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Blog
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Welcome to the Holtzman Vogel Law Blog. We aim to keep you
up to date on important legal developments and other items of interest. On this
blog, we'll track developments in the news and changes to the rules and regulations
affecting political committees, corporate PACs, trade associations, non-profit groups
and advocacy organizations. We'll also keep you updated on the lobbying and ethics
arena. The Law Blog is designed to supplement our regular newsletter.
On behalf of the Holtzman Vogel team, I hope you find this site helpful and interesting.
And we hope you'll become a regular visitor. (If you'd like to receive our newsletter,
please click here to sign up.)
Jill Holtzman Vogel
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Monday, August 02, 2010
LA Times: Corporate campaign fundraising picks up speed
From the Los Angeles Times: "Driven by increasing anger at Democratic policies and by recent Supreme Court decisions unshackling corporate contributions, business and conservative groups are preparing a flood of campaign money to try to wrest control of Congress from the Democrats."
Click here to read the entire post.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
The Hill: iPhone app makes instant donations to campaigns
From The Hill: "The goal is to make it so simple and convenient for voters to make small donations that the total given will outweigh corporate influence, said Paul Everton, who created Visible Vote a year and a half ago....When donating money to campaigns, Visible Vote automatically submits the required data to campaigns, abiding by Federal Election Commission rules....Other features of the application, which is available on computers, iPhones, BlackBerrys and Android phones, include viewing state-by-state data on legislator performance and instantly sending faxes or emails to elected officials."
Click here to read the entire post.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Politico: Joint fundraising yields more cash
Politico has this piece on joint fundraising practices, noting that: "Use of a joint fundraising committee does not allow a donor to escape federal donation limits of $4,800 per candidate or incumbent for any one cycle. But a donor can cut one large check to a joint committee, maxing out what the candidate gets while the rest goes to the DSCC or a state party. A donor may give up to $30,400 annually to a national party committee."
Click here to read the entire post.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
NYT: For Donors to Governors’ Associations, Cash Buys a Seat at the Table
From the New York Times: "Operating outside the laws that block federal candidates and party committees from taking money from unions or businesses, the Democratic governors’ group — and its Republican counterpart — are case studies in corporate political fund-raising. The two associations brought in a total of more than $100 million over the last two years, and each started this year with more cash than its national party."
Click here to read the entire post.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Politico: Lawmakers squirrel away cash
Politico reports that 80 House members have over $1 million in the bank.
Click here to read the entire post.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
NYT editorial: Congress Parties With the Big Money
A week ago, the New York Times ran an article on the Congressional Black Caucus' fundraising practices (see here). Today, they have an editorial that vaguely opposes Congressional fundraising in general as a systemic problem, but stops short of blaming the CBC directly for any abusive practices: "Of all the money machines shaving ethical corners, few rival the Congressional Black Caucus....The caucus has a political fund-raising arm subject to federal limitations, but it has a separate, much larger operation that collects corporate and union money for nonprofits that are supposed to provide those scholarships and do other good works. The law that allows those groups to collect money without limits urgently needs tightening, as do Congressional ethics....wise lawmakers will take heed, back off from the trough and focus on lawmaking."
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Daily Caller: Obama’s bundlers occupy dozens of key positions
From the Daily Caller: "An analysis by the American Foreign Service Association, for example, found that Obama has stuffed the diplomatic corps with more political appointees (i.e., cronies) than any president in the past 40 years. Only a year into the administration, close [to] half of the president’s biggest donors already have federal jobs." An extensive list of bundlers and the jobs they received follows.
Click here to read the entire post.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Politico: Members get bundles of lobbyist cash
From Politico: "Even as President Barack Obama vows to take on special interests, lobbyists continue to bundle millions in donations for lawmakers, often when they have a direct stake in the lawmakers’ policy portfolio. Tourism interests are bundling thousands for Missouri Republican Rep. Roy Blunt, who represents the tourist mecca of Branson. A Wal-Mart lobbyist is piling together money for Arkansas Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s reelection bid, and environmental interests are bundling checks for California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer’s campaign."
Click here to read the entire post.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
NYT: In Black Caucus, a Fund-Raising Powerhouse
The New York Times has this lengthy piece on the fundraising practices of the Congressional Black Caucus. Explains the Times, "by taking advantage of political finance laws, the caucus has built a fund-raising juggernaut unlike anything else in town. It has a traditional political fund-raising arm subject to federal rules. But it also has a network of nonprofit groups and charities that allow it to collect unlimited amounts of money from corporations and labor unions. From 2004 to 2008, the Congressional Black Caucus’s political and charitable wings took in at least $55 million in corporate and union contributions, according to an analysis by The New York Times, an impressive amount even by the standards of a Washington awash in cash. Only $1 million of that went to the caucus’s political action committee; the rest poured into the largely unregulated nonprofit network. (Data for 2009 is not available.) . . . Indeed, the nonprofit groups and the political wing are so deeply connected it is sometimes hard to tell where one ends and the other begins."
Friday, October 30, 2009
CQ Politics: Lobbying From The Great Beyond
More from CQ Politics: "With a little planning, you can lobby Congress from beyond the grave.
Every year, hundreds of Americans continue to make campaign contributions, lobby Congress and in some states cast votes after they have died. And it’s all completely legal."
Click here to read the entire post.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
LA Times: Report of White House perks for donors stirs debate
The Los Angeles Times reports "A partisan tangle erupted Wednesday over a report that as part of a Democratic National Committee program to woo donors, the White House had met privately with major campaign contributors and approved perks that included invitations to White House events. . . . Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele issued a statement asking for an 'immediate investigation looking into the degree and details of fundraising efforts between the White House and DNC, whether there was any quid pro quo offered to donors, and the names of White House officials who were involved in such activities.' The White House and Democratic National Committee downplayed the report."
Click here to read the entire post.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The Hill: Lobbyists receive DNC fundraiser invites
The Hill reports "Dozens of lobbyists were invited to a Democratic National Committee (DNC) fundraiser Tuesday night with a Cabinet member even though President Barack Obama has sworn off taking money from lobbyists.
A DNC official said it was a mistake that lobbyists were invited to a small gathering with Lisa Jackson, Obama’s administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The official said a review of attendees indicates that no lobbyists attended the event."
Click here to read the entire post.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Wash. Times: Democratic donors rewarded with W.H. perks
The Washington Times reports "During his first nine months in office, President Obama has quietly rewarded scores of top Democratic donors with VIP access to the White House, private briefings with administration advisers and invitations to important speeches and town-hall meetings.
High-dollar fundraisers have been promised access to senior White House officials in exchange for pledges to donate $30,400 personally or to bundle $300,000 in contributions ahead of the 2010 midterm elections, according to internal Democratic National Committee documents obtained by The Washington Times. . . . Presidential aides said there has been no systematic effort to use the White House complex to aid fundraising, though they acknowledge the DNC has paid for some events at the presidential mansion."
Click here to read the entire post.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
NYT: Bloomberg Sets Record for His Own Spending on Elections
The New York Times reports "Michael R. Bloomberg, the Wall Street mogul whose fortune catapulted him into New York’s City Hall, has set another staggering financial record: He has now spent more of his own money than any other individual in United States history in the pursuit of public office."
Click here to read the entire post.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
WSJ: Wall Street Steps Up Political Donations, Lobbying; Firms Boost Outlays Amid Debate on Financial-Services Overhaul, After Slowing Spending While Getting Bailout Cash
The Wall Street Journal reports "Some of the biggest Wall Street firms are back in the political-spending game after hunkering down while they were getting government bailout funds.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Bank of America Corp., Morgan Stanley and other large financial-services firms stepped up their political donations in September to members of Congress, for many the first time this year they have joined the fray.
Most Wall Street firms stopped making donations to lawmakers when they were receiving government funds, and many lawmakers stopped accepting them. But now that the companies have begun returning the bailout funds, they are making campaign donations again. At the same time, they are increasing their spending on lobbying after a yearlong slump."
Click here to read the entire post.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
New York Times: Wall Street Giants Show Reluctance to Donate to Democrats
From the New York Times: "Mr. Obama will fly to New York on Tuesday for a lavish Democratic Party fund-raising dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for about 200 big donors. Each donor is paying the legal maximum of $30,400 and is allowed to take a date. Four of the seven “co-chairs” listed on the invitation work in finance, and Democratic Party organizers say they expect that about a third of the attendees will come from the industry.
But from the financial giants like Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup that received federal bailout money — and whose bankers raised millions of dollars for Mr. Obama’s election — only a half-dozen or fewer are expected to attend (estimated total contribution: $91,200).
Part of the reason, several Democratic fund-raisers and executives said, is a fear of getting caught in the public rage over the perception that Wall Street titans profiting from their government bailout may use their winnings to give back to Washington in return. And the timing of the event, as the industry lobbies against proposals for tighter regulations to address the underlying causes of last year’s meltdown on Wall Street, has only added to the worry over public appearances."
Click here to read the entire post.
Monday, October 19, 2009
CQ Politics: Wall Street Bounce Boosts Member Campaign Accounts
CQ Politics notes "The recent surge on Wall Street has created a windfall for some congressional campaigns that invested their political contributions in the stock market during the third quarter. . . . At least seven congressional campaigns received investment profits totaling more than $500,000 during the past three months, according to a CQ MoneyLine study of campaign reports filed by House candidates with the Federal Election Commission. . . . While it may seem unusual for members to invest their political contributions in the market, the practice is legal under current campaign laws. House conflict-of-interest rules also do not apply to campaign holdings, leaving members free to invest their funds pretty much as they please. Unlike their personal investments, members are not required to disclose the stocks their campaigns invest in."
Click here to read the entire post.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
WSJ: GOP Sees Gains in Race for Donations
The Wall Street Journal reports "The Republican Party is gaining fund-raising momentum for the first time since losing the presidency last year, evidence that a summer of conservative activism could augur a political shift."
Click here to read the entire post.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
ProPublica: Leadership PACs: Let the Good Times Roll
ProPublica has this piece on Leadership PACs in the Washington Post.
Click here to read the entire post.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Washington Post: Democrats Are Jarred by Drop In Fundraising; Complacency, Absence of Big Donors Cited
From the Washington Post: "Democratic political committees have seen a decline in their fundraising fortunes this year, a result of complacency among their rank-and-file donors and a de facto boycott by many of their wealthiest givers, who have been put off by the party's harsh anti-business rhetoric. The trend is a marked reversal from recent history, in which Democrats have erased the GOP's long-standing fundraising advantage. In the first six months of 2009, Democratic campaign committees' receipts have dropped in comparison to the same period two years earlier."
Click here to read the entire post.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
WSJ: Grand Jury Indicts Fund-Raiser for Democrats
The Wall Street Journal reports "A federal grand jury charged Hassan Nemazee, a New York businessman who has ties to prominent politicians, with defrauding banks of $292 million in part to benefit the Democratic Party.
Mr. Nemazee, 59 years old, used the proceeds of his scheme to donate to campaigns and political-action committees, according to an indictment made public Monday, though the amount allegedly spent on these efforts wasn't specified. The donations helped him rise to become finance chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, among other major roles."
Click here to read the entire post.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Politico: Dems return Nemazee contributions
Politico reports "Vice President Joe Biden, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Tuesday evening they plan to return or donate to charity campaign contributions from Democratic financier Hassan Nemazee, who was arrested and charged Tuesday with trying to defraud Citibank of $74 million by offering fake collateral on a loan.
If recent history is any indication, expect more politicians to follow suit as the fallout from the latest disgraced-bundler case ripples through Washington in the coming days."
Click here to read the entire post.
Monday, August 10, 2009
CQ Politics: Campaign Cash: Unions Big Givers in 2009
CQ Politics reports "Organized labor gave more money to congressional campaigns than any other interest group at a time when overhauling health care and easing the ability of unions to organize sit atop Congress’ agenda.
Union political action committees shelled out $11 million to lawmakers during the first six months of this year. Ranking second were health care interests, which gave $9.5 million from Jan. 1 through June 30, according to a CQ MoneyLine analysis of the latest filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC)."
Click here to read the entire post.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
LA Times: Debts paid, Hillary Clinton builds $3+ million campaign fund for ...?
The Los Angeles Times reports that Hillary Clinton has paid off her presidential campaign debt, and now has over $3 million stashed away.
Click here to read the entire post.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
CQ Politics: Sen. Specter Refunded $224,000 In Second Quarter
CQ Politics: "Specter reported raising $1.74 million in this year's second quarter, or about eight times the $224,469 that his campaign committee refunded to donors (mostly Republicans who wanted their money back, though some money was refunded to donors who exceeded the contribution limits). . . . One prominent Republican who requested and received a contribution refund was Rob Gleason, the chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party, which has even set up a Web site to help Republican donors request refunds."
Click here to read the entire post.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Washington Post: Va. Governor Uses 1½ Days Of Workweek For DNC Job; Kaine Adopts Schedule Despite Early Pledge
The Washington Post reports "Timothy M. Kaine said he has been spending a day and a half of each workweek handling fundraising and policy matters for the Democratic National Committee, a departure from his pledge to conduct most of his national party work by phone and fax and restrict it largely to evenings and weekends while he is governor of Virginia."
Click here to read the entire post.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
CQ Politics: Why Campaigns Want Your Money NOW
From CQ Politics: "It's a recess week for Congress, and one day before a key campaign fundraising deadline. So members of Congress and the candidates seeking their seats are engaging in some last-minute money-seeking before this year's second quarter expires at midnight tomorrow. Without fail, these solicitations note the importance that the press and political analysts ascribe to the second-quarter campaign finance reports, which candidates have to file by July 15. The fundraising implorations often are couched in apocalyptic and urgent tones, warning of the political consequences of the opposition winning the upcoming election."
Click here to read the entire post.
Friday, June 19, 2009
CQ Politics: Democrats Welcome Donations, Not Lobbyists
From CQ Politics: "President Obama assumed the mantle of fundraiser-in-chief Thursday evening at a Democratic rally at which money was welcome but lobbyists forbidden, for an evening. Supporters paid between $5,000 and $30,400 to hear the president . . . . The joint fundraiser for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee — the two major congressional fundraising organizations—at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in downtown Washington was heavily anticipated because of the president’s appearance. But debate over Obama’s ethics rules and the relatively meager $3 million the dinner was estimated to reap, overshadowed even an appearance by Washington’s highest-wattage star. The Democrats’ haul is far less than the $14.5 million the Republican House and Senate fundraising committees collected at a comparable dinner June 9. . . . Republicans did not ban lobbyists or PACs from participating and donating to their dinner."
Click here to read the entire post.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Politico: Democrats dodge ban on cash from lobbyists
Politico reports "President Barack Obama’s strict ban on lobbyist contributions will limit the haul from Thursday night’s fundraising dinner for congressional Democrats, but organizers have found a way around it: a morning-after event at the same hotel where lobbyists — and their money — will be welcomed with open arms."
Click here to read the entire post.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Wash. Times: After lobbyist boasts, Feinstein cancels event
From the Washington Times: "Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, abruptly canceled a campaign fundraising lunch scheduled for Wednesday after the Washington lobbyist helping to organize the event suggested in an invitation that the committee's work would be served as the 'first course.' Mrs. Feinstein, California Democrat, bowed Monday to concerns that the fundraising solicitation could be misinterpreted. . . . Washington lobbyist Heather Podesta mentioned the intelligence committee in an e-mail invitation attached to a formal notice of the event, saying that the lunch at the upscale Charlie Palmer steakhouse in Washington would begin at noon. In the e-mail, she said donors who gave between $1,000 and $2,500 could order up 'the Select Committee on Intelligence for the first course.'"
Click here to read the entire post.
Friday, June 05, 2009
The Hill: Obama rewards donors with plum posts abroad
From The Hill: "Top ambassadorships, from Paris and London to Ottawa and Nassau, are likely to wind up in the hands of President Obama’s biggest campaign contributors. Eight of Obama’s early ambassadorial nominees gave heavily to his presidential campaign or the Democratic Party, according to public documents, continuing the tradition of sending friends overseas to represent the nation."
Click here to read the entire post.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Fox News: Presidential Fundraising Trips Leave Taxpayers With Hefty Tab
Fox News reports "President Obama has the star power to raise millions of dollars for the candidates and organizations he graces with his stump speech. But when the president hit the road Tuesday for a two-day fundraising tour to pack the party coffers, he also was racking up a $265,000 partisan bill for just one leg of the trip, according to a watchdog group -- part of which taxpayers, regardless of party affiliation, will have to pay. Obama started out in Las Vegas, where he stumped that night for state Democrats and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. On Wednesday night he was to attend a two-tiered donor dinner for the Democratic Party in Los Angeles. . . . White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said the Democratic National Committee is paying its share for this trip."
Click here to read the entire post.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Politico Ranks "The best e-mail lists in politics"
According to Politico, it's Organizing For America (Obama's list), MoveOn, the RNC, American Solutions For Winning The Future (Newt Gingrich's organization), and a tie between Hillary Clinton and John McCain. The DSCC, Team Sarah, Barbara Boxer, and the American Family Association earned honorable mentions.
Click here to read the entire post.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Politico: GOP cashes in on Bruce Springsteen
Politico reports that "At least 15 lawmakers and political committees — including a half-dozen Republican ones — sold tickets to fundraisers at the sold-out concert at the Verizon Center. Although most tickets had face values of less than $100, lobbyists and political action committee directors plunked down upward of $2,000 to watch Springsteen while schmoozing members of Congress . . . ."
Click here to read the entire post.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Politico: Lawmakers like Barney Frank score campaign cash on their way to work
From Politico: "On a recent Capitol Hill morning, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank stopped by a swanky bistro for breakfast — and walked out with another $18,000 or so for his campaign coffers.
It’s a scene that plays out many times a day when Congress is in session: Lawmakers on their way to work, slipping out for lunch or idling between floor votes take a short walk, make an appearance and score some campaign cash."
Click here to read the entire post.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Politico: Will cash follow Specter?
From Politico: "Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter seems confident Pennsylvania voters will follow him on Election Day. But will the political money move, too? He has a lot of work ahead of him. He’s raised about $9 million for his reelection campaign next year and has about $7 million in the bank."
Click here to read the entire post.
Friday, May 08, 2009
Is Arlen Specter Misleading Donors?
Politico reports "In two national TV appearances Sunday, Sen. Arlen Specter plugged specterforthecure.com — a website he said he launched to 'put more pressure on Congress' to increase funding for medical research. What Specter didn’t say: The website is owned by his reelection committee, and contributions made there go straight to Specter’s 2010 reelection campaign. . . . But critics say Specter’s comments Sunday and the layout of specterforthecure.com itself obscure the fact that what looks like a solicitation for medical research is really just a campaign cash come-on."
Click here to read the entire post.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Time: Bush Library Raises $100 Million in 100 Days
Time reports "Longtime financial backers of the 43rd President have raised more than $100 million for a presidential library at Southern Methodist University in Dallas that will house his official papers, sources close to Bush told TIME. Much of the money was collected in the 100 days or so since Bush left the White House, a pace much faster than that of his recent predecessors. At least so far, none of it has come from overseas, the sources said. . . . [George W. Bush Presidential Library] Foundation president [Mark] Langdale said names of contributors will not be released because some donors prefer anonymity."
Click here to read the entire post.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wash. Times: Donors demand refund from Specter; Political switch gets expensive as lawmaker's support shrinks
From the Washington Times: "Sen. Arlen Specter's switch to the Democratic Party is prompting his campaign donors large and small to demand their money back, including several Republican senators whose political action committees gave tens of thousands of dollars to the Pennsylvania lawmaker. . . . While not legally bound to refund any legitimate campaign donation, Mr. Specter has pledged to honor requests for refunds - and the requests are pouring in."
Click here to read the entire post.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
NYT: Activists Urge Top Democratic Groups to Ban Lobby, PAC Donations
The New York Times has this report on the push by "some progressive bloggers" to get the DSCC and DCCC to "forgo contributions from political action committees and lobbyists. . . . Organizations and blogs, from Change Congress, a group created by Larry Lessig and Joe Trippi, to Jack and Jill Politics, have set up a new Web site on Tuesday called Stop Fake Reform."
Click here to read the entire post.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Politico: Hillary profits from campaign list
Politico reports that Hillary Clinton is paying off her presidential campaign debt by renting out her mailing list. "The more than $3.6 million she received for the list, revealed in Federal Election Commission filings, is about four times the $938,000 donors gave."
Click here to read the entire post.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
CQ Politics: Proposed Legislation Would Cut Ties Between Earmarks and Contributions
CQ Politics reports "a pair of Democrats is seeking to sever ties between earmarks and campaign contributions — a link that was underscored in the latest controversy regarding the now-shuttered lobbying firm PMA. Reps. Paul W. Hodes of New Hampshire and Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona introduced legislation Wednesday that would ban lawmakers from taking contributions from companies, executives or lobbyists for whom they have secured earmarks."
Click here to read the entire post.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Washington Post: New Liberal Jewish Lobby Quickly Makes Its Mark; J Street Is Leading Pro-Israel PAC, Filings Show, Though Year-Old Group Has Attracted Criticism
From the Washington Post: "When a group of Jewish liberals formed a lobbying and fundraising group called J Street a year ago, they had modest hopes of raising $50,000 for a handful of congressional candidates. Instead, the group's political arm ended up funneling nearly $600,000 to several dozen Democrats and a handful of Republicans in 2008, making it Washington's leading pro-Israel PAC, according to Federal Election Commission expenditure records. Organizers say 33 of the group's 41 favored House and Senate candidates won their races."
Click here to read the entire post.
Friday, April 17, 2009
CQ Politics: Big Early Money for Democrats Defending ‘Frontline’
From CQ Politics: "The campaign documents, filed electronically with the Federal Election Commission, provide evidence that those 40 potentially vulnerable incumbents, enrolled by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in its 'Frontline Democrats' program, are working to solidify their political positions well before the 2010 campaign season begins in earnest."
Click here to read the entire post.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Washington Times: Democrats pull ahead in money race; Reports bleak for Republicans
From the Washington Times: "The year's first batch of campaign fundraising reports show early betting is on Senate Democrats for the 2010 election season. Even the party's supposedly vulnerable incumbents raked in cash at a rapid clip in the first-quarter reports, the ultimate early political tip sheet that reveals who's hot and who's coming up short."
Click here to read the entire post.
Friday, April 17, 2009
WSJ: House Members Report Funding Drop
The Wall Street Journal reports that "House lawmakers reported a decline in political fund raising in the first three months of the midterm-election cycle, driven largely by a drop in donations to Republicans, according to new finance reports."
Click here to read the entire post.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Boston Globe: PAC money flowing to Mass. delegation; Donations on rise since '08 political power shift
The Boston Globe reports that "The Massachusetts delegation in the US House of Representatives is reaping the financial rewards of Democrats' return to power, attracting increasing amounts of campaign cash from Washington's influential business and labor union lobbies. Since their party regained House control in 2006, the state's 10-member, all-Democrat delegation has secured the chairmanships of one major House committee, one select committee, and five subcommittees. And with those powerful posts comes more fund-raising leverage."
Click here to read the entire post.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Wall Street Journal: Political Donations Slide Amid Slump
The Wall Street Journal reports that corporate PAC contributions are down this year, compared to the same point in 2007 (the most recent non-election year) - the drop, however, is only 6%.
Click here to read the entire post.
Monday, April 06, 2009
Washington Times: Barton's foundation not so charitable
From the Washington Times: "The top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee operates a tax-exempt foundation that has raised donations from the industries his committee oversees, while giving less than a quarter of the foundation's money to charitable causes, tax records show. . . . In recent months, Mr. Barton and his foundation have been trying to fulfill their charitable pledges by taking credit when companies give directly to community groups in the foundation's name - essentially bypassing a 2007 congressional requirement that donations from lobbying interests to lawmakers' charities be disclosed."
Click here to read the entire post.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Washington Post Reports on Terry McAuliffe's Out-Of-State Fundraising
From the Washington Post: "Although McAuliffe's national contacts will help him raise millions, his energetic fundraising outside the state risks giving ammunition to rivals who say he is an outsider in Virginia, out of touch with state politics and residents' concerns. But McAuliffe says he sees no problems with the out-of-state money."
Click here to read the entire post.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Boston Globe: Campaign fund-raisers feel tight economic squeeze, too
From the Boston Globe: "Massachusetts political operatives and elected officials say the cratering economy is hitting them, too, because campaign contributors are more tight-fisted."
Click here to read the entire post.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Washington Times: Obama raised cash after leaving Senate; Bailout beneficiary gave maximum
The Washington Times reports that "President Obama continued collecting money for his 2010 Senate re-election campaign even after he resigned his seat from Illinois, including a maximum $2,300 donation the day after Christmas from a top executive of a Wall Street firm that had received a government bailout. Four contributions - $4,800 in all - were donated to the Obama 2010 fund on Dec. 26, according to Federal Election Commission reports."
Click here to read the entire post.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Washington Post: Political Parties See Dramatic Decline in Fundraising; '08 Debts Linger As Recession Slows Giving
The Washington Post reports that "political party committees find themselves racked by declining revenue and mounting debt. Democrats have seen a dropoff in contributions from the frenetic small-dollar online donors who fueled President Obama's campaign, while Republicans have seen a dramatic decline in activity from the kind of big-ticket donors who were loyal contributors to the Bush White House and its pro-business agenda. Combined donations from individuals to the six major party campaign committees have fallen by more than 26 percent from a similar period two years ago, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission."
Click here to read the entire post.
Friday, March 27, 2009
CQ Politics: Democrats Keep Track of Who’s Helping the Party
CQ Politics reports that "The campaign arm of Democrats serving in the House is privately circulating a tally showing members of that caucus where they stack up in fundraising for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)."
Click here to read the entire post.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Hill: DNC pulls in $3M with first Obama fundraisers
According to The Hill, "The Democratic National Committee pulled out its biggest fundraising weapon for the first time Wednesday night, using President Obama to rake in more than $3 million at two Washington fundraisers . . . ."
Click here to read the entire post.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
CQ Politics: Candidates With Deep Pockets: A Trend in 2010?
CQ Politics has this article on self-funding candidates, and the possibility that there may be more than usual in 2010.
Click here to read the entire post.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
AP: THE INFLUENCE GAME: Fundraising e-mails never stop
The AP on candidates' fundraising e-mails: "Though it's early in a non-election year, politicians and special interests are blasting out daily e-mails by the truckload, beckoning lobbyists and other would-be donors to fundraisers ranging from the mundane to the exotic. A look at scores of them, provided by recipients, shows they share a straightforward message: Members of Congress would like your help getting in re-elected, and contributors can spend time with them."
Click here to read the entire post.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Sen. Durbin To Introduce "Fair Elections Now Act," Providing Public Funding For Congressional Elections
The Wall Street Journal reports that the legislation "would give congressional candidates the option of financing their campaigns partly through a public fund, in exchange for limiting their funding from corporate political-action committees."
Click here to read the entire post.
Monday, March 23, 2009
New York Times: New York City’s Political Campaigning Industry Defies Downturn
According to the New York Times, "The city is contending with gaping budget holes, companies are slashing their operations, stores are shutting down, and workers are losing their jobs. But at least one industry is still going strong: political campaigns. In interviews, consultants, pollsters, election lawyers and other strategists said that business was, in fact, very good this year. There are city elections this fall, with a fair number of competitive races already off the ground. As of March 12, 216 candidates had registered with the city’s Campaign Finance Board, an unprecedented number this early in the election cycle, a board spokesman said."
Click here to read the entire post.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
CQ Politics: Capitol Hill Republicans Turn to Palin as Fundraising Draw
CQ Politics reports that "Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin . . . will deliver the keynote address at the GOP's annual Senate-House fundraising dinner scheduled for June 8."
Click here to read the entire post.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Bloomberg: Obama to Test Fundraising Skills Amid ‘Donor Fatigue,’ Crisis
Bloomberg reports that "President Barack Obama will headline the first fundraiser of his presidency this month, appealing to donors large and small even as the economy struggles through the worst recession in generations. Obama’s appearance at the Democratic National Committee’s March 25 event at the Warner Theatre in Washington, with tickets ranging from $100 to $2,500 per person, will be an early test of his ability to keep up the record-breaking fundraising he achieved during the campaign."
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Sunday, March 15, 2009
Politico: Battle brews over Bush library
From Politico: "Former President George W. Bush is preparing for one final struggle against the odds: raising $300 million for a presidential library, museum and policy institute at a time when dollars are tight and skepticism about his presidency runs high."
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Sunday, March 15, 2009
The Hill: Biden raises big bucks for Sen. Lincoln
The Hill reports that "With Vice President Joe Biden by her side, Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) launched her 2010 reelection campaign Saturday night. Lincoln’s campaign told local media the event raised about $800,000 for Lincoln’s reelection campaign, which should go a long way in a state with relatively inexpensive media markets."
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Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Dallas Observer: Five Years Later, the Feds Finally Sue Irving-Based Republican Victory Committee
The Dallas Observer notes that the FEC has filed suit against Jody Novachek and the Republican Victory Committee for engaging in fraudulent fundraising.
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Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Politico: GOP urges rookies to go for the dough
Politico reports that "House GOP leaders are tired of throwing good money into lost causes on the campaign trail, so they’ve got a new message for rookie Republicans: You’re going to have to raise cash early and often."
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Friday, February 20, 2009
USA Today: Lawmakers take fundraising to slopes
According to USA Today, "The deepening economic recession hasn't stopped members of Congress from throwing lavish events to raise campaign money for the 2010 election."
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