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In the News
Original journalism from the Center's OpenSecrets News
What's behind lobbyist attempts to block casinos on Native land?
May 22, 2019 | President Trump threw his weight against a bipartisan House bill last week that would affirm the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe's right to 321 acres of land.
Fossil fuel companies lobby Congress on their own solutions to curb climate change
May 17, 2019 | Fossil fuel companies have their own climate change solutions in mind, and they're eager to tell members of Congress about them.
What have the top Trump donors been up to since 2016?
May 14, 2019 | With the 2020 election revving up, contributions have already begun pouring in for President Donald Trump's reelection bid, including coveted cash from a loyal network of Trump donors.
Retirees and attorneys are 2020 Democrats' biggest fans
April 26, 2019 | So far, many of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates are tapping into the same two groups for most of their fundraising — retirees and attorneys.
Progressive group ramps up pressure to primary PAC-friendly Texas Democrat
April 10, 2019 | The Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez-aligned Justice Democrats group is raising money toward an effort to primary Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar.
Following Citizens United, foreign-owned corporations funnel millions into US elections
March 22, 2019 | Foreign-based corporations or U.S. subsidiaries of foreign-based corporations have contributed millions of dollars to super PACs following Citizens United.
With eye on 2020, can Beto O'Rourke repeat record-smashing fundraising?
March 13, 2019 | A record-breaking fundraiser during the 2018 midterms, Beto O'Rourke looks to repeat his success in the 2020 Democratic primary.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee joins the 2020 field as the climate change candidate
March 1, 2019 | Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced he will be running for president as a candidate focused on climate change. He has sworn off oil and gas money.
State of Money in Politics: Wall Street, other major industries trending left
February 20, 2019 | Almost every major industry swung from Republicans to Democrats in 2018, a trend that cannot continue if the GOP is to recover in 2020.
How much money every Green New Deal sponsor gets from environmental and fossil fuel interests
February 8, 2019 | The Green New Deal boasts more than 70 supporters in the House and Senate, 4 of whom are running for President in 2020. How much do they receive from environmental groups?
Oil and mining lobbyist David Bernhardt nominated to be Secretary of Interior
February 5, 2019 | Acting Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, a member of the revolving door and former oil and mining lobbyist, was nominated to be new Secretary.
Do new Democratic climate committee members get more from big oil or environmental interests?
January 10, 2019 | In total, new Democratic members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee received more money from oil and gas-related PACs than environmental PACs.
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.
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.
The Kochs' new super PAC sets its sights on midterms
October 19, 2018 | The FEC filings of a new and well-funded super PAC show that rumors of the Koch network's decline have been highly exaggerated.
An introduction to the Koch digital media network
October 9, 2018 | The Koch brothers are more famous for how they spend their money than for how they make it. Their political buys may hit $400 million this year. How much of that will go to digital ads?
The scandals that sunk Scott Pruitt
July 5, 2018 | EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned Thursday after 503 days in office, a tenure marked by seemingly as many scandals.
Trump picks top Koch recipient for secretary of state
April 26, 2018 | President Trump nixed Rex Tillerson as secretary of state Tuesday in favor of CIA Director Mike Pompeo, a former Kansas congressman whose political career was paved by Koch Industries.
As Paul Ryan rose through the House, his money rose with him
April 11, 2018 | As a candidate, Paul Ryan has spent $47.6 million since 1997 and pulled in even more, raising nearly $58.1 million. A large chunk of that money — $19.8 million to be exact — came rolling in the 2016 election.
Company fined for renting condo to Scott Pruitt
April 6, 2018 | After questions arose surrounding E.P.A. chief Scott Pruitt's lease, D.C.'s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs issued a Notice of Infraction for unlicensed rental housing activity.
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."
Could this Russian-born Trump donor be the key to a cryptic Manafort note?
September 1, 2017 | Yesterday, NBC News reported that notes written by Trump's then-campaign manager Paul Manafort during a June 2016 meeting with Russians at Trump Tower included cryptic references to political contributions and the Republican National Committee. According to the report, the notes were turned over to both House and Senate intelligence committees, as well as to Special…
Tribal battles make for well-fed lobbyists
May 31, 2017 | In April, another skirmish broke out in Indian Country when the Kalispel Tribe of Indians filed a federal lawsuit to stop the Spokane Tribe of Indians from building a casino. The Kalispel claim the gaming operation would draw business away from their own casino, located only two miles away from the would-be Spokane one, and thereby…
Trucking, railroad industries wrestle with each other as technology bears down on both
May 17, 2017 | Uber service for pallets of lumber, crates of fruit and boxes of bolts? Last week, the company's embattled CEO Travis Kalanick tweeted an image of an "Uber Freight" truck, a product of the company's still-gestating foray into the trucking industry. Amazon, reportedly, is also working on an app that will connect truckers and shippers —…
The power of one
May 8, 2017 | As hot an issue as the environment has been in recent years, there's never been much money in it for politicians. People who work for environmental advocacy groups, for instance, tend not to have a lot of extra scratch to contribute to candidates and parties, and political action committees in the field are generally modestly…
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…
Nonprofits backing Trump have deep, swampy ties
May 2, 2017 | Outside groups mobilizing in support of President Trump have already spent tens of millions on his behalf—and may never have to reveal where they got the money. Trump's unprecedented move to register as a candidate for the 2020 presidential election on his first day in office blurs the line between groups spending in support of…
Fewer lobbyists, more money: What's going on?
April 24, 2017 | Note: Since some lobbyists file after the quarterly deadline, visit our lobbying summary for the most current data. Before President Trump was sworn in, his rhetoric and treatment of lobbyists seemed pretty harsh. He announced lobbyists would be kicked off the transition team and registered lobbyists couldn't work in his administration, and some lobbyists deregistered to…
250 donors shelled out $100k or more for Trump's inauguration, providing 91% of funds
April 19, 2017 | What does it take to stage a welcome-to-the-neighborhood blowout? President Trump raised $107 million for his inaugural festivities, shattering previous records. The former titleholder, Barack Obama, raised half that, $53.2 million, in 2009 — though Obama imposed far stricter limits on amounts and sources of donations. At least 47 people or organizations gave $1 million…
Russia hired Edelman in 2016 to help deal with Yukos fallout
March 13, 2017 | A former national security adviser was paid more than $500,000 last fall by a group linked with the Turkish government to discredit exiled preacher Fethullah Gülen, an enemy of the Turkish president. An Egyptian intelligence agency hired public relations firms Weber Shandwick and Cassidy & Associates to improve its image. Iraq sent letters to top Trump officials such as Secretary…
Energy sector and EPA nominee: Oklahoma Strong
January 24, 2017 | Scott Pruitt's confirmation hearing last week involved some pointed visual props. Making the case that Pruitt, the Oklahoma attorney general who is President Trump's nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is cozy with the energy sector, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) held up a chart full of boxes and arrows. All the organizations listed on…
Holiday reading list: OpenSecrets Blog's best of 2016
December 22, 2016 | Boy, has 2016 been a whirlwind adventure. If you're like us, you have tabs and tabs of unread stories that caught your eye during the workday, but haven't had time to dive into yet. Now that the holiday break is upon us, we'll finally have the time to sink into that comfy chair by the…
Platinum Partners turns to brass
December 19, 2016 | Uh-oh. Bernie Madoff all over again? That's what federal prosecutors are alleging in the case of Platinum Partners, a hedge fund that operated "like a Ponzi scheme," according to a 48-page indictment released today by the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Eastern District of New York. The document charges seven men, including Platinum's founder and…
Zinke's nomination could bring questions about super PAC ties
December 14, 2016 | After much speculation about which oilman or pro-development donor would get the nod to run the Interior Department, multiple news sources have reported President-elect Donald Trump has picked Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke (R). Having been a U.S. Navy SEAL from 1986 to 2008 and a Montana state senator from 2009 to 2011, Zinke is a relative…
Rick Perry, with multiple ties to CEO of controversial pipeline project, tapped for Energy Dept.
December 13, 2016 | The Dakota Access Pipeline protesters just got a new reason to keep their Standing Rock encampment intact: former Texas governor and two-time presidential candidate Rick Perry, tapped today by President-elect Donald Trump to head his Energy Department. Never mind that Perry — who now becomes the second of Trump's competitors named to his Cabinet (Ben…
Pipelines of funds support allies of Dakota Access project
December 8, 2016 | When the Army Corp of Engineers announced Sunday it would block construction of an essential part of the Dakota Access Pipeline Project and study alternative routes, thousands of protestors at the site — members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, environmentalists, veterans and others — joined hands in jubilation. Concern about potential damage to the…
Oilmen, pro-development financiers and Sarah Palin in the queue for Interior
November 28, 2016 | Update: In early December, Trump announced he would nominate Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke (R) to run Interior. Read more about Zinke here. While names were announced for a slew of appointments to President-elect Donald Trump's administration last week, there are still some significant posts left — like running the Interior Department, which is in charge…
No Secretary of State prospect donated to Trump
November 16, 2016 | Update Dec. 14: President-elect Trump tapped ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson. For background on his political contributions, click here. We continue our series on the money-in-politics histories of candidates for Donald Trump's future Cabinet by looking at those who have been mentioned as possibilities to run the State Department. (See our earlier analyses on prospects for…
In two of the hottest Senate races, outside money edge goes to challengers
October 27, 2016 | It's an open secret in the political world that most congressional contests are not contests at all; incumbents tend to raise more money than challengers, and better-funded campaigns almost always win. In some of the most expensive Senate races this cycle, however, challengers are attracting more money from outside spending groups than incumbents, and it may…
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…
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.…
Russian-born oil magnate gives big to Trump Victory
September 26, 2016 | Donald Trump has an interesting relationship with Russia, to say the least. He's praised Vladimir Putin. His former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, had business dealings with pro-Russia leaders in Ukraine. U.S. intelligence officials are investigating whether one of Trump's foreign policy advisers met with senior Russia officials to discuss lifting economic sanctions in the event of a…
RNC covered its convention costs, but some who gave in 2012 stayed away
September 20, 2016 | The last-minute pleas for donations seems to have paid off (literally): The committee organizing the Republican National Convention in Cleveland this year raised $65.7 million, more than was given for each of the previous two powwows: In 2012, the Tampa host committee raised $55.2 million, while 2008's St. Paul festivities attracted about $61.3 million. The…
Seat on Energy & Commerce panel helped determine donations to Whitfield
September 1, 2016 | It's official: Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) is resigning next Tuesday, Sept. 6, after being chastised by the House Ethics Committee. The panel didn't recommend punishment for Whitfield when it concluded its probe into whether he granted special access to his wife, a lobbyist with the Humane Society Legislative Fund. But its July report said the 11-term…
A climate of cash in votes on global warming
August 29, 2016 | For years now, the scientific consensus has been that climate change is occurring and is caused mainly by the actions of human beings. So why, during the first month of the 114th Congress, did nearly half the Senate – all Republicans – vote against an amendment stating that human activities contribute significantly to climate change? We don't know.…
Number of registered lobbyists plunges as spending declines yet again
August 9, 2016 | The lobbying industry may start arguing for its own bailout bill, given the relentless decline in reported spending for its services. The first quarter of 2016 was sluggish, the second similarly so. And with it came a pronounced dive in the number of active registered lobbyists. With 325 fewer lobbyists registered in the second quarter of…
Just three of 68 RNC primetime speakers donated to Trump (and Cruz wasn't one of them)
July 21, 2016 | Primetime speakers at the Republican National Convention might not support Republican nominee Donald Trump as much as they would like you to think. At least, not with their wallets. FEC records identify just 3 of the 68 primetime speakers (excluding Trump) as having made contributions to Donald Trump's campaign, joint fundraising committees, or major super…
Where the (GOP) parties at?
July 16, 2016 | Numerous Republican elites are ditching their party's national convention in Cleveland this year. (And with some pretty lame excuses, too.) Boy, are they missing out. Sure, on what likely will be a fascinating main event, but mostly they're skipping out on some of the biggest soirées of the season. Special interests, lobbyists, politicians and the media…
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…
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…
Ethics probe halts congressional travel to Turkey; free trips overall have slowed
June 9, 2016 | House lawmakers and their staffers used to make about 150 stops there a year on their privately sponsored jaunts around the world. Then came a massive ethics investigation, and they all stopped taking those free trips to Turkey — cold. Not a single House member or staffer has disclosed a privately sponsored trip to Turkey since the Office…
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…
Financing the conventions — even more cash from some usual suspects
April 29, 2016 | The last time the Democratic and Republican parties had to stage the quadrennial spectacles that serve as their presidential nominating conventions, they got a big assist from the taxpayers: The Federal Election Commission cut checks to each of the two parties for $18.2 million to pay for construction and other basic services required for the…
Clinton's fossil fuel friends: Lobbyist bundlers brought in big money (but there's an asterisk)
April 1, 2016 | Last night, a video that captured presidential candidate Hillary Clinton pointing her finger at a climate change activist went viral. What got Clinton's goat? An insinuation by the Sanders campaign that she accepts money from the fossil fuel industry. The campaigns are now embroiled in a back and forth on how much money Clinton takes from that…
The political money in Super Bowl 50
February 5, 2016 | With the veteran Denver Broncos matching up against the youthful North Carolina Panthers at Super Bowl 50 this weekend, one story line is about the quarterback matchup: newly minted MVP Cam Newton versus Peyton Manning, a five-time winner of that honor who is rumored to be retiring after Sunday. Of course, it's also all about…
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…
For lobbying, gravity's pull continues, floor not found yet
January 26, 2016 | We're running out of synonyms for "decline." For years, OpenSecrets Blog has reported essentially the same headline. Washington's influence industry appears to be contracting, and the trend continued in 2015. Overall spending dipped just slightly last year, from $3.24 billion in 2014 to $3.20 billion, but the number became the latest data point in the long, slow slide in…
Nonprofit cops to too much politicking, sends IRS an IOU
January 21, 2016 | In the world of campaign finance, this is becoming a familiar story: A nonprofit group is launched by individuals with political connections; has no physical office, volunteers or employees; and spends much of its money on political consultants, some of whom are linked to the operatives running the group. Also, it does little or no…
Crude export issue saw a surge of lobbying ahead of omnibus
December 17, 2015 | The oil industry's victory in the battle to lift the crude export ban didn't come out of thin air. Opponents of the prohibition — long some of the biggest forces in the Washington influence game — began lobbying on the issue in earnest in early 2013, with the effort building until they accomplished their long-sought goal…
In climate debate, Obama faces a Congress heavily invested in the oil and gas industry
December 7, 2015 | Back in Washington after a trip last week to the global climate change conference in Paris, President Barack Obama will soon find two new bills on his desk, both aimed at sinking his administration's initiatives to reduce carbon emissions. The president isn't expected to sign them. But the message from the Republican-majority Congress is unmistakable: When…
Jindal, out of 2016 race, will go back to work at nonprofit that backed him
November 18, 2015 | And then there were 14. With only $260,939 left as of Sept. 30, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal withdrew from the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination Tuesday. Jindal strategist Curt Anderson told Politico during a conference call with reporters that fundraising was "certainly a part of" the candidate's decision to drop out. In a…
Travel by ethics panel members adds wrinkle to Azerbaijan probe
October 28, 2015 | Three nonprofit organizations that were tied up in a House Ethics Committee investigation of a 2013 congressional junket to Azerbaijan also sponsored 109 trips to Turkey for members of Congress and their staffers between 2011 and 2014, an OpenSecrets Blog review of congressional ethics filings shows. That included a free trip for the current chair of the Ethics…
Lobbying spending contracts by 10 percent in third quarter
October 27, 2015 | Someone must have called a three-month time out in Washington's influence game during the late summer and early fall. Spending on lobbying was already sluggish this year, but outlays dropped from nearly $822 million between April 1 and June 30 to $738.6 million in the most recent quarter. While the third quarter is typically the slowest of…
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…
It's oil over gas in possible merger between energy sector lobbying groups
September 9, 2015 | Against the backdrop of a global slump in oil prices and a boom in American natural gas production, two energy sector lobbying groups may be set to merge, according to Politico. As a lobbying force, a merged American Petroleum Institute and America's Natural Gas Alliance could jump to third-biggest spender in the oil and natural gas industry…
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…
A few new faces — but not many — among megadonors to presidential super PACs
August 1, 2015 | The 2016 presidential race may be a whole new ballgame in terms of fundraising, but most of the players' names are awfully familiar — even if their faces are a bit more lined. Very few of the top donors to the super PACs backing one of the many GOP White House hopefuls or the handful…
Who will fuel Perry's presidential bid?
June 5, 2015 | The former governor of Texas and 2012 presidential hopeful launched his comeback White House bid this week. Evidently Rick Perry's spirits have lifted since he dropped out of the 2012 race after performing poorly in the Iowa caucuses (well, there was that little brain freeze moment during one of the candidate debates). The question now: Who…
Lawmakers who traveled to Azerbaijan urged action benefiting state oil company that funded trip
May 26, 2015 | Several lawmakers caught up in an investigation of their participation in a lavish overseas trip introduced legislation that would benefit the alleged host of their spring 2013 junket – the state-owned Azerbaijani oil company. Additionally, these lawmakers — and others on the trip — have received tens of thousands of dollars in donations from a…
"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,…
Candidates on the Fly Travel Far and Wide for Donations
May 11, 2015 | If you're hoping to run for federal office in 2016, prepare for a lot of travel and long-distance phone calls: Top-tier political fundraisers take in much, or even most, of their haul from other states. Every year, candidates from middle America make the trek to coastal cities and return with the resources they need to…
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 —…
For Earth Day, Industry-Backed Republicans Look to Delay Power Plant Rules While Obama Talks Them Up
April 22, 2015 | Happy Earth Day! President Obama celebrated with a trip to the Florida Everglades to highlight the perils of climate change and talk up his proposed power plant emission rules. Back in Washington, House Republicans observed the occasion with a subcommittee vote on a measure that would delay those rules. The sponsors of the bill, as it turns…
5 Years Later: BP Spending Again, Targets Natural Resources Committee
April 21, 2015 | The House Committee on Natural Resources meets Wednesday to discuss how safety standards have improved since the catastrophic BP oil spill in 2010 — an offshore oil well explosion and fire that left 11 dead, 17 injured, and enduring environmental threats in the Gulf of Mexico. While money coming into Washington from the oil giant screeched…
A Hard Rain of Lobbying on Clean Water Act Rules
March 26, 2015 | Representatives of farmers unions, cattle interests and lumber companies, plus municipal representatives from across the country, filed into the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee's hearing room Tuesday as the panel met to hear stakeholder perspectives on proposed Clean Water Act regulations that have been a bone of contention for the last year. Major industries affected…
Big Industries Gave to Democrats Who Strayed on EPA Bills
March 24, 2015 | The word "science" is having an existential crisis in Washington. Two bills passed by the House last week that would redefine how the EPA considers science, and what science it can consider, have attracted huge interest from big EPA-regulated industries that have shown a preference for contributing to GOP campaigns — and to the handful of Democrats…
Cruz Jumps in the Pool — Will Dollars Follow?
March 23, 2015 | In announcing his official bid for the GOP's 2016 presidential nomination, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) declared that he will need the "the power of millions of courageous conservatives rising up to reignite the promise of America." He'll certainly need the power of the millions of dollars — at least $40 million — he believes he…
Murkowski, Backed by Oil Industry, is Getting the Fight She's Been Pining for on Tuesday
February 23, 2015 | When Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell testifies to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday, we can expect to see some familiar friction between her and Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). The hearing on Interior's 2016 budget is almost certain to raise the hackles of the Republicans in control of the committee, many of whom have been favored…
Energy Industry Cash Fuels Senate Environment Committee
February 10, 2015 | Years of cultivating relationships with Republican lawmakers and supporting their campaign committees financially may begin to pay off tomorrow, as the GOP now controls the Senate — and thus, the Environment and Public Works Committee. That means some of the industry's closest friends will lead the questioning of EPA officials at an oversight hearing tomorrow to discuss…
Keystone Opponents Favored by Environmental Groups, But the Checks Were Smaller
January 30, 2015 | Yesterday's Senate vote on the KeystoneXL pipeline showed some sharp breaks along party lines, as no Republicans voted against the bill — but also along lines of financial support from special interest groups. Last night, we noted that senators who voted for the pipeline project to go forward have received, on average, seven times more…
Keystone Senate Yea Votes: Seven Times More Oil & Gas Money
January 29, 2015 | Senators who voted to push through development of the Keystone XL pipeline today have received, on average, $570,034 in contributions to their campaigns and leadership PACs from the oil and gas industry over the course of their careers. The 35 senators who voted against bill have received, on average, just $78,641 from the industry. The Obama…
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…
Waning Influence? Part 3: Ups and Downs, by Industry
December 22, 2014 | This report is the third (part 1/part 2) in a series examining the years-long decline in both spending on lobbyists and the number of active lobbyists. Overall spending on lobbying has been on a downward trajectory since 2010 and the number of active lobbyists has seen an even longer-term and more drastic drop. Previous entries…
Battle in the Bayou: Gusher of Oil Money for Landrieu, Though Cassidy Leads in Recent Fundraising
December 3, 2014 | This article was cross-posted at TIME.com. The defeat of the Keystone XL pipeline bill in the Senate last month may have been viewed as a blow to Sen. Mary Landrieu's re-election bid, but her battle to get the bill passed was warmly received by members of the oil and gas industry, including Keystone's parent company.…
Breaking Party Ranks on EPA Science Vote
November 24, 2014 | The Environmental Protection Agency is supposed to base its major decisions on science — good science. But what is good science and how do you decide it? Since 1978, the EPA has had a science advisory board tasked with helping answer those questions. But, because this is Washington, nothing is ever that simple. Last week,…
Senate Keystone "Yea" Votes Took In Six Times More Oil & Gas Money Than Opponents
November 19, 2014 | Senate Democrats successfully blocked a bill Tuesday that would have approved construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. The controversial measure fell one vote shy of overcoming a filibuster, with 59 senators supporting it and 41 opposing. The vote followed the bill's approval in the House by a much wider margin, with 252 lawmakers voting to advance the pipeline.…
Tea Party Pouring It On, Now Against Democrats
October 9, 2014 | After primary losses from Georgia to Idaho, the tea party's prospects are boiling down to a small field for the Nov. 4 general election. Still, their sympathizers are prominent outside spenders as the days count down. Conservative Republicans popular with this set have weathered many a loss this season. Chris McDaniel, the firebrand state senator who…
Gusher of Cash Follows Chemical Spill
September 19, 2014 | On Thursday, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) presented a new version of legislation to overhaul chemical safety regulations, dissenting from a bipartisan bill that was still being negotiated more than a year after it was introduced. But Boxer, who chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee, isn't the only one putting up a fight: Several big…
Cracking the Contribution Cap: One in a Million Americans
September 2, 2014 | Americans who have taken advantage of the Supreme Court's decision earlier this year to toss aside overall political contribution limits are one in a million. Actually, they're slightly fewer than one in a million. Of the 318 million people in the U.S., a whopping 310 donors have given more than the total $123,200 they were allowed to…
Lobbying in First Six Months Almost Level With Previous Year
July 30, 2014 | Spending on K Street through the first half of this year is barely lower than it was last year — perhaps an early sign that the lobbying industry is coming out of its slide. Federal lobbying expenditures have slipped from a high of $3.55 billion in 2010 to $3.23 billion last year, for reasons not fully…
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 —…
For World Cup Sponsors, K Street Is A Whole Other Ball Game
June 18, 2014 | The ongoing FIFA World Cup is an occasion for fans to congregate in bars and yell at the television — and a time when multinational corporations get to market their brands far and wide through players' jerseys and billboards on the field. But the official sponsors of the championship are also key players in another arena: K Street. Six companies…
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…
Money is on Kevin McCarthy to Replace Cantor
June 12, 2014 | The surprising defeat of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) shocked the GOP and delighted many Democrats, but it also sent the House Republican caucus into a frenzy over who would fill Cantor's shoes as the party's No. 2 man. Palace intrigue — already gathering steam due to speculation that House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) would step…
Joni Ernst: From Iowa Underdog to Favorite of Outside Spenders
May 29, 2014 | With the vote set for Tuesday, a former underdog is now benefiting from major national endorsements and much of the outside spending in Iowa's Republican Senate primary. In the weeks since State Sen. Joni Ernst cut through the clutter of the five-way race with a campaign ad touting her pork-cutting experience, she has gathered support from all corners of the…
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…
Chemical, Pharmaceutical Industries See Huge Lobbying Increases
May 2, 2014 | Overall spending on lobbying may have fallen again in the first quarter of 2014, but not everyone decided to pull back. In fact, some companies and industries pumped up their lobbying in the quarter, with the chemical and pharmaceutical industries leading the pack. Dow Chemical was the company with the biggest jump from the fourth quarter of 2013…
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?
Eastman Part of Coalition that Quashed Stricter Bill on Chemicals
February 12, 2014 | An overhaul of the aging Toxic Substances Control Act would have tightened oversight of chemicals -- until it got deep-sixed by the industry.
K Street's Fortunes Decline for Third Year
January 29, 2014 | Total spending on federal lobbying fell by about $100 million in 2013, or a little less than 3 percent, and the number of lobbyists dropped again as well.
Divided We Stand
January 28, 2014 | State of the Union -- 9 p.m. tonight. But Obama's list of 2014 priorities may sound a lot like last year's roster, due in part to a deadlocked Congress that produced a historic year of inaction.
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.
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.
OpenSecrets Politiquizz: Leader of the PAC
October 11, 2013 | Who's funding the top leadership PACs in both parties?
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.
Ethanol Takes on Big Oil
August 26, 2013 | The ethanol industry's trade group is ramping up its p.r. war on the oil and gas industry. It'll have trouble keeping up with Big Oil's lobbying and contribution numbers, though.
Tim Scott's Campaign Cash Pipeline
August 13, 2013 | In the weekly Republican online address this past weekend, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) accused opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline of prioritizing the environment over jobs. While Scott might be in line with his party on the issue, his particular interest in the pipeline may also have something to do with a long history of ties to energy interests, who have helped fund his campaigns over the years.
Corporate Interests All In for Vitter Super PAC
August 2, 2013 | Fund for Louisiana's Future, the super PAC backing Sen. David Vitter -- whether he runs for re-election or aims to be governor of the bayou state -- brought in $781,000 in the first half of 2013. A big chunk of that -- roughly two-thirds -- came from corporate treasuries.
Industries Cut Lobbying Expenditures — Again
July 31, 2013 | Is big business backing off K Street? After years of dominating the scene, several traditionally powerful lobbying interests have significantly cut back their spending in the second quarter of 2013. A list of industries that cut their spending most between the first three months of the year and the second three months reads like a Who's Who of lobbying heavyweights: Pharmaceuticals, electric utilities, oil and gas, finance and credit, telecom and agricultural services led the roster.
Billion Dollar Baby: U.S. Chamber is First to Hit Lobbying Milestone
July 23, 2013 | The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has spent more than $1 billion lobbying members of Congress and other officials since 1998 - by far a greater amount than any other organization over the period. The Chamber has no rivals in terms of raw resources devoted to lobbying - and may also have little competition when it comes to overall influence on the Hill.
An Unexpected Challenge to Enzi in Wyoming: Calling All Donors!
July 8, 2013 | In each of his three elections, Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) has made short work of his opponents, cruising to easy victories in the conservative-friendly state. But he may need to ramp up his fundraising -- he could face a primary challenger with ample name recognition.
Offshore Drilling Bills' Sponsors, Cosponsors Received Big Bucks From Oil Industry
June 28, 2013 | The oil and gas industry pumped plenty of money into the 2012 campaign funds of the sponsors and cosponsors of two bills to expand offshore drilling that were passed by the House this week.
Natural Gas Producers Pushing, Against Chemical Cos., to End Export Restrictions
June 17, 2013 | Market prices for liquefied natural gas are typically higher abroad, and API's member companies could reap vast profits overseas. But the fight to drop export restrictions is pitting them against another strong presence in Washington with whom they are sometimes allied: domestic users of their products, including DOW Chemical.
Keystone Votes Followed the Money
June 6, 2013 | The House vote May 22 to yank President Obama's decisionmaking authority on the KeystoneXL pipeline passed easily, with members voting mainly along party lines. Not a single Republican voted against it. But an analysis of donations shows that the support of various interest groups was an even better predictor of how members voted.
Getting the Fix: Lawmakers' Targeted Favors for Top Donors
May 14, 2013 | A mash-up of data on bill sponsorships, campaign contributions and lobbying shows that in some cases, lawmakers have sponsored bills of interest to just one entity -- which happens to be a top contributor to the lawmaker's campaign fund.
Lobbyists 2012: Out of the Game or Under the Radar?
March 20, 2013 | Spending on lobbying as well as the number of active lobbyists was down in 2012. But nearly half of lobbyists who were active in 2011 but reported no lobbying in 2012 continued to work for the same employers -- suggesting that many have simply avoided the reporting limits while still contributing to lobbying efforts.
Remembering CREEP, and the High Price of Easy Money
March 11, 2013 | There are similarities between some of the biggest campaign donors of the CREEP era decades ago and those of today.
Capital Eye Opener, Feb. 22: Ideological Campaign Cash, Young Guns and More
February 22, 2013 | National Journal's liberal-conservative ratings of Congress are out. Also, Eric Cantor's YG Network files its first Form 990.
Issues and Interest Groups in State of the Union Spotlight
February 12, 2013 | The economy, immigration, gun control and climate change are among the issues President Obama is expected to highlight in his address tonight. But don't expect any of his proposals to sail through Congress -- there are too many interests at stake for that.
Capital Eye Opener, Feb. 7: Menendez Ties to Donor Deepen, Hutchison Joins Giuliani's Firm, and More
February 7, 2013 | Sen. Robert Menendez' ties to a donor who's under FBI investigation are deeper than initially reported: According to the Washington Post, he contacted top federal health officials twice over their finding that the donor overbilled Medicare. And research by OpenSecrets.org shows the donor and his wife each contributed to Menendez' legal defense fund
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. 29: K Street Talks Cybersecurity, Defense PACs Make Year-end Investments, and More
January 29, 2013 | Everyone from Wal-mart to Boeing wanted to be heard on cybersecurity in 2012's final quarter. Also, defense PACs made many post-election investments in Capitol Hill allies.
Lobbying Cutbacks by Some in Oil and Gas Industry
January 23, 2013 | A few oil companies increased their lobbying budgets last year, but others cut back, some by a lot. Stand by for 2013, though, if climate change legislation begins percolating through Capitol Hill.
Capital Eye Opener, Jan. 22: Plum Perks for Obama Donors on Day 1, and Coming Battle Over Climate Change
January 22, 2013 | Many donors were among the V.I.P.'s to receive the royal treatment for President Obama's second invocation, earning what amounts to front row seats to watch the ceremony and performances at inaugural balls.
Capital Eye Opener, Jan. 16: Oil Group Hires Hill Staffers, Obama's Transparency Backslide and More
January 16, 2013 | It takes a ton of cash to put on the sort of show President Barack Obama has planned this weekend for his second inauguration. But who's paying for it -- and what might they want in return?
Capital Eye Opener, Jan. 14: Cornyn Hearts Cruz, Revolving Door in Reverse, and More
January 14, 2013 | Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn could benefit from some of the fundraising sources of his new BFF, tea party favorite Sen. Ted Cruz.
Capital Eye Opener, Jan. 9: Major Super PAC Donor Runs Into Trouble In Texas, New House Oversight Chair and More
January 9, 2013 | Texas billionaire Harold Simmons, who donated more than $20 million to American Crossroads, was fined by the Texas Ethics Commission for making illegal contributions to 18 Texas lawmakers in 2011.
For Outgoing Lawmakers, Connections Mean Chance to Cash In
December 26, 2012 | It's that time of the year where retiring members of Congress or those who were forced out by voters begin looking for jobs elsewhere -- such as K Street. Making the jump from lawmaker to lobbyist is lucrative. Some members aren't even waiting for their terms to expire.
Capital Eye Opener, Dec. 14: Corker Ends Season With Most Leftovers, Koch Industries' Lobbying on Pace to Surpass Last Year's Level, and More,
December 14, 2012 | Sen. Bob Corker finishes his race with a tidy $6.3 million in the bank -- though that's still a far cry from Sen. Richard Shelby's 2010 record of $17 million.
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.
Possible Secretary of State Candidate Has Millions Invested in Banks, Energy Companies
November 29, 2012 | U.N. Ambassador and Secretary of State candidate Susan Rice is one of the wealthiest members of the executive branch, and she has millions of dollars in the finance, insurance, real estate and energy and natural resources sectors.
Capital Eye Opener, Nov. 29: BP Banned From Contracts, Super PACs Moving On, and More
November 29, 2012 | BP is banned from government contracts for now, but will that affect its slow climb back in the political realm? Also, what to do next if you're a super PAC or other independent-expenditure group? Why not try lobbying?
Mystery Firm is Election's Top Corporate Donor at $5.3 Million
November 5, 2012 | The biggest corporate contributor in the 2012 election so far doesn't appear to make anything–other than very large contributions to a conservative super PAC.
Hot Race for North Dakota Senate Seat: Rick Berg vs. Heidi Heitkamp
November 2, 2012 | North Dakota's senatorial candidates remain neck-and-neck just four days before the election.
Hot Race for Montana Senate Seat and the Authentic Rancher: Jon Tester vs. Denny Rehberg
October 31, 2012 | Nearly $40 million has poured into the Senate race in Montana, where there are three heads of cattle for every human one. That makes it one of the most expensive contests in the nation.
Super PACs, Nonprofits Favored Romney Over Obama: Citizens United Decision Helped Romney Neutralize Obama's Fundraising Advantage
October 30, 2012 | Super PACs and nonprofits unleashed by the Citizens United Supreme Court decision have spent more than $840 million on the 2012 election, with the overwhelming majority favoring Republicans, particularly GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney. The spending helped close the gap on Obama's considerable fundraising advantage over his rival.
Nonprofits, Shell Corporations Help Shield Identity of Ad Backers
October 30, 2012 | In the 2012 election, nonprofits have been the preferred vehicle for donors who prefer to keep their identities secret. But with the right lawyers, super PACs, which are supposedly transparent about their donors, can accomplish the same feat.
Outside Groups Outspend Candidates in 26 House Races
October 30, 2012 | In 26 House races, spending by outside groups -- super PACs, nonprofits and party committees -- outstripped that of the candidates themselves. Among them: the misshapen plot of land that has been dubbed the "rabbit on a skateboard," aka the Illinois 17th.
Shadow Money Group Discloses Adelson Donation
October 23, 2012 | The New American Energy Opportunity Foundation is running radio ads with money from Sheldon Adelson, it disclosed to the FEC last week.
Capital Eye Opener, Oct. 23: Defense Spending Deadlock, Romney's Mourdock Ad, and More
October 23, 2012 | Contributions from the defense sector have been evenly split between Obama and Romney, despite the military's preference for Obama. Oil and gas contributions fall to four-month low for Romney, but he still tops Obama.
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.
Capital Eye Opener, Oct. 19: Shadow Money Groups Go After Obama on Energy, Cheney Fundraises for Romney, and More
October 19, 2012 | Two Koch-connected shadow money groups take aim at Obama over coal policy.
Small Donors, Billionaires, Corporations and a Loan Funded Party Conventions
October 18, 2012 | The story of how the conventions were funded this year follows much the same path as the whole campaign finance narrative this year -- the Republicans dominated the money game, pushed by big dollar donations from billionaires, while Democrats turned to traditional allies and two big hometown corporations to pay their convention bill.
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.
Backed by Adelson, Republican Pro-Israel Group Targets Obama
October 17, 2012 | With support from casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and a board laden with well-connected luminaries of GOP fundraising, the Republican Jewish Coalition is making a strong push to turn just enough Jews against Obama to deny him re-election.
Capital Eye Opener, Oct. 5: Oil Industry Fuels Romney, Obama Campaign Breaks 2012 Record, and More
October 5, 2012 | Mitt Romney's support for offshore oil drilling and the Keystone pipeline, voiced once again at the first presidential debate this week, has been well-rewarded by the industry. Meanwhile, Obama's lackluster performance at the debate was partly eclipsed when Democrats leaked that his campaign hit a new 2012 fundraising record in September.
Capital Eye Opener Sept. 25: Outside Money Worries Cornyn, Campaign Season Good to FedEx, and More
September 25, 2012 | Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, says the campaign finance system is "broken" because of the influence of outside money.
Capital Eye Opener, Sept. 24: Gassing Up at American Crossroads, Goode Money, and More
September 24, 2012 | If American Crossroads founder Karl Rove ever takes a road trip back home to Dallas, he'll have some friendly options for gas and grub along the way. Pilot Corp., the company that owns and operates the eponymous gas stations and highway travel centers, as well as the Flying J truck stop chain, helped fill up Crossroads' tank with cash in August.
Priorities Has Record Month, But Look Out for Crossroads' Bomb
September 21, 2012 | Pro-Obama Priorities USA Action has a record month, while Karl Rove's American Crossroads gets ready to hurl its $32 million water balloon.
New OpenSecrets.org Tool: One-Page Profiles of 20,000 Corporations, Unions and Trade Groups
September 13, 2012 | OpenSecrets.org unveils its latest tool -- at-a-glance profiles of more than 20,000 organizations that include lobbying, campaign finance and other information on one page to help you easily measure an organization's influence in Washington.
Romney Bundlers Enjoy Yacht Party At Convention
August 31, 2012 | Although the Romney campaign refuses to publicly release the list of its donors, a number of these elite fundraisers (those who have raised $1 million or more for the campaign) enjoyed a celebratory gathering on a yacht Tuesday. OpenSecrets Blog was at the marina to witness the comings and goings.
Capital Eye Opener, August 22nd: Romney's Oil Plans, Rockers Reject Ryan, California Campaign Reform
August 24, 2012 | Romney announces his plans to change the American energy industry -- just as the oil and gas industry injects a huge flood of cash into his campaign, rockers blast Paul Ryan, but don't put their money where their mouth is, and California considers public financing of campaigns.
Liberal Group With Ties to Unions Ends Donor Disclosure
August 23, 2012 | Patriot Majority's latest series of attack ads targets the conservative billionaires pumping money into the secretive world of right-wing non-profits, but offers few clues about who is funding its own activities. In a striking example of how the most ambitious actors in the realm of political funding have begun taking advantage of a shift in the legal landscape since 2010, the trail connecting Patriot Majority to its well-known progressive funders has all but melted away. Almost all of Patriot Majority's activities are now being carried out through a nonprofit that, under section 501(c)(4) of the tax code, doesn't have to disclose its donors.
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.
Mystery Super PAC and Nonprofit Network Spent Big In PA Senate Race
July 18, 2012 | More than half the outside spending in Pennsylvania's Senate GOP primary was funneled through two super PACs and a nondisclosing nonprofit, meaning the source of the funds may never be known to the public.
A Heartbeat Away? The Money-and-Politics Veepstakes: Bobby Jindal
July 16, 2012 | Of all the potential GOP vice presidential candidates who might -- or might not -- be on Mitt Romney's short list, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal might present the biggest contrast with Romney himself.
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.
New OpenSecrets Feature: Top Lobbyist Donors
June 12, 2012 | If campaign donations facilitate access to power, a select group of Washington lobbyists will be scheduling many meetings on Capitol Hill after the 2012 elections. These deep-pocketed individuals regularly donate the maximum allowable amount of money to federal candidates (currently $117,000 per 2-year cycle). Today, the Center is releasing a new feature, displaying the top 25 lobbyist contributors to federal candidates, parties and outside spending groups.
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.
Pharma, Utilities and Big Ag Lead Lobbying in 2012
April 27, 2012 | Pharmaceuticals, utilities and big agriculture have led the lobbying charge so far this year, according to preliminary figures from latest lobbying disclosures.
Anti-Incumbent Super PAC Looks Beyond Pennsylvania
April 26, 2012 | At the outset, nobody thought Rep. Tim Holden, a 20-year Democratic incumbent from Pennsylvania, would have a competitive race in his 2012 bid to keep his seat for yet another term. But that was before the Campaign for Primary Accountability (CPA), a new super PAC, and other outside spending groups began to focus on the on the district.
Capital Rivals: Rumble in Silicon Valley
April 4, 2012 | Yahoo recently sued Facebook over allegations of patent infringement. In this edition of Capital Rivals, we're pitting internet companies Yahoo and Facebook against each other to see who wins the money-in-politics game. It's a closer match-up than you might expect.
OpenSecrets Blog PolitiQuizz: How Dependable is the Alternative Energy Industry?
March 26, 2012 | As the energy issue takes a higher profile in the campaign, see if you can figure out when the alternative energy industry wasn't a loyal Democratic supporter.
Some GOP Candidates Leaned Heavily on Super PACs as Early Voting Got Underway
February 21, 2012 | The GOP presidential candidates and the super PACs supporting them accelerated their fundraising -- and especially their spending -- in January as the first primary and caucus voters went to the polls. But Mitt Romney -- heretofore the best-funded of the Republican hopefuls -- may face hurdles going forward as more than half his donors have hit the legal maximum they can give to him for the primary season.
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.
Who is Behind the Attacks on Dem Senate Candidate Elizabeth Warren?
December 12, 2011 | Nothing is known about the donors to Crossroads GPS -- a conservative group that, along with its affiliated super PAC, American Crossroads -- plans to spend $240 million during the 2012 election cycle. But the finance, insurance and real estate sector accounts for $1 out of every $9 that American Crossroads has raised. Yet Crossroads GPS recently slammed Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren for allegedly being too close to Big Finance.
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.
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.
Lobbying Plus Public Relations, Super PAC Hopes to See Green and More in Capital Eye Opener: Oct. 27
October 27, 2011 | One of the twenty biggest lobbying firms in Washington is expanding into public relations and merging with international public relations firm Grayling, The Hill reports.
Health Sector, Lawyers, Hollywood and Tech Industry Favor Obama With Campaign Cash
October 25, 2011 | Though President Barack Obama may no longer be Wall Street's preferred candidate, Obama continues to win the support of several smaller sectors and interest groups, including lawyers, health professionals, the technology industry and Hollywood.
Who's Fueling Rick Perry's Presidential Campaign?
October 18, 2011 | About 57 percent of the money Rick Perry has raised through the end of September for his presidential campaign has come from residents of Texas, according to preliminary research by the Center for Responsive Politics -- a total of $9.7 million out of the $17.2 million Perry has raised.
Surge of Lobbying Fuels Keystone XL Pipeline Project
September 28, 2011 | In its trek from the tar sands of Alberta to the white sands of the Gulf Coast, the Keystone XL oil pipeline project would traverse 1,700 miles. The oil's long voyage across the American heartland through a pipeline about the size of a semi-trailer truck tire is not unlike the journey the project has traveled the past three years through the bureaucratic pipeline in Washington.
OpenSecrets.org Informs Congressional Debates
September 14, 2011 | Lawmakers in Washington, D.C., routinely rely on the Center for Responsive Politics to inform the conversation on some of the hottest topics and high-profile policy fights.
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.
Barack Obama's Bus Tour, Tom Tancredo's Super PAC and More in Capital Eye Opener: Aug. 16
August 16, 2011 | Fresh off his unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign as the Constitution Party candidate in Colorado, ex-Rep. Tom Tancredo has founded his own super PAC. The group, which is known as the American Legacy Alliance, filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission Friday.
Obama's Birthday Bash, Former Florida GOP-er to Run as a Democrat and More in Capital Eye Opener: Aug. 4
August 4, 2011 | President Barack Obama turns 50 years old today, and he kicked off the celebration with a fund-raising event in Chicago on Wednesday night at the Aragon Ballroom. Ticket prices ranged from $50 to $38,500. All proceeds from the event will go to the Obama Victory Fund, Obama's joint fund-raising committee with the Democratic National Committee.
Ross Retires from Congress, Bunny Mellon Defends Edwards and More in Capital Eye Opener: July 26
July 26, 2011 | Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.), one of the 25 remaining Blue Dog Democrats in Congress, announced Monday that he would not be seeking a seventh term, leaving his seat in a GOP-leaning district up for grabs.
High-Profile Energy Companies Reduce Lobbying Expenditures
July 25, 2011 | Seven high-profile energy companies have spent a total of $30.2 million on lobbying so far this year. That's 6 percent less than what they spent during the first half of 2010 -- and 39 percent less than their expenditures during the first half of 2009.
OpenSecrets.org Offers Improved Ideological Coding
July 14, 2011 | Behind the scenes, researchers here at the Center have implemented several changes in how campaign contributions get coded and classified into one of more than 100 different industries and special interest areas -- changes that affect not only the 2010 election cycle, but all data going back to our earliest data in the 1990 election cycle.
Koch Industries Solicited by Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for Campaign Cash
July 8, 2011 | Koch Industries has not taken kindly to a request from Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to contribute money to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which Murray chairs. Koch Industries, an oil and gas industry giant, primarily supports the Republican Party, but Murray was correct in noting past support from the company.
NEA Endorses Obama, Freshman Senator Becoming Key Tea Party Player and More in Capital Eye Opener: July 5
July 5, 2011 | Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics:
Conservative Democrat Dan Boren, a Fund-Raising Powerhouse, to Leave Congress in 2012
June 7, 2011 | Rep. Dan Boren (D-Okla.), the state's only Democratic congressman, announced today that he will not seek re-election in 2012.
Koch Industries and ExxonMobil Among Hundreds of PACs to Switch Party Allegiances After Election 2010
May 26, 2011 | In an election year where more congressional incumbents were ousted from power than any time since 1948, political action committees were quick to switch allegiances from one party to the other in the aftermath of the historic Democratic losses.
BP Back in Politics, T-Paw Makes it Official and More in Capital Eye Opener: May 24
May 24, 2011 | BP may still be reeling from its tarnished reputation following last year's Deepwater Horizon oil spill, but it continues its attempted comeback -- at least in the political sphere.
Cindy Crawford's Split Political Loyalties, Off-Shore Drilling in Alaska and More in Capital Eye Opener: May 18
May 18, 2011 | Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics.
Senate Finance Committee's Connection with Oil, American Solutions Changes Strategies and More in Capital Eye Opener: May 13
May 13, 2011 | The Senate Finance Committee conducted a hearing Thursday on whether to end tax breaks for the nation's five biggest oil companies. Senate Democrats have proposed eliminating $21 billion in tax cuts during the next 10 years.
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.
Oil and Gas Industry's Congressional Friends, Congressman 'Struggling' and More in Capital Eye Opener: May 3
May 3, 2011 | Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics.
OpenSecrets.org Mailbag: Invading the Colonies, the Congressional Retirement Plan and More
April 29, 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.
On Earth Day, Environmental Lobby Sees Green in Bid to Promote Causes
April 22, 2011 | Many of last year's top groups in the pro-environment industry have filed first quarter federal lobbying reports suggesting they are still very much engaged with Congress, a preliminary Center for Responsive Politics analysis shows.
Gary Johnson Launches Presidential Campaign, Van Hollen Sues FEC and More in Capital Eye Opener: April 22
April 22, 2011 | Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics.
Pace of Federal Lobbying Slows in First Quarter
April 21, 2011 | Facing a newly divided Congress and a murky legislative outlook in the near future, many of the nation's most active government lobbying powerhouses are slowing the pace of their spending, preliminary analysis of first quarter federal lobbying reports show.
BP Firing Up Political Machine One Year After Start of Oil Spill
April 19, 2011 | After a year of largely self-imposed campaign finance exile, embattled oil company BP is again making federal political contributions from the political action committee sponsored by its North American subsidy, a Center for Responsive Politics review of federal records indicates.
Congressional Freshmen Saddled With Debt Turn to PACs
April 14, 2011 | Many of the 87 House GOP freshmen who ran as Washington outsiders are now turning to K Street lobbyists and other special interest groups to help pay off their sizable campaign debts and prepare for their re-election campaigns.
Business Targets Campaigns of Key Committee Members
April 13, 2011 | It's no secret that corporations and special interest groups that dominate lobbying in the nation's capital routinely shower campaign cash on congressional committees directly affecting affect their business interests. But a study by the Center for Responsive Politics and The Fiscal Times found that special interests routinely target members of Congress who can do them the most good.
Some Campaign Donors Creatively Express Their Discontent With Disclosure Requirements
April 1, 2011 | More than 50 individuals -- who combined to donate more than $29,500 since 2002 -- echoed a refrain of "none of your business" when prompted to provide information about their employees and occupations, according to an analysis of campaign finance filings by the Center for Responsive Politics. Here's a run-down of some of the most creative descriptions from these disgruntled donors.
Bernie Sanders' Tax Targets, Wisconsin Money Madness and More in Capital Eye Opener: March 30
March 30, 2011 | Earlier this week, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) urged his colleagues to support new legislation to close "corporate tax loopholes." As part of his pitch, Sanders highlighted the 10 "worst corporate income tax avoiders" -- many of which are among the biggest spenders when in comes to lobbying in the nation's capital, according to research by the Center for Responsive Politics.
Influx of Corporate Political Cash Followed Pivotal Federal Court Decision
March 25, 2011 | Corporate treasury money accounted for about $15.5 million of the cash donated to so-called "super PACs" -- political committees created by the dozen in the wake of the SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission ruling one year ago, the Center for Responsive Politics finds. That represents more than 17 percent of these new groups' funds.
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?
American Crossroads to Disclose Less Frequently, Chris Lee Returns Cash and More in Capital Eye Opener: March 14
March 14, 2011 | Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics.
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.
OpenSecrets Blog's PolitiQuizz: Running On Empty
March 7, 2011 | For this week's PolitiQuizz, we want you to take a closer look at the companies who've invested in lobbying efforts towards the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Democrats Planning a 'Super' Group, American Petroleum Institute to Increase Cash Flow and More in Capital Eye Opener: February 25
February 25, 2011 | Conservative groups certainly flexed their muscles during the 2010 mid-term elections, outspending their liberal counterparts $190 million to $94 million in the realm of outside political messaging
Google, Facebook Lead New Generation of Technology Companies Pressing Government for Favorable Treatment
February 17, 2011 | For Google and Facebook, the president serving as their pitchman is indicative of their meteoric rise both outside and within Washington, D.C. And it marks how the political landscape has rapidly shifted for computer and Internet companies, with Washington nonentities of just a few years ago now ranking among the most prominent players in the capital.
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.
Jon Huntsman's Political Quest, Koch Industries' Donors Conference and More in Capital Eye Opener: February 1
February 1, 2011 | Former Republican governor Jon Huntsman of Utah is resigning from his post as U.S. ambassador to China, and rumor has it, he is considering running for the U.S. presidency instead. Huntsman has been the nation's top diplomat in China since the summer of 2009.
Political Candidates Pad Profits of Embattled BP, Citgo Through Campaign Expenditures
January 27, 2011 | Many political candidates in Washington and on the campaign trail had plenty to say about oil company villainy during the 2010 election cycle. But some campaigns and political committees had little problem padding the profits of two embattled companies in particular -- BP and Citgo.
OpenSecrets.org Provides 2011 Legislative Preview Ahead of Barack Obama's State of the Union Address
January 25, 2011 | OpenSecrets Blog offers a preview on the legislative priorities destined to shape political discourse throughout 2011.
Dusty Trails for Hutchison, Greg Craig Goes to Georgia And More in Capital Eye Opener: January 14
January 14, 2011 | Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics.
Major Influence Peddlers Fill Capitol Hill Newspapers With Advertisements on Congress' Inauguration Day
January 5, 2011 | In all, 13 corporations, unions or special interest groups that lobby the federal government purchased at least one full-page advertisement in today's print editions of Roll Call, The Hill or Politico, an OpenSecrets Blog review of the newspapers indicates.
Senators Supporting Ethanol Subsidies Reap Riches From Corn Interests
January 3, 2011 | In habitually partisan Washington, D.C., a bipartisan group of senators last week helped extend contentious federal tax provisions designed to aid domestic ethanol production. The senators mostly shared common ground on two fronts: geography and contributions from the political action committees of ethanol producers, high-profile ethanol promoters and the leading industry groups for corn, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis indicates.
OpenSecrets.org's Top 10 Money-in-Politics Stories of 2010
December 31, 2010 | A review of the most notable money-in-politics events during 2010, as determined by the staff of OpenSecrets.org.
OpenSecrets Blog PolitiQuizz: Which Senator Has Made the Most From the Airport Body Scanner Manufacturer?
December 13, 2010 | With the winter holiday travel season in full swing, many travelers will become intimately acquainted with L-3 Communications' much-talked about full-body scanning machines. But while controversy over the scanners has been increasing in recent months, so too have political donations from the company's political action committee.
OpenSecrets Blog PolitiQuizz: Which Oil and Gas Company is the Biggest Lobbying Spender?
December 6, 2010 | This has been a turbulent year for the oil and gas industry after April's BP Gulf oil spill, but oil and gas companies are continuing to flex their political muscle in Washington.
Conservative Juggernaut American Crossroads Finished Election Season With Fund-Raising Flourish
December 2, 2010 | In the closing stretch of the 2010 midterm elections, American Crossroads raised a staggering $3.8 million, according to a Center for Responsive Politics review of the group's "post-general" campaign finance report, which was filed with the Federal Election Commission Thursday. Since its founding in March, American Crossroads has now raised $28 million.
Potential Conservative Challenger of Republican Sen. Dick Lugar Sole Beneficiary of BP PAC Money in Late October
December 2, 2010 | On Oct. 18, BP's political action committee wrote a $250 check to Indiana Republican Mike Delph, a state senator first elected in a 2005 special election who is reportedly mulling a 2012 primary challenge against incumbent Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.).
What Your Purchases Mean for Politics, Republicans Fight for Top Committee Spots and More in Capital Eye Opener: December 1
December 1, 2010 | Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics.
Who's Backing the New Top Blue Dogs' Bark, Bite?
November 22, 2010 | The Blue Dogs have elevated Reps. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.), John Barrow (D-Ga.) and Mike Ross (D-Ark.) as their new leaders. Which donors and special interests have these men relied upon to fill their war chests?
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.
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?
Several Big-Name Energy Companies' Lobbying Efforts Wane in 2010
October 30, 2010 | While 2010 lobbying expenditures have dropped for some big names in energy -- such as BP, Halliburton, Koch Industries and ExxonMobil -- a handful of oil and gas heavyweights are still flexing the industry's muscle and stepping up their spending, according to a Center for Responsive Politics analysis of third-quarter federal lobbying reports, which were filed last week with the Clerk of the House and Secretary of the Senate.
American Crossroads Spends Big Bucks in Hopes of Helping GOP Regain Control of Congress
October 22, 2010 | American Crossroads and its sister organization Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies have together spent about $18 million on independent expenditures during the first 21 days of October, most of that on television advertisements and mailings in top-tier U.S. Senate races.
Accounting for the Chamber's Largess, Dems Court Hispanic Vote And More in Capital Eye Opener: October 22
October 22, 2010 | Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Lobbying Spending Up Sharply Over Same Period Last Year
October 21, 2010 | Reports covering all federal lobbying activities performed between July and September were filed with the House and Senate Wednesday, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce -- one of the most vocal opponents of the Obama administration and Congressional Democrats -- continues to shell out tens of millions of dollars for lobbying expenditures.
BP Campaign Cash: Still Toxic Six Months After Oil Spill
October 19, 2010 | BP's PAC did not write a single check to federal lawmakers in September, according to a Center for Responsive Politics review of campaign finance documents filed today. In fact, the PAC has not donated a dime to any federal lawmakers since May.
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.
Oil and Gas Contributions Still Rising in 2010, Republicans Receiving Bulk of Industry Cash
October 1, 2010 | This spring and summer, hundreds of millions of gallons of oil seeped into the Gulf of Mexico. Simultaneously, debate raged in Congress about ocean drilling, energy independence, cap and trade legislation and a shift away from fossil-fuel energy sources. Nevertheless, congressional candidates and federal political committees nationwide have raked in more than $17 million from the oil and gas industry so far during the 2010 election cycle -- a number on pace to easily exceed that of the most recent midterm election four years ago.
Capital Rivals: Koch Brothers vs. George Soros
September 21, 2010 | OpenSecrets Blog is here to investigate the numbers behind these bold-faced names in our new feature, Capital Rivals.
'Shadow RNC' American Crossroads Raises Millions in August from Wealthy Individuals, Corporations
September 20, 2010 | Whether you call it a "527 committee," an "independent expenditure-only committee" or a "super PAC," the conservative outfit American Crossroads continued to demonstrate its fund-raising prowess in August.
Republican Staffers Tempted By Private Market, Labor Donations Large – or Small? – and More in Capital Eye Opener: September 10
September 10, 2010 | Republican? Former congressional staffer? You are in demand! According to Eric Lichtblau of the New York Times, lobbying groups and political consultants have been wooing Republicans in the past few weeks...
Murkowski Not Done Yet, Political Mudslinging on Twitter and More in Capital Eye Opener: September 8
September 8, 2010 | Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics.
Mariner Energy, Owner of Latest Exploding Gulf Oil Rig, Slated to Merge with Political Lobbying Force Apache Corp.
September 2, 2010 | An oil rig owned by Mariner Energy, Inc. exploded Thursday morning, just west of the where the Deepwater Horizon accident occurred in April. Although Mariner and its employees have not been very politically active during the last two decades, there is a pending merger with a subsidiary of Apache Corp., a hyper-political company.
Sarah Palin's Media Consultants, the Cheapest Democrat and More in Capital Eye Opener: August 30
August 30, 2010 | Your daily dose of news and tidbits form the world of money in politics.
Rejected, Donated or Lost, Sometimes Politicians Never Pocket the Oil Money Directed at Them
August 27, 2010 | Despite a tight relationship between oil interests and politicians, some campaign contribution checks, though written, never end up in the pockets of the oil interests' intended politician or committee. There are several reasons why this may occur, both rare and relatively common.
Lobbyist in Action: How A Veteran Congressional Influencer Works Her Craft
August 27, 2010 | Firm knowledge of congressional members. Understanding of their districts. Near-clairvoyance for their concerns. These are the elements needed to become a successful environmental lobbyist. And for half a day in July, OpenSecrets Blog had unfettered access to an environmental lobbying force in action.
Read the Transcript of OpenSecrets.org's Live Web Chat on the Oil and Gas Industry's Political Influence
August 27, 2010 | In capping the Center for Responsive Politics' weeklong series, "Fueling Washington: How Oil Money Drives Politics," join us NOW for a live Web chat with the series' directors and authors.
Follow the Money From Energy-Related Interests With New 'Fueling Washington' Tools
August 27, 2010 | Want to know which sitting member of Congress has received the most money from the oil and gas industry? Which lawmaker has received the most from environmentalists? The alternative energy industry? Now you can find that information in one centralized location on OpenSecrets.org -- presented with sort-able and down-loadable options for your convenience.
Bipartisan Bill to Price Carbon Faces Long Odds — and Many Lobbyists — Despite BP Oil Spill
August 27, 2010 | Glaciers are melting faster than the U.S. Senate is taking action to limit greenhouse gas emissions and curb global warming. And it's clear that a significant share of this dearth of movement is because of the clout of powerful special interest groups. Even a basic, bipartisan carbon emissions measure hasn't escaped from the treacherous terrain.
Congressmen Maintain Massive Portfolio of Oil and Gas Investments
August 27, 2010 | Own stocks in oil or gas companies? If you're a member of Congress, the odds are about one-in-five that the answer is yes. Oil and gas industry holdings are some of the most popular investments among lawmakers and their spouses, according to research by the Center for Responsive Politics.
Harry Reid's Famous Friends, M-I-C-H-E-L-E PAC and More in Capital Eye Opener: August 27
August 27, 2010 | HARRY REID APPARENTLY HAS FAMOUS FRIENDS: And according to The Hill, they're bringing out their checkbooks on behalf of the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who is fighting for his political life against Republican Sharron Angle in Nevada -- and that turns out to be a savvy pitch for several famous folks who have collectively committed thousands to Reid's campaign.
Find the Epicenter of Oil and Gas Industry's Political Influence Deep in the Heart of an Unlikely Texas City
August 26, 2010 | The epicenter of the oil and gas industry's political campaign prowess -- ZIP code 76102 -- sits amid trendy bars and sushi restaurants, boutiques and bookstores and plenty of soaring office and condo towers.
It's Getting Hot In Here: There Must Not Be a President on the Ballot
August 25, 2010 | The year 2000 -- like 1992 and 1996 before it, and like 2004 and 2008 after it -- was striking for another reason. Not only was it a the year of a presidential election for U.S. voters, but the average global temperature was notably cooler than any immediately surrounding years, preceding it or following it.
Solar, Wind Power Groups Becoming Prominent Washington Lobbying Forces After Years of Relative Obscurity
August 25, 2010 | In 1998, the entire alternative energy industry barely even registered as a political player in Washington, spending a mere $2.4 million on lobbying the federal government. Meanwhile, in the same year, the oil and gas, electric utilities and mining industries spent a combined $142 million advancing their own legislative interests. That landscape, however, has changed considerably.
Trial Lawyer Embraces Approach of Energy Tycoons to Influence Elections In New Orleans
August 25, 2010 | In the final hours before primary election day, a shadowy new political group is comparing Louisiana Democratic Congressional candidate Cedric Richmond to a comic book villain and accusing him of committing all seven deadly sins. Want to know who's funding the attack? Too bad.
Congressmen's Taxpayer-Funded Vehicles Reveal Hodgepodge of Fuel Efficiency, Government Transparency
August 24, 2010 | Congressional members' vehicles are hardly created equal when it comes to how much you, as a taxpayer, are subsidizing them. What's equally unequal: How much information members of the U.S. House of Representatives are willing to reveal about the wheels you're providing them.
Oil Spill Bills Stall in Senate as Industry, Environmental Lobbyists Battle
August 23, 2010 | The oil industry spent nearly $75 million between January and June -- equivalent to the government budget of a mid-sized American city -- lobbying the federal government.
Pro-Environment Groups Outmatched, Outspent in Battle Over Climate Change Legislation
August 23, 2010 | With significant majorities in Congress, a president promising action and favorable public opinion all on their side, many environmentalists believed their political stars had properly – and finally – aligned. Yet even as these groups seemed poised to capitalize on favorable trends, moneyed opponents girded for a fight with more financial capital than ever before.
OpenSecrets.org Launches 'Fueling Washington' Series Exploring Oil and Gas Industry's Political Influence
August 23, 2010 | The Center for Responsive Politics today launches "Fueling Washington," a week-long series of reports exploring the oil and gas industry's evermore intimate relationship with the federal government and the people elected to make the nation's laws.
527 Groups Find Big Donors, Resort Company Donates Big Despite Loss and More in Capital Eye Opener: August 12
August 12, 2010 | Individuals -- many of them wealthy CEOs and executives from some of the nation's more moneyed businesses -- contributed more than $20.5 million to 527 political action groups in the second quarter of 2010, according to a Center for Responsive Politics analysis.
Tea Party Caucus Members Bankrolled by Health Professionals, Retirees, Oil Interests
July 30, 2010 | A Center for Responsive Politics analysis shows that the biggest contributors to the 49 members of the newly-established congressional Tea Party caucus -- it so far includes only Republican -- are health professionals, retired individuals, the real estate industry and oil and gas interests. Furthermore, donations from health professionals, oil and gas interests and Republican and conservative groups are, on average, higher for Tea Party caucus members than for members of the House of Representatives in general and even their fellow House Republicans.
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.
OpenSecrets Blog's PolitiQuizz: Who Do Lawyers Love?
July 26, 2010 | Whether it is because the Congressman is a party leader that can make things happen, or he sits on a committee directly related to the legislation affecting the industry or his votes are usually friendly to the industry's concerns, some industries love some Congressmen more than others--and they show their affection through campaign contributions.
Big Oil's Ever-Expanding Influence, Schumer's Haul and More in Capital Eye Opener: July 23
July 23, 2010 | Reports released Thursday by two major Washington, D.C. publications are highlighting the extent of the oil and gas industry's political influence, which has increased in the wake of the BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.
Senators Question BP's Role in Release of Pan Am Bomber, Decline to Answer Questions about Campaign Cash
July 16, 2010 | The four senators from New York and New Jersey came out with strong criticism of BP this week for its admitted role in the release from prison of the only person convicted for the 1988 Lockerbie airliner bombing over Scotland. Despite the fierce criticism, their offices seemed at a lack of words on whether their boss' would refuse to accept campaign contributions from BP's political action committee or its employees -- or return contributions already received. Only one spokesman confirmed that his boss had already parted ways with cash from BP.
Halliburton Continues to Flood Lawmakers With Contributions After Oil Spill
July 9, 2010 | Halliburton, the company once headed by former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, contributed $15,500 to federal candidates during June, according to a Center for Responsive Politics review of their political action committee's most recent campaign finance filing. That amount represents the third largest month of donations by the PAC this election cycle.
OpenSecrets Blog's PolitiQuizz: Name that Industry
July 6, 2010 | Not only does OpenSecrets.org keep track of the individual companies and organizations lobbying the federal government, but we also keep track of the lobbying numbers of entire industries. Some of the top industries lobbying congress include oil and gas, electric utilities, and the education industries.
Did Senators' Ties to Oil Industry Predict Their Concerns in BP Hearing?
July 2, 2010 | An analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics shows that the committee members with the most campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry more frequently commented on the alleged failures of the federal government's cleanup effort and excessive red tape connected to the Jones Act and the Clean Water Act.
BP's Chief Executive Enjoys a Yacht Race, Romney Donates Big to Nikki Haley and More in Capital Eye Opener: June 21
June 21, 2010 | YACHT A GOOD IDEA?: BP's chief executive, Tony Hayward, came under fire once again on Saturday for spending the day off the coast of England watching his yacht compete in for the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, a yacht race around the Isle of Wight.
Rep. Joe Barton Likes BP — and the Company Likes Him Back with Cash
June 17, 2010 | Individuals or PACs associated with the oil and gas industry as a whole have been Barton's biggest patron since he entered Congress in 1999, donating more than $1,448,380. The figure puts him at No. 1 among all House members for donations from the industry, fifth among members of Congress and fourth among active members of Congress.
Obama on Gulf Cleanup, a Tea Party Democrat and More in Capital Eye Opener: June 16
June 16, 2010 | Lincoln offered to compromise on the derivatives provision Monday, but the largest Wall Street banks "quickly indicated that they would lobby fiercely to defeat the entire provision," the New York Times reports.
Company Behind Exploded Gas Pipeline Stepping Up K Street Presence This Year, Owner a Major GOP Donor
June 8, 2010 | The company that owns a pipeline that exploded Monday in north Texas, Houston-based Enterprise Products Company, is on pace spent more on federal lobbying this year than any other year they've lobbied the federal government, according to a Center for Responsive Politics review of lobbying reports.
Big Oil's Six-Figure Love for Congressional Candidates, Sarah Palin's Snub and More in Capital Eye Opener: June 3
June 3, 2010 | The oil and gas industry has funneled six-figure chunks of campaign cash to a dozen different candidates in all this election cycle, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis indicates.
Moonlighting Lobbyists, Corporations' Good Looks and More in Capital Eye Opener: June 1
June 1, 2010 | Nearly 160 federally registered lobbyists have collectively raised about $9 million during the past year for federal parties and candidates.
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.
Pressuring Sestak, Raising the Cap and More in Capital Eye Opener: May 14
May 14, 2010 | In an interview last February, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) said that the White House had offered him a government post -- thought to be Secretary of the Navy -- to dissuade him from running against Republican-turned-Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter in the state's Democratic primary. Interfering in an election this way would be a felony.
BP Enjoys Lobbying Strength, Close Ties to Lawmakers as Federal Investigation Looms
April 30, 2010 | In 2009, the company spent a massive $16 million to influence legislation. During the first quarter of 2010, it spent $3.53 million on federal lobbying efforts, ranking it second (behind ConocoPhillips) among all oil and gas industry interests.
Rogue Republicans Request Earmarks Despite Moratorium Supported by GOP Leadership
April 9, 2010 | Reps. Don Young (R-Alaska) and Ron Paul (R-Texas) were the first to submit earmark requests in violation of the new GOP earmark moratorium, followed recently by freshman Rep. Joseph Cao (R-La.). All three have asserted the importance of directing money back to their constituents. And in some cases, these earmarks are benefiting industries that rank among two of these three politicos' major benefactors.
Harry Reid's Tea Party Salvation, Greenpeace Targets Climate Change Skeptics and More in Capital Eye Opener: April 1
April 1, 2010 | In an increasingly fascinating race, Scott Ashjian, the tea party candidate for Sen. Reid's seat, is being accused of writing a bad check for $5,000...
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.
Solar, Wind Power Groups Becoming Prominent Washington Lobbying Forces After Years of Relative Obscurity
March 30, 2010 | In 1998, the entire alternative energy industry barely even registered as a political player in Washington, spending a mere $2.4 million on lobbying the federal government. Meanwhile, in the same year, the oil and gas, electric utilities and mining industries spent a combined $142 million advancing their own legislative interests. That landscape, however, has changed considerably.
A Letter to Nancy Pelosi, DCCC Feuds with Parker Griffith and More in Capital Eye Opener: February 18
February 18, 2010 | DEAR NANCY: Several top political donors have written an open letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in support of legislation that will curb the effects of the Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case.
Federal Lobbying Climbs in 2009 as Lawmakers Execute Aggressive Congressional Agenda
February 12, 2010 | The economy stunk. Corporations slashed jobs. And some firms, once juggernauts of American industry, simply ceased to exist. But for federal lobbyists, 2009 proved to be a year of riches unlike any other, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis indicates.
Lobbying Boom Continued in 2009
January 28, 2010 | More than 15,600 companies and organizations spent at least $3.2 billion on federal lobbying in 2009, the Center for Responsive Politics has found, based on a preliminary analysis of lobbying data filed with the U.S. Senate.
OpenSecrets.org Offers 2010 Legislative Preview Ahead of Barack Obama's State of the Union Address
January 27, 2010 | The past year proved to be a legislative whirlwind in Washington, with a new administration, and expanded Democratic majorities in Congress, tackling an ambitious legislative agenda against the backdrop of two wars and an economic meltdown. Twelve months later, the story is much the same.
Use OpenSecrets to Monitor Any Increased Appetites for Independent Expenditures in the Wake of Supreme Court Ruling
January 22, 2010 | The Supreme Court's ruling Thursday in its high stakes campaign finance case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission could usher in a flood of new independent expenditures.
Capital Eye's PolitiQuizz: Name that Bailout Recipient!
December 7, 2009 | Welcome to this week's PolitiQuizz, which wants you to identify a company that's been very much in the news the past couple of years.
Capital Eye's PolitiQuizz: Who are the Biggest of Big Oil Lobbyists?
November 30, 2009 | This week's PolitiQuizz focuses on the energy industry, particularly because Congress is considering taking up climate change legislation in the coming weeks or months:
Capital Eye Opener: Thursday, November 5
November 5, 2009 | The National Wildlife Federation has released a limited-edition trading card but these bad boys won't have your favorite grand slam baseball player on them. Instead, the first trading card commemorates the amount of cash Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) has collected from the oil and gas industry -- $1.2 million since 1989.
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.
Will Nobel Prize Bring Obama Momentum on Climate, Nuclear Weapons Policies?
October 9, 2009 | President Barack Obama said he hoped his Nobel Peace Prize could be used as a means to give momentum to causes including nuclear nonproliferation and addressing climate change. And momentum may be needed to fight the resistance among some lawmakers and well-heeled special interests.
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.
Economic Downturn Hits Some Industries, K Street Firms Hard
September 6, 2009 | Washington, D.C., is enjoying the long Labor Day weekend, and the Center for Responsive Politics is no different. But in your leisure time, check out this front-page story by Washington Post reporter Dan Eggen, who uses our research and data in noting Sunday: "In a year when Washington's influence industry should be thriving, with epic battled over health-care and energy legislation, lobbying in many sectors is in marked decline as defense contractors, real estate firms and other companies pull back in a down economy."
Capital Eye Opener: Monday, August 31
August 31, 2009 | THE (UN)CONSTITUTION STATE: As much of the country patiently awaits next week's Supreme Court case that could re-shape campaign finance rules, a judge in Connecticut is making his own waves. Judge Stefan Underhill ruled last week that the state's public financing system for state lawmakers and candidates "puts an unconstitutional burden on minor party candidates' First Amendment right to political opportunity."
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.
Health, Energy and Finance Sectors Dominate 2nd Quarter Lobbying
July 29, 2009 | Want to launch your own investigation into second quarter lobbying expenditures? Start here.
Oil and Gas Companies Try to Take Capitol Hill By Storm in Second Quarter
July 29, 2009 | Oil and gas companies have significantly increased their spending to send their lobbying foot soldiers into the battle over the cap-and-trade energy bill. Between April and June, these companies spent $37.7 million, which represents a 30 percent increase from what they spent during the same time last year, we've found.
Maplight.org Uses Center for Responsive Politics Data In Cap-and-Trade Analysis
July 15, 2009 | If you had any doubt that special interests tried -- and sometimes succeeded -- to shape the cap-and-trade energy bill that the House passed in June, you need to check out Maplight.org's analysis of the money behind the votes on the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.
With CRP Data, Common Cause Follows the Money Behind Climate Bill
July 10, 2009 | Using CRP data, Common Cause this week provided more evidence that oil and gas companies, mining companies and electric utilities are focusing their energy-and money-on legislation that would limit the emission of greenhouse gases.
Rep. Boustany, Ex-Heart Surgeon, Hearts Market-Based Health Reforms
July 7, 2009 | Former heart surgeon Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.) has raised more than $971,000 from health professionals since 2003 -- his No. 1 industry backer. He is also a member of the House Republican Health Care Reform Working Group and a vocal advocate for private market reforms.
Legislators Opposed to Climate Bill Get Double the Funds from Energy Sector
June 29, 2009 | The climate change bill that the House of Representatives passed 219 to 212 late Friday night flew in the face of some of the special interests fighting against the legislation's cap-and-trade provision and its more stringent limits on greenhouse gas emissions. Although the industries that opposed the bill ultimately didn't get their desired legislation, it seems their politicking efforts weren't entirely for naught.
Allen Converts Congressional Energy Into Lobbying Post
June 3, 2009 | Although being the No. 3 recipient of campaign cash from the energy sector didn't help former Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) win his re-election campaign in 2006, those connections will likely come in handy in his latest gig: head of a new energy lobby.
Ethanol Producers Fueled By Oil and Gas Companies
May 28, 2009 | As biofuel companies and oil and gas companies form an unlikely--though perhaps inevitable--alliance, the smaller biofuels are benefiting both by the capital and the backing of an industry with longstanding influence over the federal government.
Defunct Coalition That Withheld Global Warming Info Still Wields Power on Capitol Hill
May 7, 2009 | Members of the Global Climate Coalition, which is now under fire for withholding important information from the public about global warming, have continued to spend millions of dollars to influence federal officeholders to protect their interests since the coalition disbanded in 2002. This includes $84.5 million the members spent on lobbying just this year.
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.
Follow the Money as the Global Warming Hearings Heat Up
April 22, 2009 | Today is Earth Day and lawmakers are doing their part to look out for the well-being of Mother Nature with hearings throughout the week related to global warming and climate change. Here we offer a few resources on OpenSecrets.org that can help you follow the political influence of the industries most vested in these debates.
Empty Disclosure
March 19, 2009 | Some lobbyists appear to collect money for nothing--more than half a billion dollars from clients over the last decade, Center finds.
Power Players: Natural Resources Committee Chair Mines Support from Homestate Industry
March 5, 2009 | At 27, Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.V.) was the youngest member of the first Congress he served in, landing spots on the Interior and Public Works committees in his first term in 1976. Now, as chair of the House Natural Resources Committee (formerly the Interior Committee) and the No. 2 Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (formerly Public Works), he's got the support of transportation unions, the mining industry and oil and gas companies.
Sen. Gregg Profits from Earmarks He Directed Home, AP Reports
February 27, 2009 | The Associated Press reported today that Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) helped funnel $66 million in earmarks to his home state to help create a business park at the decommissioned Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth, N.H. That in itself wouldn't be a problem, except for the fact that some of the senator's personal investments are wrapped up in the project.
Special Interests to Listen Carefully to Obama's Address
February 24, 2009 | When President Obama addresses the nation tonight in a State of the Union fashion, it won't just be Congress and members of the public tuning in. Special interests, too, will be paying close attention to what the president has to say about upcoming plans that could affect them. Capital Eye takes a look at the key issues Obama is likely to discuss--and the industries, sectors and groups that will be listening closely to his message.
Power Players: New Mexico Senator Enchants Donors from Energy Sector
February 19, 2009 | Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) has been the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee since 1999 and returned to his post as chair in 2007. Not surprisingly given his committee assignment, Bingaman's campaigns run, in part, on fuel from the energy sector.
Washington Lobbying Grew to $3.2 Billion Last Year, Despite Economy
January 29, 2009 | While companies across the board were losing record amounts of money and laying off employees last year, at least one industry seemed to weather the recession: lobbying. Special interests paid Washington lobbyists $3.2 billion in 2008, more than any other year on record and a 13.7 percent increase from 2007, CRP has found. Corporations in the finance, insurance and real estate sector and automotive industry actually slowed or decreased their lobbying spending overall last year, relying instead on trade associations to represent them.
2009 Legislative Preview
January 15, 2009 | Within the next few months, it will become increasingly clear how the federal government intends to tackle pressing issues, including the economy, health care reform and curbing global warming. Those efforts, led by a Democratic president and an expanded Democratic majority in Congress, might look drastically different from those of the last eight years under Republican President Bush. What won't change, however, are the attempts by special interests to influence legislation. Capital Eye looks at which industries are spending money to shape the economic stimulus, health care reform, energy policy and labor laws.
Congressional Freshmen Bring New Industry Ties
January 6, 2009 | The 111th Congress started its first session today and the newbies will likely be the most overwhelmed. They will quickly learn what the veterans know so well: the donors and industries that helped you win your seat often expect payback. On OpenSecrets.org we've provided a full list of the freshmen with links to their money profiles.
Interior Motives
December 16, 2008 | Barack Obama seems poised to appoint Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.) to the position of Secretary of the Interior, following a tradition of giving the post to a leader from one of the Western states, where natural resources and land use are prominent policy issues. In this role, Salazar, who has collected a total of $321,800 from the energy and natural resources sector during his short time in the Senate, will oversee the Bureau of Land Management.
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.
Waxman Vies for Chairmanship of Energy Committee
November 6, 2008 | California Rep. Henry Waxman wants Michigan Rep. John Dingell's position as chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and following the money that has helped re-elect both veteran Democratic lawmakers could be a good indicator of how the committee's priorities would shift under new leadership.
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.
Following the Money in the Hot House Races
October 20, 2008 | At CRP we're diligently updating the congressional election profiles on OpenSecrets.org based on the candidates' campaign finance disclosure reports due last week to the Federal Election Commission. We've pulled together the 3rd Quarter money stats for some of the House races that have been declared toss-ups by political analysts.
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 VIII: Top Self-Funders
October 6, 2008 | On its own, fundraising is a serious challenge; add the obstacle of navigating complicated campaign finance laws and it's enough to deter many from the political arena. However, individuals with deep pockets can finance their own campaigns, and unlike contributions raised from other people, there is no limit to how much personal money candidates can give themselves. Capital Eye takes a look at the top self-funders seeking congressional office this election cycle.
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.
Races to Watch V: Lobbyists' Favorite Candidates
September 30, 2008 | Registered lobbyists aren't just getting the attention of lawmakers while on the job. Like any other member of the public, they, too, are able to contribute up to the maximum amount per election to candidates of their choice. The Center for Responsive Politics has identified the congressional races with candidates who are receiving the most money from registered lobbyists.
Races to Watch IV: Money Flowing from Oil and Gas
September 29, 2008 | The oil and gas industry, under the spotlight this fall with energy at the forefront of political discourse, isn't hesitating to put some of its record profits into the hands of candidates who support its cause (or those it's seeking to convert). So far this election cycle, the oil and gas industry has given $12.3 million total to congressional candidates. The nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics has identified the candidates who have received the most money from oil and gas interests in this election cycle, and Capital Eye selected a few races to more deeply examine the impact of well-digger dollars on politics.
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.
Races to Watch I: Challengers Outraising Incumbents
September 24, 2008 | With few exceptions, incumbents will out-raise their challengers--so far this election cycle, incumbents for Congress have raised nine times more than their challengers, on average, and there is not a single Senate race where the challenger has raised more money than the sitting senator. Although challengers aren't winning the money race on the Senate side, the Center for Responsive Politics has identified 14 House races where the challenger surpassed the incumbent in fundraising after the most recent reporting period, through June.
Races to Watch
September 24, 2008 | It's the presidential eclipse: Every four years, media coverage about all angles of the race for the White House (significant or not) overshadows all but a handful of too-close-to-call congressional races. Yet, in the midst of an economic meltdown, record gas prices and a five-year war, there's no question that citizens care about who represents them in Congress, not just who moves into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. While other political analysts focus on the most competitive congressional races, Capital Eye will spend the next week profiling contests with an interesting fundraising angle--even those where the winner is pretty easy to predict.
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.
The Money Behind Palin
August 29, 2008 | John McCain surprised political pundits this morning by inviting Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to join him on the Republican ticket. Because Palin's political career is relatively new (she was mayor of Wasilla, an Anchorage suburb, and became governor after the 2006 election), there's little information available in the way of a campaign finance profile. But at the Center for Responsive Politics, we've strung together these observations about Palin's campaign fundraising and money --- and money-related scandal -- in Alaska politics.
So, Who's Up in Those Skyboxes?
August 25, 2008 | You could hold a presidential nominating convention with just the delegates, but you couldn't finance a presidential campaign without the bundlers. So, these uber-fundraisers are also in attendance at the conventions in Denver and St. Paul, and they are enjoying special perks for delivering hundreds of thousands of dollars to their candidate's coffers. Bundlers are now listed for both Obama and McCain in OpenSecrets.org's presidential section.
The Money Behind Biden
August 23, 2008 | Now that Barack Obama has announced his running mate, reporters will be scrambling to cover every aspect of Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.)--his politics, his personal life, what he adds to the Democrats' presidential ticket and what aspects could make him a liability for the party. At the Center for Responsive Politics, we've strung together our own observations about Biden's campaign fundraising and personal finances.
Power Struggle: Plastics Manufacturing Lobby Sends Environmentalists a Message in a Bottle
August 7, 2008 | You can't turn your head without seeing plastic: computers, phones, bottles, furniture, clothing accessories. But plastic is made from oil--a fact most Americans aren't aware of--and rising oil prices have jacked up the price of plastic in the last few months. Up to eight percent of the country's oil goes into producing plastic, according to some estimates, and as Americans increasingly look for ways to reduce their environmental impact, plastics are beginning to be drawn into the energy debate.
Power Struggle: Coal, Nuclear Industries Lobby to Keep the Lights On
August 7, 2008 | Coal and nuclear power are the biggest sources of electricity in the U.S., accounting for roughly 70 percent of the nation's electricity. While producers of both sources believe that the country needs a well-balanced fuel portfolio, both industries are seeking an advantage by spending their fair share on campaign contributions and lobbying this election cycle, reminding those in Congress of their integral role in keeping the lights on.
Oil Industry Leans Toward McCain, But Big Producers Favor Obama
August 7, 2008 | Much has been made of Barack Obama's TV ad this week that accuses John McCain of being "in the pocket" of the oil industry, and yesterday the Democratic Party launched a website pairing McCain and Exxon Mobil as running-mates. While McCain has raised considerably more money from this unpopular industry, CRP was surprised to notice that it's actually Obama who has received more from the pockets of employees at several of Big Oil's biggest and most recognizable companies.
Drilling Down: Obama's Charge on McCain's Oil Money
August 4, 2008 | Here in the Center's press shop, we've fielded a lot of calls today from reporters wondering where Barack Obama's campaign is getting the numbers to back up its latest charge against John McCain: that the Republican is "in the pocket" of the oil industry because his campaign has taken $2 million from it. The TV ad that makes that claim started airing today, and in tiny print it cites as its data source the Center for Responsive Politics.
Power Struggle: Alternative Energy Looks to New Administration, Congress for Progress
July 31, 2008 | Long in the shadow of traditional energy sources, alternative energy has come into the spotlight as a potential energy crisis looms. For some producers of alternative energy sources, this is the perfect time to promote their legislative wish list--and spend more money than they ever have before to do it. Others are considering the new push as just hype in the on-again, off-again quest for renewable energy.
Power Struggle: Senators Shore Up Cash from Divided Tourism Industry
July 31, 2008 | While this year's own battle over offshore drilling for oil has largely been a skirmish between the deep-pocketed oil and gas industry and grassroots environmentalists, senators along the coast in particular have to pay attention to an additional industry that's a player on Capitol Hill: tourism.
Power Struggle: Greening Candidates for Office
July 31, 2008 | Politicians usually want to leave a large imprint in the minds of voters, but when it comes to being environmentally conscious, the smaller their campaign's carbon footprint the better these days. Candidates are still filling voters' mailboxes with paper flyers and they're still stumping in cars and planes, but now they're more likely to offset those environmental impacts by recycling and using renewable energy.
Feds Indict Alaska Sen. Stevens
July 29, 2008 | Alaska's longtime senator, Republican Ted Stevens, has been indicted by a federal grand jury as part of a continuing investigation of corruption in Alaska politics. The indictment accuses Stevens of filing false disclosure reports about his personal finances for 2001-2006, concealing more than $250,000 in home renovations that embattled VECO, a multinational oil services company, paid for. Apart from the illegal activity that federal investigators pin on Stevens, he has received substantial campaign contributions, which would appear to be legal, from VECO.
Oil Magnate and GOP Contributor Tests the Wind
July 25, 2008 | T. Boone Pickens was born into oil. With a father who worked as an oil and mineral rights leaser and a mother who rationed gasoline during World War II, it's hardly a surprise that Pickens became an oilman himself. But this CEO of energy hedge fund BP Capital Management is now turning to wind power instead, despite his longtime support--both spoken and financial--for Republican candidates, including fellow Texas oilman George W. Bush.
Power Struggle: Division Within Biofuels Community Complicates the Energy Equation
July 24, 2008 | Producers of corn-based ethanol have had a strong relationship with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. But as the price of corn and other foods go up and the pitfalls of such ethanol become more pronounced, an array of next-generation biofuels have hit the scene, all grappling for government funding and feuding among themselves.
Power Struggle: The Transformation of Transportation
July 24, 2008 | The long and winding road to work has become more costly than ever before, but it's also forcing drivers to explore other ways of getting around. From bikes to buses, Americans are starting to spend more time using other modes of transportation instead of in their gas-guzzling cars. These alternative industries, which may have been largely ignored in the past, are getting a greater deal of attention from consumers at home, as well as from lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Power Struggle: Energizing the Presidential Race
July 17, 2008 | Like a gas tank hungry for cheap fuel, Americans are yearning for an energy policy from their next president. But various industries and interests, from oil companies to agriculture and environmental groups, also have a serious stake in the next president's energy policy, and are showing it with campaign contributions and lobbying efforts.
Power Struggle: Energy Industries Open Up the Pipeline to Democrats
July 17, 2008 | President Bush's decision this week to lift the federal moratorium on offshore drilling defied the Democratic Party's long-held opposition to oil exploration along the U.S. coastline. But recently more Democrats are indicating that they might change their minds, leaving environmentalists wondering whether the lawmakers will stick to their ideological guns or be swayed by high gas prices and campaign contributions from big industries.
Power Struggle
July 10, 2008 | Pulling from research by the Center for Responsive Politics, Capital Eye is spending the next month investigating the interests driving the energy debate on Capitol Hill.
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.
Power Struggle: Consumers Vent About Oil Industry's Influence
July 10, 2008 | If there's one dreaded stop on every traveler's roadmap these days, it's the gas station. With the cost of fuel topping $4 a gallon this summer for the first time ever, there are a lot of questions, but not many clear-cut answers. Capital Eye's reporters dropped in on service stations in the D.C. area to find out where consumers are placing the blame.
Power Struggle: As Prices Rise, Oil Money Spills onto K Street
July 10, 2008 | The correlation between federal lobbying by the oil and gas industry and oil prices (per barrel) is obvious as shown in this chart. As to whether this is a case of cause-and-effect, we leave that to you to decide.
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.
Grappling for Green
June 6, 2008 | Capitol Hill has ceased its green battle-for now. The U.S. Senate voted against continuing the debate over new climate change legislation, but environmentalists will likely continue to lobby for greener living, while energy and business lobbyists will continue to focus on those green dollar bills.
CRP Oil & Gas Data Fuels Media Reports
May 22, 2008 | Pain at the pump has kept skyrocketing gas prices in the public spotlight, and there was no shortage of press coverage for yesterday's congressional testimony from oil and gas executives. Several newspapers used CRP data to put in context the industry's financial relationship with Congress--especially with members who serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which held the hearing.
Oil/Gas Shareholders in Senate Hear Testimony from Industry Execs
May 21, 2008 | With gas prices the highest they've ever been, the oil and gas executives who testified this morning before the Senate Judiciary Committee had to feel like they were in the hot seat. But as they were being grilled about skyrocketing prices, they could take some comfort in the strong financial relationship their industry has with lawmakers, including those on the committee.
Presidential Candidates' April Reports Due May 20th
May 19, 2008 | Tuesday, May 20 at midnight is the deadline for the presidential candidates to file their fundraising reports for April. At the Center for Responsive Politics we will grab the electronically filed data on Wednesday morning and go to work on categorizing donations by geography, industry, company, etc.
McCain's Green Speech Takes On White House
May 14, 2008 | Republican John McCain faces the difficult task of distancing himself from an unpopular president while convincing his party that he is sufficiently conservative. This week he called for a mandatory limit on greenhouse gas emissions and made it clear that he doesn't think President Bush has done enough to curb global warming during his two terms in the White House.
Gas Prices Got You Down? Oil and Gas Companies Want You to Back Them Up.
May 9, 2008 | Oil and gas companies already have a pretty comfortable financial relationship with Congress, and now they're reportedly re-routing some of their money to an effort to win over a different demographic--you, the disgruntled consumer.
Pale Green
April 18, 2008 | When environmentalists, lobbyists and eco-friendly citizens come a-knockin' on lawmakers' office doors on Earth Day next week, Democrats (and some Republicans) will detail their legislation that directs taxes collected from the oil and gas industry towards renewable energy initiatives. What they probably won't mention is that lawmakers themselves aren't taking a risk on them with their own money.
Oil Executives Testify Before Congress–and a Shareholder
April 3, 2008 | The ranking Republican on the House Select Committee on Energy and Global Warming has owned $1.2 million in stock in the oil and gas companies whose executives testified this week before the panel. Rep. James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin reported at least $100,000 of his own money in each of four of the five companies represented at Tuesday's hearing.
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.
Exxon Mobil Pumps Gas Money Into Politics
February 5, 2008 | In 2007, Exxon Mobil broke the record it previously had set for profits by a U.S. corporation, earning $40.6 billion for the year. As Americans are evaluating the candidates on their proposals to ease the price of gas, Exxon Mobil employees appear to be trying to ensure they have access to the White House, last year giving the presidential candidates a total of $84,000, with 52 percent going to Republicans.
Before Votes in Iowa and New Hampshire, Count Candidates' Campaign Cash
January 3, 2008 | Before voters in Iowa and New Hampshire select their favorite presidential candidates, the Center for Responsive Politics urges them to use OpenSecrets.org to "follow the money" financing the campaigns.
Lawmakers Divest Because of Darfur
December 20, 2007 | Congress supported divestment from Sudan this week, but some lawmakers still have a financial stake in companies tied to the genocidal regime.
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.
The New College Try
August 9, 2007 | University employees have emerged from the library to become a major player in election financing, opening their wallets again in '08 to win the White House for Democrats.
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.
Shades of Green (Part of the "Cultivating Support in Washington" Series)
July 12, 2007 | Environmentalists, ethanol advocates, fiscal conservatives and conservationists want to see a move away from the New Deal.
Power Play Series: Energy & Oil and Gas
June 21, 2007 | Now that Democrats are in charge, oil companies have "targets on their backs," but the industry remains a lobbying machine.
Power Play Series: Energy & Environmental Groups
June 21, 2007 | Largely ignored when Republicans controlled Congress, environmentalists have come out of the wilderness.
Power Play Series: Energy & Electric Utilities
June 21, 2007 | Generators of electricity say they can't meet demand without still relying on fossil fuels.
Power Play Series: Energy & Coal Mining
June 21, 2007 | The industry tries to convince policymakers that coal can be clean.
Power Play Series: Energy & Auto Manufacturers
June 21, 2007 | U.S. carmakers worry that mandates for better fuel efficiency will harm their already struggling industry.
Power Play Series: Energy & Alternatives
June 21, 2007 | The "anything but oil" mantra has put industries offering alternatives in their best position in decades.
Power Play Series: Energy & Agriculture
June 21, 2007 | Farmers whose crops have potential as fuel see a way to bolster their struggling industry, while others worry that greater demand for biofuels will raise food prices.
Power Play
June 21, 2007 | A look at where energy interests are putting their energy during the Senate debate.
Oil Company in Scandal Gave Outside of Alaska
May 9, 2007 | VECO executives and employees have contributed $1 million to federal politicians and parties since 1989, Center finds. In Alaska, lawmakers have rushed to dump the money.
Congressional Preview
April 7, 2007 | New leadership in the 110th Congress means newfound influence for interests friendly to Democrats By Miranda Blue and Lindsay Renick Mayer January 04, 2007 | With the changing of the guard on Capitol Hill comes a shift in lobbying efforts. In December, the Republican-led 109th Congress closed with a late-night flurry of bills to appease…
Price of Emission
March 15, 2007 | Fuel-efficiency standards for vehicles haven't changed since the 1980s, but the climate on Earth, and on Capitol Hill, has. By Lindsay Renick Mayer March 15, 2007 | After nearly two decades of static fuel-efficiency requirements, executives from leading auto manufacturers defended the current standards Wednesday and told Congress their companies are addressing global warming, rising…
Heating Up
March 8, 2007 | Now that Democrats control Congress, the political dynamic of climate change has shifted. Many industries and interests have a stake. By Lindsay Renick Mayer March 08, 2007 | The earth is warming at an unnatural pace, but this isn't the only climate change that has multiple industries re-assessing their political strategy. As the debate over…
Money Divided House Vote to Tax Oil Industry
January 23, 2007 | Members of Congress who voted against raising taxes for Big Oil received more in contributions from the industry. By Lindsay Renick Mayer January 23, 2007 | (Correction 11/7/2007: This story has been corrected to reflect Kay Bailey Hutchison's position as a U.S. senator.) When the House of Representatives voted last week to raise taxes on…
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…
New Web Tools Track Congressional Finances and Travel
October 10, 2006 | Easy-to-search databases add to free offerings of award-winning OpenSecrets.org ____________________ The non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics has added two new features to its award-winning money-in-politics Web site, OpenSecrets.org. One database details more than $2.4 billion in assets reported by members of Congress, the president and other top federal officials, making their personal financial disclosures fully…
Campaign Ads Drill Incumbents for Taking Oil Money
August 7, 2006 | As gas prices rise, Republicans are taking most of the heat for their industry ties, but contributions have flowed to Democrats as well. By Lindsay Renick Mayer August 07, 2006 | Political analysts may argue about how oil factored into America's decision to invade Iraq, but there's little debate about the oil and gas industry's…
Energy Industries Create Imbalance of Power
February 17, 2006 | The president's budget fuels up alternative energy, but compared to Big Oil's political activity, is the cleaner-power industry shouting into the wind?
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