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Archive: Fundraising Circuit
'Millionaire' Decision Leaves Races in Limbo
The Supreme Court today struck down a portion of the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act known as the "millionaire's amendment," which was designed to give a financial leg-up to congressional candidates facing opponents who funnel more than $350,000 into their own campaigns. The fact that the ruling comes in the...
By Ben Pershing | June 26, 2008; 03:40 PM ET | Comments (3)
GOP Embezzler Claims Another Victim
We were given a pretty good idea of how much money Christopher Ward allegedly embezzled from the National Republican Congressional Committee, after the committee released an audit two weeks ago showing the former treasurer appears to have taken $725,000 from its coffers over a six-year span. The audit further revealed...
By Ben Pershing | June 24, 2008; 07:00 PM ET | Comments (6)
Public Financing Reform Languishes
Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) announcement today that he would forgo public financing for his general election campaign looks unlikely to spur congressional reform of the funding system, despite widespread concern that the current setup simply doesn't work. A bill to overhaul the system, dubbed the Presidential Funding Act of 2007,...
By Ben Pershing | June 19, 2008; 05:28 PM ET | Comments (30)
Tanker Fight Fueled by Millions in Campaign Cash
The news today that the Government Accountability Office has upheld Boeing's protest of an Air Force tanker contract award given to Northrop Grumman and EADS means that the $40 billion deal remains in doubt. Which is very good news for the campaign coffers of members of Congress. The Boeing vs....
By Ben Pershing | June 18, 2008; 02:55 PM ET | Comments (32)
Controversial FEC Nominee Withdraws
Controversial Federal Election Commission nominee Hans von Spakovsky has withdrawn his name from consideration for the post, potentially clearing the way for a deal that could get the crippled agency back up and running. Von Spakovsky, a former Justice Department lawyer and Republican nominee to the commission, told the White...
By Ben Pershing | May 16, 2008; 06:05 PM ET | Comments (4)
Another Victim in GOP Embezzlement Scandal
Add retiring Rep. James Walsh (N.Y.) to the list of Republican lawmakers who now believe they were ripped off by Christopher Ward, the former treasurer of multiple GOP campaigns who is under federal investigation for allegedly embezzling funds from the National Republican Congressional Committee. On April 14, Walsh's political action...
By Ben Pershing | April 23, 2008; 02:24 PM ET | Comments (2)
On Death and Campaign Cash
Dealing with the estate of someone who dies without a will or clear wishes can be difficult for the survivors. Who gets the house? The car? The family heirlooms? And when members of Congress pass away, there's an additional question to answer: What happens to their campaign cash? Under current...
By Ben Pershing | April 2, 2008; 01:18 PM ET | Comments (2)
MLB Spreads the Wealth on the Hill
On the same day Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig was being grilled about steroids by a House panel, his office was busy filing the year-end report for baseball's political action committee. Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig listens to Former Sen. George Mitchell testify before the House Oversight and...
By Ben Pershing | January 15, 2008; 03:55 PM ET | Comments (6)
Aides to Republicans, Democrats Offered Up to Donors
Just a few blocks apart tonight, Senate Democrats and Republicans are hosting separate big-dollar fund-raising events but with the exact same drawing card: the guys (and gals) behind the guys (and gals). Both the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee are holding fundraisers where the guests...
By Paul Kane | October 23, 2007; 05:35 PM ET | Comments (3)
Dems Crushing GOP in Congressional Fundraising
In a secure, undisclosed beach location for this entire week, Capitol Briefing was determined not to even glance at a computer screen. But after 96 or so straight hours of overcast, rainy skies on the Eastern seaboard, strange things happen and pretty soon you find yourself looking at the Federal...
By Paul Kane | August 22, 2007; 03:10 PM ET | Comments (50)
Forget the Lawmaker, Meet the Chief of Staff
Uncle Chuck Wants You! That's the message jumping out of the latest fundraising letter sent out from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, chaired by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). [Click the image to the right to see the full text.] Don't let Uncle Chuck down! This invite first appeared (in print...
By Paul Kane | June 15, 2007; 03:02 PM ET | Comments (11)
Frist Opens Non-Federal PAC Account
Here's quick update to last week's post about former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn): He just opened a non-federal account for his Volunteer PAC. This means Frist will have two accounts for his political action committee, one raising money to support House, Senate and presidential candidates; the other will...
By Paul Kane | May 7, 2007; 03:14 PM ET | Email a Comment
Wasting Away Again ... in Moneyville
For members of Congress, it's never too early to start raising money for the next campaign, whether a lawmaker won in a photo finish or completely trampled the opponent. This week alone there are at least 14 different fundraisers for House Republicans looking to stock their war chests, according to...
By Paul Kane | January 30, 2007; 05:12 PM ET | Comments (3)
