money in politics
February 12, 2016 -
The court battle over North Carolina's congressional and legislative districts highlights the role of well-funded interests in shaping political maps. A Washington, D.C.-based super PAC not only helped draw up the congressional districts that were recently ruled unconstitutional, but also helped elect legislators and an N.C. Supreme Court justice who approved the maps.
February 4, 2016 -
The only super PAC in the billionaire Koch brothers' conservative political network, which is set to spend almost $1 billion on this year's election, Freedom Partners Action Fund just submitted its year-end report to the Federal Elections Commission. It shows a small number of conservative mega-donors are bankrolling the group's efforts, including seven Southern businessmen.
January 21, 2016 -
On the sixth anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision that allowed unlimited private money to flow into U.S. elections, with political spending showing no signs of slowing, citizens and some elected officials are taking action to end what some call "legalized corruption."
December 18, 2015 -
Super PACs, "social welfare" nonprofits, and other outside groups are spending record amounts on ads in the 2016 presidential race, more than triple the total at this point compared to four years ago. But are the ads effective? We consider lessons from North Carolina, a key swing state that in recent elections has attracted record amounts of outside money.
December 10, 2015 -
Twenty-two out of the South's 26 U.S. senators voted against two gun-safety measures the day after last week's massacre in San Bernardino, California. All but one Southern senator voting "nay" received direct campaign donations from the National Rifle Association, benefited from outside political spending by the NRA, or both.
December 3, 2015 -
Four charitable organizations led by billionaire libertarian businessman Charles Koch of the Koch Industries oil and chemical conglomerate have given nearly $108 million to colleges and universities since 2005 to advance his brand of unfettered capitalism — and 85 percent went to schools in the South.
November 12, 2015 -
Nonprofits, presidential candidates, and others are engaging in legally questionable political fundraising and spending as the government agencies that are supposed to enforce the law do nothing. Good-government groups are pressing for action.
