tuesday to the Federal Election Commission.
Lobbying Expenditures Slump in 2011
January 26, 2012 | The nation's economy may be slowly rebounding, but during 2011, the economic engine of K Street sputtered. Overall expenditures on lobbying were down for the first time in more than a decade, according to research by the Center for Responsive Politics.
Looking Back at South Carolina Winner Newt Gingrich's Long Money-in-Politics Past
January 21, 2012 | Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has won the South Carolina GOP presidential primary, and despite claiming to be an outsider, he has been in Washington a long time.
Mitt Romney's Bain Advantage
December 21, 2011 | As we head into the next stretch of the presidential campaign, it appears that Wall Street is betting on red. That's certainly the case with GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's former company, Bain Capital.
OpenSecrets Mailbag: Small-Dollar Donors, Congressional Insider Trading and More
December 9, 2011 | Welcome to the latest installment of OpenSecrets.org Mailbag, where we answer your burning questions about the role of money in politics, political influence and the work we do here at OpenSecrets.org.
Barney Frank, Top Democrat on Powerful House Financial Services Committee, to Retire
November 29, 2011 | Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) announced earlier today that he would not seek re-election. Frank, who is in his 16th term in the U.S. House of Representatives, is the highest ranking Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee. In recent years especially, he's been a prolific fund-raiser, often raising huge sums from the industries that the Financial Services Committee regulates.
Many Influential Lawmakers Invested in Wall Street Giant Goldman Sachs
November 22, 2011 | According to research by the Center for Responsive Politics, 19 current members of Congress reported holdings in Goldman Sachs during 2010. Whether by coincidence or not, most of these 19 Goldman Sachs investors in Congress are more powerful or more wealthy than their peers, or both.
One-Percent Pols Visit Occupy Sites, Pelosi Helps Rangel Raise Cash And More in Capital Eye Opener: Nov. 16
November 15, 2011 | Protesters in the Occupy movement have kept their distance from lawmakers, but a few Democratic lawmakers have taken it upon themselves to show solidarity with the protesters by visiting the protest sites in person. Problem is, some of those politicians count themselves among the very same elite 'one-percent' class the movement is railing against.
Norquist's 'Super' Influence, Lawmakers Use Insider Status on Stock Market and More in Capital Eye Opener: Nov. 15
November 15, 2011 | As the deadline approaches for the supercommittee to agree on $1.2 trillion in cuts to the federal budget, the influence of one unelected player may make the difference, the Wall Street Journal reported. Antitax advocate Grover Norquist could be a big reason for the supercommittee's stalemate, thanks in part to his nonprofit's deep pockets.
OpenSecrets Blog's PolitiQuizz: What Company Are We Thinking Of?
November 7, 2011 | In the recent release of all third quarter lobbying reports, several companies' lobbying activities stand out. But there was one particularly interesting company within this sector, according to the Center's research. In this week's Politiquizz, we'll be playing a game to see if you can guess which company we have in mind.
Barack Obama's Rx Drug Plan, MF Global's Fall and More in Capital Eye Opener: Nov. 1
November 1, 2011 | On Monday, the White House announced support for two bills currently weaving their way through Congress related to access to prescription drugs, and President Barack Obama isn't the only one with his eye on this legislation.
OpenSecrets Blog PolitiQuizz: Which Wall Street Group Has Spent the Most on Lobbying This Year?
October 31, 2011 | Because this fall's Occupy protests originated on Wall Street, this week's PolitiQuizz question will focus on lobbying by the quintessential Wall Street industry: securities and investment firms.
OpenSecrets.org Details What Special Interest Groups Spent Most on Third-Quarter Lobbying
October 31, 2011 | During the third quarter of 2011, more than 10,000 individual lobbyists actively worked to advance the interests of their clients and monitored political developments in the nation's capital. That's roughly 20 lobbyists for every member of Congress.
As Presidential Candidates Seek Finance Sector Money, Wall Street Donors Flock Most to Mitt Romney
October 17, 2011 | The finance sector accounts for more than 23 percent of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's total war chest, more than any other candidate. Moreover, Romney has received nearly twice as much as President Barack Obama from the finance, insurance and real estate sector.
Eric Cantor Super PACs Up, Sarah Palin Drops Out and More in Capital Eye Opener: Oct. 7
October 7, 2011 | Sarah Palin, the former GOP governor of Alaska and 2008 vice presidential nominee, told radio host Mark Levin Wednesday that she was content to influence the political scene as a non-candidate, "unshackled" and "able to say what I want to say."
Ron Paul's Moneybomb Success, Mitt Romney Finds Support from the Big Apple and More in Capital Eye Opener: Oct. 3
October 3, 2011 | Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul's fund-raising this year puts him ahead of where he was four years ago when he also sought the GOP nomination.
Romney Courts Wall Street CEO, Young Money Super PAC Forms and More in Capital Eye Opener: Sept. 30
September 30, 2011 | Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney met privately with Wall Street titan Jamie Dimon earlier this week. Dimon is the chief executive officer of the world's largest public company, JPMorgan Chase, and is a prolific political donor, according to research by the Center for Responsive Politics. He is, in other words, a great person to have on your side in a presidential race.
OpenSecrets.org Mailbag: Lobbying or Bribery?, Big Pharma's Health Care Push and More
September 10, 2011 | Welcome to the latest installment of OpenSecrets.org Mailbag, where we answer your burning questions about the role of money in politics, political influence and the work we do here at OpenSecrets.org.
New Tools on OpenSecrets.org Illustrate Supercommittee Members' Campaign Cash Connections
September 8, 2011 | As the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction meets for the first time today, the Center for Responsive Politics is unveiling new tools to help you investigate the money behind the 12 lawmakers on the new panel, which is tasked with cutting $1.5 trillion from the national debt.
Conflicts of Interest in Congress, Robert Gates' Revolving Door Move and More in Capital Eye Opener: Sept. 7
September 7, 2011 | Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates' spin through the revolving door means that William & Mary will have a new weapon in its lobbying arsenal.
Labor Lobbying, Union PAC Contributions and More in Capital Eye Opener: Sept. 5
September 5, 2011 | It's Labor Day, and to commemorate, OpenSecrets Blog is offering a look at how labor unions spend money to gets things done politically.
The Politics of Tennis Greats, Rick Perry Bundles Up and More in Capital Eye Opener: Sept. 1
September 1, 2011 | As the US Open begins in Flushing Meadows, Open Secrets Blog takes a look at the political contributions of some of the sport's biggest names.
Obama Victory Fund Brings in Cash From Lawyers, Wall Street and Hollywood
August 25, 2011 | The Obama Victory Fund, a joint fund-raising committee that supports both President Barack Obama's 2012 re-election campaign and the Democratic National Committee, raised a total of $39 million during the first half of 2011. And according to a new analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics, the Obama Victory Fund has relied on donors on both coasts as well as deep in the heart of Texas.
New Feature on OpenSecrets.org Highlights Top Contributors to Debt Supercommittee Members
August 17, 2011 | Many special interest groups have invested heavily in supercommittee members on both sides of the aisle, including the securities and investment firms, the real estate industry and health professionals, according to new research by the Center for Responsive Politics.
Senate Dems Pick 'Super Committee' Members, How Much is $2.1 Trillion and More in Capital Eye Opener: Aug. 10
August 10, 2011 | Late Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced the identities of his three picks for the "super committee" tasked with cutting the nation's debt and spending -- Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Max Baucus (D-Mont.).
Amid Budget Debate, Some Members of Congress Own Bits of U.S. Debt
August 1, 2011 | In 2010, at least 14 veteran members of Congress personally owned a portion of the U.S. debt, according to a Center for Responsive Politics review of congressional personal financial disclosure reports.
OpenSecrets Blog's PolitiQuizz: Which Companies Are Top Contributors to Both Reid and McConnell?
August 1, 2011 | Both Reid and McConnell received most of their money from lawyers, health professionals, the real estate industry and the securities and investments industry between 2005 and 2010. And employees and political action committees associated with at least four companies contributed heavily to both men during this time period.
First Presidential Campaign Finance Reports Show Clout of Wall Street, Retirees
July 28, 2011 | President Barack Obama has raised $48.7 million for his re-election campaign and his GOP challengers have raised a combined $36.7 million. But where is that money coming from?
OpenSecrets Blog's PolitiQuizz: Why is Eric Cantor So Invested in the Debt Ceiling Debate?
July 25, 2011 | House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has held strong as a leader among Republicans unwilling to compromise in negotiations to raise the debt ceiling.
Financial Sector Helps Barack Obama Score Big Money for Re-election Fight
July 22, 2011 | One-third of the money President Barack Obama's elite fund-raising corps has raised on behalf of his re-election has come from the financial sector, according to a new Center for Responsive Politics analysis. Individuals who work in the finance, insurance and real estate sector are responsible for raising at least $11.3 million for Obama's campaign and the Democratic National Committee, according to the Center's research.
Voldemort Defeats Potter in Political Contributions, Wall Street Warns White House and More in Capital Eye Opener: July 14
July 14, 2011 | Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics
From Plumbers to Bankers, Anthony Weiner Long Enjoyed Diverse Campaign Cash Support
June 6, 2011 | Weiner's top donors hailed from his home state and belonged to the real estate and law industries, as well as the securities and investment and television and music industries.
Lobbying Push Targeting Federal Regulatory Agencies Continues in Wall Street Reform Fight
June 1, 2011 | It's been more than 10 months since President Barack Obama signed massive financial regulatory reform legislation into law, but the special interests it directly affects are sustaining a federal lobbying onslaught now aimed at shaping the law's implementation.
Gregg Goes to Wall Street, Fantasy Sports Tackle Lobbying and More in Capital Eye Opener: June 1
June 1, 2011 | Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics.
Lobbying on Guns, Abortion, Labor Spikes During New Congressional Session
May 3, 2011 | Several of the year's hottest political topics have witnessed the greatest increase in lobbyists' attention during the first months of the 112th Congress, according to a preliminary analysis of lobbying reports by the Center for Responsive Politics.
House Financial Services Committee: Hotbed of Money From Financial Sector Interests
April 15, 2011 | The House Financial Services Committee is a furnace in which legislation affecting Wall Street is forged. It's also a hotbed of money from individuals and political committee committees connected to the financial sector.
Conservative Ex-Sen. Rick Santorum Faces Financial Hurdles as Potential Presidential Candidate
April 14, 2011 | Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) revealed Wednesday night on Fox News that he is forming an exploratory committee in a quest to potentially seek the GOP presidential nomination. His hang-up? Campaign cash.
Senator's Potential Campaign Turbulence, Wall Street Says Raise Debt Ceiling and More in Capital Eye Opener: April 14
April 14, 2011 | Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics.
Financial PACs 'Invest' in Influential Freshmen
April 13, 2011 | Five House Republican freshmen who received substantial campaign contribution from the financial industry after the Nov. 2 election are taking the lead in trying to repeal or replace parts of the sweeping Dodd-Frank financial services reform law.
Prolific Fund-Raiser Mitt Romney Forms Presidential Exploratory Committee
April 11, 2011 | Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney today announced his intention to explore a presidential run in a video posted on his website. Romney, a Republican and proven political fund-raiser, was long expected to declare his intention to again run for president.
Finance Sector Loves Tim Pawlenty, Whirlpool Loves Tax Credits and More in Capital Eye Opener: March 22
March 22, 2011 | Republican Tim Pawlenty, who yesterday launched a presidential exploratory committee, built a massive war chest during the 2010 election cycle to aid fellow Republicans. Who was fueling this money machine?
Lobbyists Aggressively Targeted Democrats' Top Priorities During Barack Obama's First Two Years
March 10, 2011 | One out of every four groups that lobbied on any issue at the federal level during 2009 or 2010 targeted their efforts on health care reform, financial regulatory reform, the stimulus and cap-and-trade climate proposals, according to research by the Center for Responsive Politics.
What Unites Pete King and Keith Ellison, D.C. Spy Games and More in Capital Eye Opener: March 7
March 7, 2011 | Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics.
Looking Back at the Political Past of Former AIG Executive Joseph Cassano, Financial Crisis' 'Patient Zero'
February 28, 2011 | Investor Joseph Cassano, who was fired from insurance giant AIG three years ago this week, has been called "patient zero" of the financial crisis. Before his fall from grace, Cassano generously supported a few favored politicians, especially former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), who served as the chairman of the powerful Senate Banking Committee.
Jane Harman Leaves Congress, Obama Meets the Chamber of Commerce and More in Capital Eye Opener: February 8
February 8, 2011 | Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money and politics.
Federal Lobbying Expenditures Plateau After Years of Rapid Growth
February 4, 2011 | The nation's financial malaise is finally catching up to K Street, where federal lobbying activity plateaued for the first time in a decade, the Center for Responsive Politics' research indicates. After a record $3.49 billion in lobbying spending in 2009, lobbying expenditures in 2010 by corporations, unions, trade associations, universities and other organizations will, at most, eclipse that amount by the narrowest of margins.
OpenSecrets Blog's PolitiQuizz: It's A Family Affair
January 31, 2011 | For this week's PolitiQuizz, we're asking you to identify one former member of Congress who's following his father through the "revolving door" this month.
House Censures Rangel, Fun with PACs and More in Capital Eye Opener: December 3
December 3, 2010 | Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics....
Top Industries Put Brakes On Federal Lobbying Spending During Third Quarter
November 18, 2010 | Despite expending massive sums of money, some of the industries most active in lobbying the 111th Congress slowed their spending during this year's third quarter in the face of the midterm elections and a changing political tide, according to a Center for Responsive Politics analysis of federal data.
Convicted: House Panel Says Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel Guilty of Ethics Violations
November 16, 2010 | In a rare trial, a special House ethics committee panel today convicted Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), the once powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, on 11 counts of violating House ethics policies.
Lobbyists' Newest Targets in Wall Street Reform Battle? Federal Oversight Agencies
November 11, 2010 | While you we worrying about Aqua Buddha, and whether you were about to vote for a candidate who was a witch or wasn't, financial services companies and their hired Washington guns blitzed the federal regulatory agencies charged with crafting and implementing new tough rules for Wall Street.
Which Industries Won and Lost in Election 2010?
November 10, 2010 | Imagine that every member of Congress represents the industry or special interests that have contributed the most to his or her campaign coffers. Which industries and special interests, then, lost or won seats in Congress during the 2010 midterm election?
Election 2010 to Shatter Spending Records as Republicans Benefit from Late Cash Surge
October 27, 2010 | Center for Responsive Politics predicts midterms could cost nearly $4 billion.
Tea Party-Loving Republican Senate Candidates Propelled by Cash from Ideological Groups, Small Donors
October 7, 2010 | Thirteen Tea Party-backed Republicans want the U.S. Senate to experience a new brand of political brew after November 2. The question isn't whether they will or won't, but rather, how many of them will be in office? And donations from people making modest campaign contributions appear poised to play an integral role in propelling them into office.
Tiny Tracts Put Political ZIP in 2010 Elections
October 7, 2010 | These ZIP codes share a common and commanding distinction: They're the most politically generous in their respective U.S. states, power centers boasting outrageously out-sized clout given their tiny sizes.
GM Revs Political Engine, AFL-CIO in Your Mailbox and More in Capital Eye Opener: September 28
September 28, 2010 | It's been about two years since the federal government came to the rescue of General Motors with a $8.1 billion congressionally-approved (and taxpayer-fronted) bailout fund. And now that the auto giant has returned to profitability, some members of Congress are seeing their vote pay political dividends....
Candidates in Hotly Contested Races Collect Big Money from Wall Street Interests
September 27, 2010 | Ahead of the November election, top 20 House beneficiaries of the people and political action committees associated with the finance, insurance and real estate sector have together collected more than $16.2 million from Wall Street interests since January 2009. Meanwhile, the Senate candidates and sitting senators to receive the most from Wall Street interests raked in more than $41.3 million since January 2005 -- the beginning of their six-year election cycle.
Wall Street Aggressively Filling Republican Coffers After Many Months Supporting Democrats
September 7, 2010 | Wall Street-related political donations are bolstering Republicans' political fortunes this summer after financial interests suddenly -- and dramatically -- shifted their contributions away from the Democrats they had largely favored last year.
Recap of Tuesday's Primaries, John Boehner's Economic Interests and More in Capital Eye Opener: August 25
August 25, 2010 | Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics.
Wall Street-Related Political Contributions Shift Toward Republicans
August 10, 2010 | Financial firms and the people who work for them are increasingly donating their political cash to Republicans, a preliminary Center for Responsive Politics analysis of federal campaign finance data indicates.
PMA Group Founder Indicted For Fraud, FEC Hits PAC With Hefty Fine and More in Capital Eye Opener: August 6
August 6, 2010 | PMA GROUP CHARGED IN ETHICS PROBE: Revolving door ex-lobbyist Paul Magliocchetti, once one of Washington's most powerful lobbyists and founder of the PMA Group, a defense lobbying firm. On Thursday, Magliochetti, a former aide on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, stood accused by federal prosecutors of overseeing one of the largest campaign frauds in U.S. history.
Army of Lobbyists Raking in Massive Sums, Second-Quarter Lobbying Reports Reveal
July 31, 2010 | More than 11,100 corporations, trade associations, unions and other groups hired 10,500 lobbyists during the second quarter, the Center for Responsive Politics has found -- outnumbering members of Congress roughly 20 to 1. Overall, special interest groups spent more than $852 million on lobbying between April and June.
Legislative Battles Drive Second-Quarter Lobbying Spending by Major Corporations, Special Interests
July 29, 2010 | While some organizations dramatically reduced their investments in federal lobbying during this year's second quarter, others paid out more in fees to lobbyists than during any other quarter since President Barack Obama took office in January 2009, according to a Center for Responsive Politics review of reports filed with the U.S. Senate and U.S. House last week.
Politically Well-Connected Goldman Sachs Sees Slump in PAC Giving, Retains Hefty Balance For Future Contributions
July 21, 2010 | In June, the sole beneficiary of Goldman Sachs was House Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), to whom the PAC cut a $5,000 check on June 8, according to a Center for Responsive Politics review of campaign finance documents filed Tuesday.
Millions of Influential Dollars Later, Senate Passes Wall Street Reform
July 19, 2010 | Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) voted against the Democrats' Wall Street reform bill because he thought it wasn't strong enough to prevent another economic meltdown. Feingold was in a position to stand up to Wall Street like few other senators. Contributions from the finance, insurance and real estate sector account for just 3.75 percent of Feingold's overall contributions over his career. Just two other senators have relied less on money from the financial sector.
Bailed-Out Insurance Giant AIG Got Less Love in 2009 from Its Previous Lawmaker-Investors, New Reports Show
June 17, 2010 | Just 10 lawmakers held assets in the one-time insurance industry titan AIG, or its subsidiaries, at the end of 2008. And according to a Center for Responsive Politics review of those lawmakers' newly released personal financial reports, that number has further eroded.
Sen. Michael Bennet Sold Off Millions in Securities upon Taking Office, Owns Stock in Company Backing His Campaign
June 16, 2010 | Days after Democrat Michael Bennet was sworn into the U.S. Senate, the freshly minted senator sold off at least $2 million worth of investments, according to a Center for Responsive Politics review of newly released personal financial disclose reports.
Financial Reform Bill to Be Finalized by Members Who Benefit from Wall Street Cash
June 10, 2010 | Democratic and Republican leadership in both the House and Senate have named 43 individuals to a conference committee tasked with hammering out the final version of the Congress' financial regulatory reform legislation. These members comprise just 8 percent of Congress, but they have been far more likely to benefit from Wall Street's cash.
Reversing 2009 Trend, Business Money Now Flowing More to Republicans
May 25, 2010 | Democrats have historic majorities in the House and Senate, but during the first quarter of 2010, the amount of campaign cash Democrats received relative to Republicans from all business interests dropped by about 12 percent compared to last year, according to a Center for Responsive Politics review of campaign finance data.
Unions to Flex Political Muscles, Sarah Palin Links Obama to BP Money and More in Capital Eye Opener: May 25
May 25, 2010 | UNIONS PLAN TO FLEX MUSCLES: Two major unions plan to spend $100 million to influence the upcoming elections, The Hill reports. The American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) intends to invest $67 million and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) will spend $44 million.
Senators Who Opposed Financial Reform Got More Cash on Average from Wall Street Interests
May 24, 2010 | Senators who voted against the sweeping financial regulatory reform bill Thursday have received about 16 percent more money from the finance, insurance and real estate sector over their careers than senators who supported the measure, according to a Center for Responsive Politics analysis.
Strike 'Tea,' a 'Citizens United' Rebuke and More in Capital Eye Opener: May 10
May 10, 2010 | In what Tea Party advocates are calling a coup for their cause, Utah Republicans on Saturday declined to advance sitting U.S. Sen. Robert Bennett to a party primary, effectively ending the 76-year-old lawmaker's career in electoral politics come January.
Billionaire Jeff Greene, Donor to Kendrick Meek, Files Senate Primary Bid Against Him
April 30, 2010 | Billionaire Jeff Greene is seeking the Democratic nomination for Florida's open U.S. Senate seat, challenging presumed front-runner, Rep. Kendrick Meek, a man Greene whose campaign Greene supported with cash just five months ago. According to a Center for Responsive Politics review of campaign finance reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission, Greene donated $500 to Meek on Nov. 21.
Push for Disclosure, Charlie Crist Plans to Leave GOP and More in Capital Eye Opener: April 29
April 29, 2010 | FIGHT TO DISCLOSE: Campaign finance observers are expecting Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) to introduce a bill designed to mitigate the effects of the Supreme Court's decision in its January Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling. The Citizens United decision cleared the way for corporations to spend without limit on ads designed to influence elections.
Special Interests Continue Federal Lobbying Blitz, New Reports Indicate
April 21, 2010 | As President Barack Obama works with the Democratic Congress to advance his ambitious legislative priorities, lobbying efforts by special interest groups continue unabated. Lobbying reports for the first three months of 2010 were due to the Clerk of the House and Secretary of the Senate by midnight last night, and a preliminary Center for Responsive Politics analysis of these reports show many major players continuing to shell out big dollars on their lobbying operations.
Lawmakers Make Bank from Goldman Sachs, D.C. Voting Bill Gunned Down and More in Capital Eye Opener: April 21
April 21, 2010 | While the Securities and Exchange Commission endeavors to whack Goldman Sachs for alleged fraud, it's worth noting that another government entity -- Congress -- is deeply invested in the company. Quite literally.
Capital Eye's PolitiQuizz: Going for the Goldman
April 20, 2010 | Goldman Sachs has plenty of lawyers. And it also employs a number of powerful lobbyists, too, to help make its case before a federal government that may be a little less inclined to be chummy with it than it was, oh, a week ago. Hence, our PolitiQuizz question to you this week.
Scrutiny of Goldman Sachs Increases After Fraud Charges
April 20, 2010 | Government allegations that financial giant Goldman Sachs defrauded investors are creating a political storm, with some lawmakers hoping that the civil lawsuit filed Friday by the Securities and Exchange Commission is just the beginning.
Hedge Fund Manager in Goldman Sachs Fraud Case is a Major Donor to Both Democrats and Republicans
April 16, 2010 | A New York investor named John A. Paulson is at the heart of the fraud lawsuit filed today by the Securities and Exchange Commission against Goldman Sachs. While Paulson is not charged with any wrongdoing, his company allegedly paid Goldman to design a financial tool that earned them $1 billion by betting subprime mortgages would fail. His only financial transactions, however, have not taken place on Wall Street.
Beneficiaries of Massey Energy Campaign Cash Plan to Keep Contributions
April 16, 2010 | With Massey Energy employees contributing nearly $37,000 to federal politicians and committees so far this cycle, might any of the beneficiaries of this cash share President Barack Obama's harsh view of the company?
U.S. Government Sues Major Political Player Goldman Sachs For Investment Fraud
April 16, 2010 | The Securities and Exchange Commission today filed a civil lawsuit against financial giant Goldman Sachs and one of its vice presidents, alleging the company defrauded investors by "misstating and omitting key facts about a financial product tied to subprime mortgages as the U.S. housing market was beginning to falter." By doing so, the government has set its sights on one of the largest wielders of political clout.
Congressmen Become Lobbyists, Charlie Rangel Challenged and More in Capital Eye Opener: April 14
April 14, 2010 | More than 125 former congressional personnel, from aides on the banking committees to elected officials, are now working on behalf of financial companies, using their expertise and connections to influence legislation that is meant to regulate the financial industry
Retirees, Doctors and Lawyers Helped Propel Scott Brown to U.S. Senate Seat
March 31, 2010 | In the hotly contested special election that sent Republican Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate, Brown and his opponent, Democrat Martha Coakley, squeezed their fund-raising efforts into a rapid scramble for money that lasted just weeks, not months.
Chris Dodd Compromises, Harold Ford Calls it Quits and More in Capital Eye Opener: March 2
March 2, 2010 | U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) spent months railing against the Federal Reserve for what he considered its failure to protect consumers from abusive financial institutions. Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee who isn't seeking re-election, now appears primed to compromise on his standing desire to create an independent "Consumer Financial Protection Agency" designed to protect consumer interests.
Good-bye Evan Bayh, Charles Taylor the Lobbyist and More in Capital Eye Opener: February 16
February 16, 2010 | HOOSIER NEW SENATOR? Unclear, thanks to U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) announcing hours after Valentine's Day that he's breaking up with government.
Rep. Patrick Kennedy Headlines Week of Prominent Political Retirements
February 12, 2010 | This week has seen a string of high-profile retirements in Washington D.C., including Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.), Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) and lobbyist Billy Tauzin, the president of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). In addition, last month Rep. Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) announced his retirement under allegations of ethics transgressions. To cap the week off, Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), son of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, announced today in a video on his website that he would not seek re-election after 16 years in the U.S. House.
Richard Shelby's War for Defense Dollars, NFL Love for Louisiana Pol and More in Capital Eye Opener: February 8
February 8, 2010 | Over the past 20 years, employees and political action committees associates with the defense aerospace, defense electronics and miscellaneous defense industries rank among Sen. Richard Shelby's top 15 campaign contributors when grouped by industry.
Campaign Cash From Wall Street Favored Representatives Who Opposed Finance Reform Bill
December 12, 2009 | Lawmakers in the House who voted against the finance reform bill collected an average of about $849,200 from Wall Street interests over their careers, while lawmakers who supported the bill collected an average of about $694,000, the Center for Responsive Politics found. This means members of the House who opposed the bill received an average of 22 percent more from the finance, insurance and real estate sector since 1989 than supporters.
Capital Eye Opener: Wednesday, December 9
December 9, 2009 | In a special primary election yesterday, voters in Massachusetts selected Attorney General Martha Coakley to be the Democratic nominee and State Senator Scott Brown to be the Republican nominee to face off next month and ultimately fill the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy. Coakley bested several other high-profile Democrats including Rep. Michael Capuano, businessman Alan Khazei and Stephen Pagliuca, co-owner of the Boston Celtics basketball team.
Capital Eye Opener: Thursday, December 3
December 3, 2009 | Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn.) makes the second member of the moderate Blue Dog Coalition in the last two weeks to announce that he'll be retiring at the end of his term, leaving the Blue Dogs to find new members of their pack.
Hedge Funds, Private Equity Firms, Payday Lenders Seek Financial Security from Congress
November 30, 2009 | Legislation aimed at regulating the securities and investment industry is as complex as the industry itself. But the trade groups representing these interests all seem to have at least one thing in common: they fear additional government regulation will damage their business, which especially concerns them given the ailing economy.
Capital Eye Opener: Monday, November 30
November 30, 2009 | Make sure your browser is set to House.gov this afternoon, when the U.S. House of Representatives will be moving toward transparency by making members' office expenditures available electronically.
Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd, a Favorite of Wall Street, Leads Regulatory Reform Fight
November 23, 2009 | Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) chairs the powerful Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. Dodd is now spearheading new efforts to tackle financial sector regulatory reform. Over the past 20 years, Dodd's most generous campaign supporter has also been the finance, insurance and real estate sector, which is filled with companies directly affected by legislation shepherded by the Banking Committee.
Republican Senator Robert Bennett Seeks to Permanently Sunset TARP Program
November 20, 2009 | Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah) originally supported of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) enacted by President George W. Bush in October 2008. He later opposed the second TARP authorization under President Barack Obama, and he now believes that the TARP program has served its purpose and should expire at the end of this year.
Finance and Credit Companies Lobby Lawmakers As Congress Moves to Aggressively Regulate Them
November 19, 2009 | The various companies and trade groups within the finance and credit industry have contributed about $62.4 million to federal candidates, committees and leadership PACs since 1989, with 62 percent of that sum going to Republicans. In the 2008 election cycle, however, the employees and political action committees of these organizations directed a majority of their money to Democrats for the first time since the 1990 election.
Spencer Bachus: 'No More Bailouts'
November 19, 2009 | Although Bachus isn't new to the House Financial Services Committee, he's relatively new to the committee's ranking member position, which he assumed in 2007. Since 1992, employees and political action committees associated with the financial sector have given Bachus $4 million -- exponentially more than any other sector during that time.
Democratic Sen. Jack Reed Envisions New Financial Regulations
November 17, 2009 | Viewed as a champion of regulatory reform, Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) is an advocate of new regulations regarding financial markets, products and institutions -- including new regulation regarding credit derivatives, "dark pool" markets and hedge funds. Within the Banking Committee, he is chairman of the securities, insurance and investment subcommittee.
Financial Policy Tools Help You Follow the Money During Reform Debate
November 17, 2009 | Sure, our "Crossing Wall Street" series this week is going to be comprehensive, answering your questions about which financial industries are spending big bucks to influence the outcome of financial regulation legislation. But you might want to do some snooping around of your own. So we're providing the tools you need to do so.
Blue Dogs and New Democrats Find Friends on Wall Street
November 17, 2009 | Like the health care reform debate, financial regulation legislation has divided members of the same party, opening a rift between liberal and moderate Democrats. But unlike the health care reform debate, where the moderate Blue Dog Democrats have been rabid in their opposition to a public insurance option, a different group has emerged to voice moderates' concerns over financial regulation -- but both are magnets for cash from the financial sector.
Crossing Wall Street
November 16, 2009 | As the United States continues digging itself out of a recession, the nation is poised to re-emerge in a dramatically altered financial climate. And after years of enjoying relatively little regulation, commercial banks, credit companies, hedge funds and securities and investment companies are facing the most extensive overhaul by the federal government since the Great Depression. Over the next seven days, Capital Eye will be following the special interest money in our "Crossing Wall Street" series as both the House and Senate tackle financial regulation.
Sen. Richard Shelby a Formidable Foe for Democrat-style Financial Reform
November 16, 2009 | Name: Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). Positions: A fifth-generation Alabamian and University of Alabama alumnus, state loyalty flows through Shelby's crimson blood. So do conservative politics. Party loyalty is another matter.
Capital Eye Opener: Monday, November 16
November 16, 2009 | After the tragic collapse of the Minnesota I-35 bridge in 2007, lawmakers were expected to put some serious resources toward bridge repair throughout the country. But according to a new report (.pdf) from U.S. PIRG, it doesn't appear that has happened, in part, perhaps, because of the campaign contributions from highway interests to both state and federal lawmakers.
Congressmen Lose Big Bucks in 2008, But Still Rank Among Nation's Richest
November 4, 2009 | Even members of Congress – many among the country's richest people -- aren't impervious to the nation's economic recession. Current congressional members' median wealth uncharacteristically dropped nearly 5 percent in 2008 when compared to the prior year, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis of federal personal financial disclosure reports indicates.
Federal Lobbying Boom Continues, Third Quarter Reports Indicate
October 30, 2009 | 2009 is on pace to be another bumper year for lobbyists. During the third quarter, corporations, unions, trade associations and other special interests spent $849 million on federal lobbying, bringing the year-to-date total to $2.5 billion. Perhaps not surprisingly, the sectors that could be affected most by the Obama administration's domestic agenda -- particularly health, business and energy -- have been some of the biggest spenders over the course of the year.
'Round and 'Round They Go: Lawmakers Leave Congress for Lobbying Posts
October 29, 2009 | At least 44 lawmakers have left their congressional seats mid-term since 1990, and at least 16 of them went on to work at lobbying firms or at companies that hired lobbyists, CRP has found. Here, we take a closer look at a few of these individuals, examining which industries and clients they're now representing and the campaign cash they received while in Congress.
Support for Charles Rangel Wanes In Midst of Alleged Ethics Scandals
October 15, 2009 | Republican members of the House last week attempted to oust Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) from his powerful chairmanship of the House Ways & Means Committee for the duration of a House Ethics Committee investigation into alleged ethical misconduct surrounding his real estate investments and dubious personal financial disclosure reports. And although the effort failed and Rangel can sit tight for now, signs that he's sustained political damage are emerging.
House Financial Services Committee Considers Regulating Industries That Heavily Fund Members' Campaigns
October 14, 2009 | The House Financial Services Committee today begins marking up a bill that would create a new consumer protection agency and increase regulation of a number of financial products. Even as members of the committee consider how to prevent another economic collapse, they may have another financial issue in mind -- the industries opposing the measure have contributed $77.6 million to the 71 members of the committee since 1989.
Aides, Lobbyists and Contributors Among Those Left in Wake of Sen. John Ensign's Alleged Ethics Scandal
October 8, 2009 | Despite a lack of support from key leaders in his own political party, Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) said resolutely this week that he has no plans to resign from Congress in the face of accusations that he's deeply embroiled in an ethics scandal. But it's not just his own party's support at risk -- campaign contributors, current and former staffers and even lobbyists may be re-considering their ties to a man who once served as the GOP's primary fund-raiser in the Senate.
Capital Eye Opener: Monday, September 14
September 14, 2009 | HAPPY (OR NOT-SO-HAPPY) ANNIVERSARY, FINANCIAL CRASH: President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak from Wall Street today about the state of the economy exactly one year after the collapse of investment bank Lehman Brothers. He will likely argue for more stringent regulation of the financial industry and call for more accountability.
Commercial Banks Lobby Federal Government to Save Billions on Derivatives
September 4, 2009 | Five of the nation's largest commercial banks stand to earn $35 billion on derivatives contracts this year -- but only if they get their way. To ensure that federal legislation won't kill their chance of collecting that cash, they're pouring money into campaign contributions and lobbying efforts.
Potential Ted Kennedy Replacements Bring New Mix of Special Interest Support
September 2, 2009 | The death of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) has left Democratic lawmakers scrambling to fill his seat in the midst of intense debate over one of Kennedy's highest legislative priorities -- health care reform. We thought we'd take a look at some of the possible candidates and how their fundraising compares to that of the late senator.
Health Interests, Lobbyists Rank High Among Industries Increasing Campaign Contributions
August 19, 2009 | Political action committees and individuals associated with health industries, each of which are intimately involved in the nation's ongoing health care reform debate, are donating more to federal candidates during the second quarter of 2009 than the first quarter, according to a Center for Responsive Politics analysis.
Democratic Party Committees Maintain Slight Fundraising Edge
August 18, 2009 | Democratic Party committees raised only slightly more than their Republican counterparts during the year's first six months, closing the gap between the two parties that existed during the 2008 election cycle.
Big Money Senate Race in Pennsylvania Heats Up With Joe Sestak Announcing Official Challenge to Arlen Specter
August 4, 2009 | One of the nation's hottest U.S. Senate contests is officially off to the races, as Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) today is officially challenging incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter, a long-time Republican who switched his party allegiance to become a Democrat earlier this year.
Congressional Candidates Raised $168.5 Million During Second Quarter
July 31, 2009 | Since lawmakers filed their second quarter campaign finance reports earlier this month, our researchers have been busy coding and standardizing the data by organization and industry. Here are some of our overall observations--expect more in-depth analysis next week.
Newly Appointed Wall Street Investigators are Big Campaign Contributors
July 17, 2009 | House and Senate leaders last week named 10 members to the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, a bipartisan panel that Congress created in May to investigate the causes of last year's financial crisis. The selections include businessmen, ex-lawmakers, and academics who have together donated more than $1 million to federal candidates since 198
Hank Paulson's Questioners Are Not Bankers' Favorites
July 16, 2009 | The securities and investment industry may be the 13th-heaviest spender on lobbyists. And the two institutions under fire this morning, Bank of America and Merrill Lynch, both make the top 100 list of all-time contributors in federal politics. But lawmakers on the House Oversight panel have received little of their money.
Amid Push for Regulation, Hedge Funds Spend Big on Lobbying
June 22, 2009 | As the White House and Congress propose new financial regulations in the wake of the recession, the hedge fund industry is stepping up its lobbying efforts. This morning's Wall Street Journal (subscription only) cites CRP data detailing hedge funds' political spending this year--$1.6 million in the 1st Quarter of 2009 on lobbying--as pro-regulation Democrats have assumed control over both Congress and the White House.
Recently Re-Elected Senators Get Early Fundraising Boost
June 11, 2009 | For some lawmakers it is never too early to start greasing the money machine. Capital Eye takes a look at some of the new and re-elected senators who are already raising big bucks, even though they won't face another election for six years.
Some Wall Street Interests Scale Back on Political Giving
June 9, 2009 | As the economic crisis continued during the first three months of 2009, many institutions in the powerful finance, insurance and real estate sector have scaled back on contributions to lawmakers, CRP has found.
Capital Eye Report: Credit Rating Agencies Under Fire Drop More Dollars on Political Influence
May 14, 2009 | As Congress and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) eye new rules and regulations to ameliorate the financial turmoil, credit rating agencies are coming under increased scrutiny and are reaching out to K Street for a helping hand.
Not Quite the Hard-Knock Life on K Street
April 30, 2009 | Given all of the variables, measuring the impact of the economy on K Street isn't exactly a science. But the Center for Responsive Politics has conclusively found that lobbying during the first three months of 2009 has actually increased slightly compared to the same period of time last year. Here you can check out how much which industries and clients have spent the most on lobbying so far this year and which have increased or decreased the most since the start of 2008.
Power Players: Senate Health Committee Chair Gets a Large Dose of Finance, Health Industry Funds
March 25, 2009 | Even as he deals with his own health challenges, as chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) has committed himself to focusing on improving the quality and accessibility of American health care. Kennedy's interest in the country's health care issues has brought him money from various health-related industries.
Following the money in the Wall Street shakeout? Start here.
February 25, 2009 | OpenSecrets.org has many, many resources for anyone interested in following the money as Washington policymakers craft their solution to the shakeout that continues on Wall Street. Here's a handy guide to what we've got online.
Investment Manager Stanford Was Big-Time Campaign Contributor
February 17, 2009 | Money manager Robert Allen Stanford now has two things in common with embattled investment manager Bernard Madoff: both have come under scrutiny for allegedly defrauding their investors, and both have given significant funds to politicians. Between its PAC and its employees, Stanford Financial Group has given $2.4 million to federal candidates, parties and committees since 2000.
Power Players: Without Automakers' Fuel, Waxman Steers House Energy Committee in New Direction
February 12, 2009 | In a blow to the struggling auto industry that has financially supported Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) for years, the House Energy & Commerce Committee chairman was ousted this year, replaced by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), who hasn't received a penny from the industry. Instead, Waxman has collected money from doctors and health professionals.
TARP Recipients Paid Out $114 Million for Politicking Last Year
February 4, 2009 | The companies that have been awarded taxpayers' money from Congress's bailout bill spent $77 million on lobbying and $37 million on federal campaign contributions, CRP has found. The return on investment: 258,449 percent.
Power Players: Embattled Congressman Leads Ways and Means with Finance Money Behind Him
January 30, 2009 | Fixing the economy is a huge undertaking for the 111th Congress, and any measures to cut or raise taxes will have to win the approval of the House Ways and Means Committee, which Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) has chaired since 2007. This position has made Rangel a magnet for cash from the finance, insurance and real estate sector.
Wealthy Freshmen Increase Congressional Net Worth
January 28, 2009 | New members of Congress are worth $1 million more than the average incumbent, CRP has found after analyzing the lawmakers' personal financial disclosure reports. As they make decisions about the economy, freshmen and incumbents are heavily invested in the struggling financial sector.
Power Players: Struggling Financial Firms Are Banking on Dodd
January 27, 2009 | Although Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) is chair of one of the more powerful congressional committees, he probably isn't the envy of his peers these days with an economic crisis growing larger by the day. Dodd has put in two years as chair of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs and is now charged with shaping legislation to jump-start the economy and help floundering companies, including those that have contributed to his campaigns.
Power Players: With Health Sector's Money Supporting Him, Baucus Offers Prescription for Reform
January 23, 2009 | As chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., is a target for campaign contributions from Wall Street and the health sector. He's outlined his own vision for health care reform and his committee will have to decide if the overhaul is fiscally possible.
No Logos, but Corporate Representation at Obama's Inauguration
January 15, 2009 | There won't be any corporate advertising on the dais, but a number of major corporations and influential industries will be represented at Barack Obama's inauguration by individuals who've contributed as much as $50,000 apiece--and bundled up to $300,000--to underwrite the festivities. According to a new analysis of inaugural donors by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, individuals associated with Microsoft, Google, Citigroup and many more companies are among the upcoming event's biggest contributors.
Power Players: Cantor Whips up Support from Finance Sector
January 8, 2009 | A rising star among House Republicans from day one, Cantor will now replace Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri as House minority whip. In this position, Cantor is charged with corralling support among his colleagues for the Republican leadership's proposals. Capital Eye kicks its Power Players series off with a profile of Cantor's fundraising, industry support and personal investments.
Agriculture Nominee Vilsack Couldn't Cultivate Funds During Presidential Bid
December 18, 2008 | Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, Barack Obama's pick for Secretary of Agriculture, will bring to the position an enthusiasm for the marriage of agriculture and renewable energy that rivals the president elect's. He won't bring with him, however, the ties to campaign contributions from the agriculture industry that other candidates to the post could have, despite his brief bid for the White House in 2007.
Madoff and Company Spent Nearly $1 Million on Washington Influence
December 15, 2008 | The man behind a $50 billion Ponzi scheme that has roiled Wall Street and shaken up the nonprofit world was also a long-time contributor to Democrats. In total, Bernard Madoff and his wife, Ruth, have given $238,200 to federal candidates, parties and committees since 1991, with Democrats getting 88 percent of that.
N.Y. Times Examines Schumer's Buck-raking on Wall Street
December 15, 2008 | A New York Times front-pager on Sunday that examined the ties between Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Wall Street employed data from the Center for Responsive Politics. Schumer has received more money from the securities and investment industry than almost any other member of Congress since 1989-$6.2 million. (Only President-elect Barack Obama and other 2008 presidential candidates received more.) Using data from CRP and OpenSecrets.org , the Times reported Sunday that Schumer is a champion of Wall Street who has often sided with the financial industry in debates over deregulation.
Struggling Companies and Industries Still Found Funds to Sponsor Political Conventions
December 10, 2008 | Weeks before they turned to the federal government for rescue, companies such as AIG, Ford, Citigroup and Freddie Mac were among the biggest sponsors of the summertime political conventions that nominated Barack Obama and John McCain for president, according to a new analysis by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, in collaboration with the Campaign Finance Institute.
While in Congress, Indicted Illinois Governor Supported Current Lawmakers
December 9, 2008 | Before he was the governor of Illinois who was taken into custody on corruption charges, Rod Blagojevich was a member of Congress relying on lawyers and law firms, unions, finance companies and fellow lawmakers to fund his campaigns. Blagojevich also helped pay for some of his colleagues' campaigns, including a few that are still in Congress.
Can Senate Democrats' New Fundraiser Win Over Wall Street?
November 25, 2008 | Under the leadership of New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee collected more than $12.8 million in this election cycle from the securities and investment industry, more than double what Wall Street provided before the New Yorker took over. But for the 2010 cycle, when he'll be up for re-election, Schumer is passing the DSCC baton across the river, to New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez.
Essay Winner: Campaign Contributions Stoked the Fire Behind Wall Street Meltdown
November 21, 2008 | The Center for Responsive Politics is pleased to announce that Kristin Schaaf, a freelance writer from Altoona, Iowa, is the winner of OpenSecrets.org's second Citizen Journalism Contest, which asked: "Did campaign contributions and lobbying by the financial sector contribute to the meltdown on Wall Street?"
Finance Sector Lobbied for Money…Without the Money to Lobby
November 21, 2008 | The surge of activity in the nation's capital to revive the country's economy apparently hasn't caused a torrent of lobbying funds by the insurance companies, investment banks, mortgage companies and savings and loans central to the government's actions. While unions, companies and organizations across all industries increased their lobbying expenditures 2 percent in the 3rd Quarter of this year compared to the first three months of 2008, the finance, insurance and real estate sector apparently scaled back, decreasing its spending by 9 percent.
Auto Industry Gives Sparingly to a Skeptical Congress
November 20, 2008 | Why, when Wall Street took the fast lane to grab its share of $700 billion in federal bailout funds, does the auto industry seem stuck in neutral? The carmakers' campaign contributions to Congress suggest one reason: Most lawmakers, especially those on the finance committees that heard this week from pleading GM, Ford and Chrysler executives, don't owe much payback to Detroit.
Hedge Fund Managers Plead Their Case on Capitol Hill
November 14, 2008 | The five hedge fund managers who testified Thursday before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee are more likely to find friends among Democrats, who have received 65 percent of the total $14.2 million the unregulated industry has given this election cycle to federal candidates, committees and parties.
Obama's Pick for Chief of Staff Tops Recipients of Wall Street Money
November 5, 2008 | A day after being elected president and acknowledging "the worst financial crisis in a century," Barack Obama asked one of the biggest recipients of Wall Street campaign contributions to be his chief of staff. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, the Illinois congressman who was an aide in the Clinton White House, was the top House recipient in the 2008 election cycle of contributions from hedge funds, private equity firms and the larger securities/investment industry--not the most popular of industries in the current economy.
U.S. Election Will Cost $5.3 Billion, Center for Responsive Politics Predicts
October 22, 2008 | The 2008 election for president and Congress is not only one of the most closely watched U.S. elections in years; it's also the most expensive in history. The nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics estimates that more than $5.3 billion will go toward financing the federal contests upcoming on Nov. 4.
Lawmakers and Insider Trading
October 17, 2008 | Should insider trading by members of Congress be illegal? ProCon.org, a nonpartisan site for examining all sides of issues, is addressing this sticky question, and they have used data from the Center for Responsive Politics on the richest lawmakers to help sort out the answer. According to ProCon, 45 corporations, spanning finance, insurance, oil, pharmaceutical, telecom and other industries, made the 10 richest senators' top five stocks owned, purchased and sold lists in 2007. Many of these lawmakers hold positions on committees that have influence over the financial success of the companies they are invested in.
As Economic Storm Brewed, Congressional Wealth Grew 13% Last Year
October 16, 2008 | An economic recession is looking increasingly likely, but the personal finances of members of Congress suggest they will be able to withstand the slowdown far better than most Americans, according to a new analysis of lawmakers' latest personal financial reports by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.
Races to Watch IX: Wall Street's Favorite Candidates
October 9, 2008 | Not at all to the chagrin of oil and gas companies (and lawmakers who have received campaign donations from them), Wall Street is the new black for congressional candidates looking to link their opponents to an unpopular industry. As federal lawmakers have wrestled with an economic bailout plan worth $700 billion, candidates who have received contributions from the financial sector are on the defensive. Find out which candidates are filling their war chests with money from the finance sector in Capital Eye's final installment of Races to Watch.
Races to Watch VII: Where Cash Has No Competition
October 2, 2008 | Like reading tea leaves, one way to predict how a congressional race is going to go is by looking at the disparity in fundraising between the candidates. So far this election cycle, 280 House and Senate incumbents on November's ballot have collected at least 10 times more than the opponent they face in the general election. In this installment of Races to Watch, Capital Eye looks into why some of these incumbents have been such successful fundraisers.
Races to Watch VI: Candidates Backed by PACs
October 1, 2008 | More than a quarter of the money raised by congressional candidates on the November ballot has come from business and labor PACs, not from individual donors, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. Capital Eye has profiled some races where labor union and business PAC money is playing the largest role.
Finance Sector Gave 51 Percent More to House Bailout Backers
September 29, 2008 | Members of the House of Representatives who supported bailing out the financial sector with $700 billion in taxpayer money have received 51 percent more in campaign contributions from the finance, insurance and real estate sector in their congressional careers than those who opposed the emergency legislation, the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics calculated following the 228-205 vote on Monday that defeated the House bill.
Races to Watch III: Big Money, Small Money
September 29, 2008 | Barack Obama defended his decision not to accept public financing by arguing that running a campaign for the White House based on small contributions accomplishes what the public financing system aims to do but falls short of doing: curb the influence of outside interest groups. In many congressional races, the issue of who's backing the candidate--wealthy donors or everyone else--is finding its way into debates over the best way to fix the economy and whether campaign contributions and lobbying by the financial sector had anything to do with today's economic crisis. Capital Eye takes a closer look at some of these races.
Races to Watch II: Candidates Supported by Their Party
September 25, 2008 | Private interests and members of the public aren't the only ones betting their money on the congressional candidates they hope will win (or retain) congressional seats. Lawmakers in both parties have a vested interest in seeing their own candidates succeed this November, with Democrats wanting to strengthen their majority and Republicans hoping to minimize their losses. Here we look at some of the candidates getting the largest cash infusions from their own parties, indicating a close race.
Money and Votes Aligned in Congress's Last Debate Over Bank Regulation
September 23, 2008 | The last time Congress seriously debated how to regulate the financial industry, the result was legislation that allowed the nation's largest banks to get even larger and take risks that had been prohibited since the Great Depression. A look back at that debate, which was over the 1999 Financial Services Modernization Act, reveals that campaign contributions may have influenced the votes of politicians who, a decade later, are now grappling with the implosion of the giant banks they helped to foster.
Bundlers for McCain, Obama Are Among Wall Street's Tumblers
September 18, 2008 | How did Wall Street's largest firms also become some of the largest donors to John McCain and Barack Obama's presidential campaigns? Take a look at the candidates' rosters of bundlers on OpenSecrets.org, and it becomes clear.
Wall Street Shake-up Connects to Washington Through Contributions, Personal Investments
September 15, 2008 | Wall Street's grim news has plenty of people worried about their pocketbooks. Lawmakers are among them, not only concerned with how to boost the economy but with their own personal finances tied to companies that are struggling. The richest members of Congress seem to be the most invested in the companies at the center of the Wall Street shake-up.
Brothers Grim: Is Lehman Next?
September 12, 2008 | Uncle Sam bailed out Freddie Mac and the company's twin sister, Fannie Mae, this week, and the next in line in the Wall Street family to get a helping hand might just be Lehman Brothers. Executives at the struggling investment bank are looking to sell the company with assistance from the government--and fast--as its stock plunges. Although the government isn't expected to completely bail out Lehman Brothers, the fourth-largest U.S. investment bank, the company has built a strong financial relationship with politicians over the years and coincidentally ranks fourth in the largest contributors in the race for the White House.
Retirees Propel McCain to the Fundraising Finish Line
September 3, 2008 | Preparing for a general election in which he cannot collect private donations, John McCain vaulted in front of Barack Obama in fundraising from one of the biggest groups of donors in American politics: the senior set. A new analysis of the Republican nominee's summer fundraising by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics has found McCain leading Obama among retired donors almost two to one in June and July, $8.1 million to $4.5 million.
Was Stanley Morgan Unavailable?
August 29, 2008 | One of the more crowd-pleasing lines delivered at the Democratic convention's Thursday night session came from a former Republican from Indiana named Barney Smith, who said, "We need a president who puts the Barney Smiths before the Smith Barneys." Before assuming that either presidential candidate won't defer to Wall Street, Mr. Smith might want to take a look at OpenSecrets.org.
Professors Spent Their Summer Vacations Giving to Obama
August 26, 2008 | While school was out, college professors and other educators were putting money into Barack Obama's presidential campaign, according to a new analysis of the Democratic nominee's summer fundraising. Educators contributed at least $2.3 million to his campaign in June and July, surpassed only by lawyers, who make up Obama's top-giving industry since the campaign's start, and retirees.
Traditionally Republican Industries Snub McCain
August 20, 2008 | In some ways, it's advantageous for John McCain to point out the ways he differs with the current president. But, financially, McCain's differences with President Bush haven't entirely helped him. Bloomberg used data from CRP recently to analyze the industries that played a pivotal role in financing Bush's re-election race in 2004 but that are backing Barack Obama this time around.
Power Struggle: Industry Standards
July 10, 2008 | Industries across the board have a stake in the outcome of energy legislation, either because they are looking for handouts or trying to minimize harm. Capital Eye profiles the major players, their concerns and the money they're spending to be heard on Capitol Hill.
Data Update: Presidential and Congressional Fundraising
July 7, 2008 | The fireworks might be tucked away now until the next Fourth of July, but here at CRP we continue to illuminate the money-in-politics scene all year round. Just in the last few days we've been busy updating various parts of OpenSecrets.org using data available from the Federal Election Commission on June 30.
Red, White and Green
July 3, 2008 | Tomorrow is Independence Day, the time to commemorate the United States's successful revolt against Britain, establishing our own self-reliant government. Well, sort of. While our politicians are no longer answering to the redcoats, they've become awfully beholden to the greenbacks. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, 36 current members of Congress have collected at least 20 percent of their contributions from a single industry, setting up a scheme of dependence and perhaps the expectation of a tit-for-tat.
NYT Columnist: Obama's Donors Mirror Democrats'
July 1, 2008 | It appears that being the candidate of change doesn't necessarily mean appealing to a new set of donors. New York Times columnist David Brooks used extensive data from the Center for Responsive Politics today to argue that Barack Obama's fundraising base looks a whole lot like those of Democrats past and present.
Big Donor Goldman Sachs Turns a Profit
June 23, 2008 | Even as Wall Street remains in a slump, Goldman Sachs, the world's largest investment bank, is no stranger to being on top. Not only did it bring in a profit of $2.1 billion last quarter, it is the top campaign contributor in the securities and investment industry so far this election cycle.
Wall Street Bets on Obama for President
June 6, 2008 | Wall Street seems to have selected Barack Obama for its own major investment this election cycle.
Senator-Turned-Lobbyist Presents Subprime Situation for McCain
May 30, 2008 | The White House's new resident in January is going to have one heck of a complex economic mess to deal with. If that person is John McCain, he'll be there in part because of the hard work of a man whom economists are blaming for the crippling subprime meltdown.
President Bush's Industries Going Blue
May 12, 2008 | Republican John McCain is no George W. Bush, at least not in the view of some of the industries that gave generously to the president's 2004 re-election campaign. Last week Bloomberg's Jonathan Salant used data from CRP to look at how the securities and investment industry, construction sector, pharmaceutical manufacturers and energy companies are giving a greater amount of their money to Democratic candidates this cycle, despite being some of Bush's biggest backers in 2004.
Hedge Fund Managers Invest in Obama
April 22, 2008 | Although Democrat Barack Obama's tax policy would be harmful to hedge fund managers, many of the wealthiest are getting behind him anyhow. The New York Times used data from the Center for Responsive Politics to determine which of the top 10 managers on Alpha magazine's 2007 rich list are contributing the maximum $2,300 to Obama.
Another Record Year for Lobbying
April 10, 2008 | Corporations, industries, labor unions, governments and other interests spent a record $2.79 billion in 2007 to lobby for favorable policies in Washington, the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics has calculated.
New Presidential Data for February Now Available
March 27, 2008 | The February campaign finance numbers are in for the presidential candidates, and Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton continued to far out-raise Republican John McCain last month -- Obama collected $55.4 million and Clinton collected $34.5 million, while McCain brought in $10.9 million.
A Friend in Need, Wall Street Gets Help from Washington
March 20, 2008 | The federal government's interest in the plight of investment and commercial banks is driven by the urgency of securing the U.S. economy, but the close ties between Wall Street and Washington may hint at other motives for lending a hand to these struggling financial institutions. The employees and political action committees of these firms bankroll federal campaigns like few other companies; the securities and investment industry ranks third among all industries in contributing to candidates and parties this election cycle, giving $71.5 million, with 60 percent to Democrats.
Congress Has Wealth to Weather Economic Downturn
March 13, 2008 | As Americans worry about their own finances, their elected representatives in Washington—with a collective net worth of $3.6 billion—are mostly in good shape to withstand a recession.
Wall Street's Recession in Contributions
February 5, 2008 | It might be the stalled economy, or it might just be the end-of-the year slowdown, but during the last three months of 2007, the securities and investment industry gave less than half of what it gave to the presidential candidates in the first quarter of the year.
Cost of '08 Presidential Race Already Tops All Elections Prior to '04
February 4, 2008 | While Republicans saw gains, exclusive analysis of year-end contributions finds Democrats maintained their hold on most top-giving industries. Lawyers, retirees and Wall Street still dominate. Candidates are on pace to break 2004 records before parties officially nominate.
Wall Street Generous to Candidates
January 23, 2008 | The economy may be floundering but that's not stopping members of the financial industry from giving to their favorite presidential candidates. "Employees of Wall Street firms are the single largest source of campaign cash, accounting for a total of $50.4 million in financial contributions to the candidates so far this election cycle," according to the…
Most Presidential Bundlers Work in Law, Finance, Real Estate
December 20, 2007 | More than half of the top fund-raisers for the 2008 presidential candidates come from just three segments of the U.S. economy: law, finance and real estate, according to a new study of these bundlers.
The Democrats' Lobbyist Lobs
December 6, 2007 | Lobbyists do represent ordinary Americans, as Hillary Clinton claims, but those contributing to her campaign mostly represent big industries, the Center for Responsive Politics finds. Obama and Edwards eschew lobbyists' money, but their biggest contributors still lobby in Washington.
Biggest Donors Are Digging Deeper for '08
November 15, 2007 | Top industries and interest groups have increased their giving over 2004 by 46 percent, Center finds. As money shifts to Democrats, giving from Republican strongholds is mostly flat.
Retirees Got Active in Presidential Campaign's 3rd Quarter
November 1, 2007 | Exclusive analysis finds lawyers are still the biggest givers to candidates for the White House, but retired contributors have edged out Wall Street. A year before '08 election, Democrats have the edge in nearly every major industry.
Republican Sam Brownback Backs Out of Presidential Race
October 22, 2007 | After falling behind nearly all other candidates in total money left in the bank, Republican Sam Brownback has decided he will withdraw from the 2008 presidential race, conceding that money matters enough to make or break a campaign.
Sending Money Home
September 20, 2007 | Most donors in foreign countries appear to work in private industry, not in foreign service or the military, as first reported. The story has been updated to reflect this finding.)As globalization moves American executives to financial metropolises around the world and the Internet allows for easier connection among politically minded U.S. expatriates, the 2008 presidential candidates are expanding their fundraising efforts beyond the United States's borders.
Exploring Fred Thompson's Finances
August 3, 2007 | Southern donors, lawyers, retirees and investors are major backers to the undeclared candidate's exploratory committee, the Center for Responsive Politics finds.
Wall Street Invests in Giuliani
July 19, 2007 | Even though presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani spent the 1980s curbing corporate crime as a U.S. attorney, his history of moving banking heavyweights from the trading floor to the slammer has not diminished his strong financial backing from the securities and investments industry. In fact, the one-time adversary of white-collar crime is the top Republican recipient…
Small Donors Raised Their Voices in Presidential Campaign's 2nd Quarter
July 19, 2007 | While lawyers and Wall Street are still the biggest givers, the candidates raised 84 percent more—or more than a quarter of their money—from smaller donors in the last three months.
Playing It Safe
April 18, 2007 | The industries spending the most to support their candidates of choice haven't necessarily determined who, exactly, their candidate of choice is after the first quarter. Law firms are clearly leaning Democratic, having given 78 percent of their $14.6 million to Democrats, and clearly favor John Edwards. But when it comes to dividing the cash between…
Chairmanship Has Its Privileges
April 18, 2007 | When members of Congress run for president, they can usually count on support from the industries most affected by their congressional committees. Chris Dodd, whose day job includes serving as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, has brought in nearly $739,000 from the securities and investment industry he regulates, making it his highest contributor in…
Financiers, Along with Lawyers, are Underwriting the Race for the White House, Watchdog Finds
April 18, 2007 | New, exclusive analysis on OpenSecrets.org finds attorneys have given candidates the most, but Wall Street's biggest firms top all other companies. Candidates have relied on their personal connections for early fundraising.
State of the Union Preview
January 22, 2007 | Global warming, the Iraq war and balancing the budget are likely to be among the issues the president addresses. By Lindsay Renick Mayer January 22, 2007 | When President Bush takes the podium on Tuesday night to deliver his annual address, he will do so before a nation that is far less supportive of his…
Center for Responsive Politics Predicts '06 Election Will Cost $2.6 Billion
October 25, 2006 | This year's intensely competitive election for control of the House of Representatives and Senate will be the most expensive midterm election ever, the Center for Responsive Politics predicts. Candidates, national political parties and outside issue advocacy groups will spend roughly $2.6 billion by the end of 2006 to influence the 472 federal contests around the United States and pad the war chests of incumbents not running this year.
Treasury Nominee Is a Major GOP Donornee Is a Major GOP Donor
May 30, 2006 | Goldman Sachs CEO Hank Paulson has contributed generously to Republicans—more than outgoing secretary John Snow. Paulson's wife and employees favor Democrats, however. By Massie Ritsch and Neil Tambe May 30, 2006 | In nominating Goldman Sachs CEO Hank Paulson to be the next Secretary of the Treasury, President Bush tapped a major Republican donor who…
Making Hay Out of GOP Straw Poll
March 23, 2006 | GOP activists favor these candidates for the White House in 2008. But who will the money follow? By Courtney Mabeus March 23, 2006 | Republican Party leaders and activists gathered in Tennessee this month, and in a straw poll anointed native son Bill Frist as their chosen one to run for president in 2008. The…
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