Electoral issues: Campaign Finances |
Influence of money on political elections; legislation limiting expenditures, level and types of permissible donations.
4/22/10
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Analysis & views: 3/23/09 Intentionally "outrageous" campaign ads proliferate in British Columbia are stimulated by a ruling sharply limiting "third party" campaign expenditures. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090322.wbcgaglaw23/BNStory/National/home 10/23/08 A member of the ruling Labour Party, at a social party, lets slip a comment about a rival Conservative MP having met and solicited a campaign donation from a lady described as a "fabulously wealthy Russian oligarch." Such actions are a violation of UK election laws against foreign campaign donors. But the revelation has raised hackles primarily against the whistle-blower, who is castigated for violating the "etiquette" in British public life that one doesn't repeat snippets of conversation at a social party. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/world/europe/23britain.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&th&emc=th 12/18/07 UN watchdog agency says most of the campaign money for Kenya's current presidential election was raised "improperly." http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/africa/article01 11/27/07 Gordon Brown's UK government is embroiled in scandal as two of his cabinet ministers are accused to accepting campaign funds from a developer who received government favors. 3/19/06 "Peerages for loans" scandal rocks Blair government in Britain: http://politics.guardian.co.uk/funding/story/0,,1732034,00.html
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Analysis & views: 4/22/10 3/11/10 2/20/10 1/27/10 1/24/10 1/23/10 1/22/10 1/10/09 1/9/10 10/24/09 10/16/09 9/9/09 9/8/09 7/30/09 7/15/09 7/7/09 In campaign financing case, Supreme Court is poised to enshrine the principle of corporate personhood.: The "Roberts court," in a new case to be heard this fall, may strike down a law regulating contributions by corporations as violation of the "free speech" of these entities, confirming a 5-4 margin of Court action in this direction. With a couple of exceptions, neither the author of this article (Thom Hartmann) nor any of the numerous commenters on the article speculate on the possible impact of the nomination of Sonio Sotomayor on this fragile balance of power in what is described as a significant movement toward "fascism." http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/07/06-0 2/19/09 UBS paid; did Obama play? The Swiss bank giant UBS, has agreed to release the names of wealthy U.S. depositors, has admitted conspiracy in defrauding the IRS of tax payments by their clients and has agreed to settle a tax bill with the IRS. With UBS having dropped a half million dollars to Obama's presidential campaign, the bank might wonder how vigorously the U.S. Justice Department will prosecute their American co-conspirators. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/business/worldbusiness/19ubs.html?th&emc=th UBS OBAMA CONTRIBUTIONS. 10/21/08 Loophole in campaign-financing law has allowed both Obama and McCain campaigns to receive contribution of 2,000 people who donated $25,000 or more through "joint fund-raising committees," with Wall Street investment firms heavily involved in the practice. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/21/us/politics/21donate.html?th&emc=th 9/28/08 Insurance companies are contributing heavily to the campaigns of both Democrats and Republicans for Florida legislature seats. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/state/epaper/2008/09/24/a1b_atwater_0925.html 7/29/08 AVice Presdiential selectios take center stage of public attention, the plutocracy of both parties may assert itself: The campaign money hunger of both major parties could well result in the selection of such billionaire tycoons as Milt Romney by McCain, Michael Bloomberg (a Republican) by Obama. Johann Hari suggests that Obama might actually be better served by the selection of Virginian Jim Webb, who won a Senate seat in a "Republican" state by a populist appeal of "running against the money." The politically smart money seems to be on Webb, but the hard cash may dictate a different nominee. http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/07/28/10647/ 7/16/08 "Show me whose hand you eat from, and I'll show you whose song you sing." Pham Binh uses this epigram to keynote an analysis of Barack Obama's campaign contributors as related to his recent "flip flops" on public issues. Although Obama claims to have millions of "small" donors who will have as much "access" to his presidency as the more substantial ones, ordinary small donors don't have access during the campaign, as do prominent "bundlers," to such amenities of access as pre-speech copies of his major public statements and participation in campaign teleconferences. http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/07/who-owns-obama/ 6/7/08 Those big party parties in St. Paul and Denver: Who's going to pay for them? To a large extent, both the Republican and Democratic national conventions will be paid for in contributions from large corporations and unions, as such contributions are not only exempt (as "soft" campaign money) from legal limits on campaign contributions; they are actually tax exempt, unlike other campaign contributions. So party hearty kids, enjoy your "unity," Uncle Money-bags is picking up the tab. (Oh and if you're a Democrat, be sure to put a lot of stuff about "curbing corporate influence on politics" in your platform; Uncle M-b will understand it's just "campaign rhetoric") 6/7/08 Illinois legislators urge Governor Blagojevich to return $1.4 million in campaign funds raised by convicted fund-raiser Tony Rezko. 4/11/08 Barack Obama's "incredible" $240 million campaign fund: Obama's campaign is touted as a "grassroots" one made up of mostly small donations, but Washington Post analysis shows that about half of it has been collected from wealthy donors and from corporate "bundlers" who amass large sums in modest donations from their employees. Some of these donors say that it isn't a matter of expecting "influence" of wealth on his possible administration, but of a fact that they really "believe in" his campaign. 2/23/08 A fight for progressives worth losing. Case Wagenvoord so describes his proposal of an amendment to the U.S. constitution that could lead to the passage of desperately-needed campaign finance reform. Though the legislative and executive branches might conceivably pass legislation to control corporate contributions to political campaigns, under the Constitution as it has currently been interpreted, the corporations can sue to invalidate measures that violate their "free speech" rights as persons to spend their money as they see fit. The amendment that Wagemvoord advocates would strip corporations of this legal construction of their "personhood," giving them no such standing in the courts. Admitting a snow-balls-chance-in-hell of passing such an amendment, he cites I.F. Stone's dictum that the only fights worth fighting are those one is likely to lose, as a string of losses may be the only political path to an ultimate victory. Good overall message for progressives in a time that tries their souls, a message of which Doris Haddock (Granny D) has been a living embodiment. http://www.countercurrents.org/wagenvoord210208.htm 2/18/08 Democratic presidential candidates: What they say is mostly not what you get. While candidates vie with one another to portray their commitment to "working Americans," contributions to their campaigns come overwhelmingly from business interests, and to a negligible degree from labor ones. Campaign funding seldom becomes an issue in primary contests, as media abets a kind of "horse-race" politics in which the "horses" who raise the most money are defined as the "serious" candidates and they allow the debate of candidates to be deflected from issues to personalities. http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticle/16550 2/15/08 Superdelegates are getting a super-fund of cash from Obama and Clinton campaigns: With a near-tie in elected delegates looming, the tie-breakers may be "ex officio" delegates like members of Congress who, of course, have their own campaigns to be worried about. Both Obama and Clinton, and especially Obama, have made very generous contributions to those campaigns. A political scientist says the operative rule for a super-delegate may be "ask and ye shall receive." http://www.alternet.org/election08/77106/ 2/10/08 Obama, Clinton and "affordable" college tuition:. Both presidential candidates proclaim commitment to the principle of affordable tuition, but both fail to see the "elephant in the room" which Derrick Jackson says is the reluctance of American universities to use their huge endowment funds toward lightening the burden of higher education costs on students and their parents. Their "blindness" to this beast may be related to the fact that these supposed fighters against "special interest" political influence have been the beneficiaries of very large campaign contributions from one such interest, American colleges and unversities; contributions that dwarf those given to Republican candidates 2/7/08 On Super Tuesday, Wall Street cast a super ballot of campaign funding for presidential candidates:. With its pattern of funding to candidates deemed to be most likely to succeed, the Street bet on the Democrats and provided far more funding to them than to the Republican ones. However, these Wall Street firms reflected the same uncertainty of outcome in the Democratic primary that was shown in Tuesday's results, distributing their copious donations almost evenly between Clinton and Obama. http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/feb2008/elec-f05.shtml 2/3/08 Two Democrats are vying to buy themselves an election:. Voters in 22 "super Tuesday" states are being hit with a barrage of Clinton and Obama TV ads, as between them they are spending more than a million dollars a day on such advertising, as they boast campaign chests far in excess of those of the Republicans 1/28/08 Outsiders tend to be predominant fund-raising source in Texas legislative races, as special interests seek to influence their legislatige performances. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5490076.html 1/9/08 The Democratic presidential prmiary may be about to get real nasty:. In a Huffington Post a day before Hillary Clinton's narrow win in New Hampshire, it is noted that her wealthy backers are considering putting their campaign contributions into an "anybody-but-Obama" 527 committee to finance swift-boat attack ads on Barak Obama. http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/01/08/6258/ 1/5/08 Former Democratic Party fund-raiser Norman Hsu sentenced to 3 years in prison on charges of operating a Ponzi scheme. 12/11/07 Massachusetts Governor and Lieutenant Governor are taking in large amounts of campaign contributions from same special interest groups whose influence they criticized in the last election. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/12/11/patrick_murray_tap_special_interests/ 12/2/07 American business lobbyists go "lame duck hunting.". Anticipating a Democratic take-over of the White House as well as an increase in their majorities in Congress, industry lobbyists are adapting to the inevitable by (a) seeking an industry-favorable out-the-door set of administrative rules governing business practices in the areas of environmental protection, health care and workers rights; and (b) putting much more campaign money into the coffers of Democratic candidates for congress and the presidency. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/washington/02lobby.html?th&emc=th 11/11/07 Ron Paul and the political power of the internet: The Texas Republican is enjoying tremendous fund-raising success through his website, with results equalling those of "top tier" presidential candidates. This success is attributable to a broadly "libertarian" strain among the high tech types who tend to predominate in the net, as well as "conservative" Republicans who are concerned about fiscal responsibility and from the fact that he is the single "anti-war" candidate in the GOP field. It remains to be seen whether this fund-raising success will result in significant votes for him, or will push other GOP candidates to alter their stances to appeal more to his support constituencies. http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1108/p02s01-uspo.html 11/11/07 Earmarks and other favors for campaign contributions: how Don Young from Alaska perfected the art. http://www.adn.com/news/politics/fbi/young/story/9447181p-9358502c.html 11/11/07 Campaign funds from gambling interests have flowed freely to Maryland political candidates, including the current Governor, who advocate for slot marchines in the state. 11/4/07 Ffred Thompson, like Hillary Clinton, learns that a presidential candidate had best be aware of the background of his/her campaign financiers: A businessman, Philip Martin, has furnished GOP candidate Thompson with cut-rate air travel on his private jet, and it is now revealed that Martin has a past record of convictions for drug possession and dealing. The Senator's spokesperson says he had been unaware of this record. 9/14/07 Practice of state legislators paying their staff to do campaign work on their behalf comes under attack in Pennsylvania. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20070914_8_House_aides_linked_to_illegal_campaign_work.html 9/11/07 Hillary Clinton does the "right thing." Her presidential campaign returns $850k to 260 donors whose contributions were "bundled" by Norman Hsu, now in jail under indictment for fraud. Not to worry, though, her pantry of campaign funds was stuffed with at least $62.5 million, so while a return of $850k would virtually empty Dennis Kucinich's campaign pantry, hers won't have to miss many meals on account of the return (might attract some more contributors because of her "right thing" gesture). FOR UPDATE ON CANDIDATES' CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS, SEE http://www.whitehouseforsale.org/ 8/31/07 Governor Rendell of Pennsylvania won't (for now) join the parade of national politicians returning campaign funds to a fund raiser under indictment in California. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20070831_Rendell_will_keep_suspect_donation.html 8/13/07 Hillary Clinton wins campaign finacne home run derby, but must settle for an asterisk beside her name: She raises $26 million in the first quarter of 2007, barely "out-hitting" slugger Barack Obama, but bounced checks and duplicate credit card charges from the previous quarter require a reduction that leave her dead-even with Slugger Obama. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/us/politics/13donate.html?ref=politics 6/16/07 Four candidates for seats on Pennsylvania's highest court have already raised $3 millions for their campaigns. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20070616_High_court_candidates_in_Pa__raised__3_million.html 5/28/07 Greenwich CT is awash in hedge funds millionaires and also, these days, in a swarm of presidential candidates of both parties hoping to gratify the desire of the wealthy of having an "influence" on national politics by relieving them of some of their mega-millions in the form of campaign contributions. bhttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/28/us/politics/28greenwich.html?th&emc=th 5/24/07 Talk about campaign financing driving public policy. Amy Goodman notes that, as the 08 presidential campaign season begins and both parties are bidding for corporate funding, they are "open for business" with those corporations hoping to get "free trade" deals favorable to their own interests. Impending agreements with Peru, Panama, Colombia and South Korea are laden with many lucrative opportunities to favor these interests by downplaying labor and environmental requirements, but the big enchilada is China. where Hillary Clinton's connections should bring many dollars to the campaign coffers of herself and the Democratic Party. Deals are already being made in secret and in collusion with the White House to effectuate the program of bringing the NAFTA model to the rest of the world. Goodman suggests that if these leaders think they will do their deals without interference with a general public baffled by arcane trade economics, they maybe should reflect on Seattle and the WTO and have another think about the matter. http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/05/23/1386/ 2/25/07 Report by Brennan Center for Justice characterizes Illinois' laws governing campaign financing the "worst" in the country, allowing an "open door for corruption" in a pervasive "pay-for-play" political culture. http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/0222-10.htm 2/19/07 "Good government" advocates are successfully inserting campaign finance and official corruption as issues in municipal elections in Philadelphia. http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/front/16730501.htm 2/16/07 Banking industry is banking heavily on support of presidential campaign of Christopher Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and a "Wall Street friendly" Senator. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/15/AR2007021501555.html?referrer=email 2/11/07 For John McCain, that was then, this is now: Then: a 15-year "crusade" against the influence of wealthy campaign donors on U.S.elections. Now: an aggressive and successful effort to tap just those funding sources for his own presidential campaign. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/10/AR2007021001510.html?referrer=email 1/23/07 Hillary Clinton's announcement of her presidential bid indicates likely demise of the public financing program for the 08 campaign, as her website calls on her followers to make contributions in an amount which exceeds the limits under that program. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/22/AR2007012201304.html?referrer=email 1/22/07 Race is on for campaign funds for 2008 presidential race, as George Soros signals he may put most of his money on Barak Obama. http://sg.news.yahoo.com/070122/1/4640d.html 12/9/06 $35 million was spent in campaigning for and against a stem cell research proposition on the Missouri 06 ballot, more than the combined spending in the closely run Senate race between Talent and McCaskill. 11/7/06 Too much money for Conquest Communications: GOP Robo calls of highly negative nature and insufficient indication of their source are being operated by CC, and the "Muckraker" website has their number with records of ads placed and money spent in 20 congressional districts (among them Florida seats being sought by Tim Mahoney and Chistine Jennings) , including audio samples of same. http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001940.php 11/7/06 Opinion: Miami Herald letter writer suggests that the GOP may have handed the election to Democrats out of voter revulsion at their low blow campaign ads. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15939871.htm 11/6/06 Arnold Schwarzenegger, elected California Governor in 2003 partly on platform of opposition to "special interests," has raised $113.4 million for his re-election campaign, largest in California history, mostly from those very "interests." http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/110506H.shtml 10/28/06 Handwriting on the wall: large corporate campaign donors are shifting their donations from Republicans to Democrats as chances of party change in Congress grow. For example, Pfizer gave 33% of its donations to Democrats during first 9 months of this year, 59% to them in October. So you thought maybe a Democratic Congress would be less big-money dominated? http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/28/us/politics/28hedge.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin 10/27/06 Creative campaign financing as only an incumbent party can do: President's cabinet member travels to a state where a party candidate is in a key race, does a photo op with that candidate and announces a grant for a favorite program that the candidate has "brought" to the state: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/26/AR2006102601621.html?referrer=email 10/1/06 Political influence of campaign contributions: Ohio Supreme Court renders 4-3 decision in class action suit. 4 who voted for companies being sued had accepted large campaign contributions from those companies; 3 who voted for plaintiffs had accepted large campaign contributions from plaintiff's attorneys. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/01/us/01judges.html?th&emc=th 8/31/06 U.S. taxpayers are footing the bill for President Bush's numerous trips to fund-raising events that have raised $166 million for Republican candidates. 4/7/06 Bill Moyers: our campaign financing practices are building a "culture of corruption": http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0406-29.htm 3/19/06 Members of Congress with "safe" seats are still spending money generously: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/18/AR2006031800951.html?referrer=email 3/16/06 GOP proposes curbs on "527" groups, which gave significant support to Democrats in 04 election: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/15/AR2006031502384.html?referrer=email 3/13/06 Our system of campaign financing is said to make our politics a thoroughly corrupt system as every elected official is complicit in the "legal bribery" of those who paid for his/her election: http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0313-33.htm 3/10/06 Chairman of FEC suggests there will be an "entry fee" of $100 million for any "serious" candidate for President in 2008: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/10/AR2006031002425.html?referrer=email 2/26/06 I.R.S. reports sharp increase in illegal political activities of charitable organizations, half of them churches: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/25/national/25charity.html?_r=1&oref=slogin 2/18/06 Republican National Committee outdoing Democrats in fund-raising by 2-1 margin: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060218/ap_on_re_us/gop_money;_ylt=;_ylu=X3oDMTA3OXIzMDMzBHNlYwM3MDM-
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Analysis & views: 4/9/10 3/19/10 1/20/10 1/19/10 10/21/09 9/8/09 8/21/09 8/14/09 7/8/09 Hate those 527 "electioneering " groups that have poured millions of unaccountable campaign dollars into sleazy Florida election campaigns? Get used to them. Florida's top elections officer abandons the state's appeal against a court ruling that such suppressions of "free speech" are un-constitutional. One political analyst calls this a "game-changer" development for Florida politics, but maybe it more like "let the game continue." 2/20/09 Florida's Senator Nelson follows a well-worn path of elected officials when it is revealed that they received campaign contributions from questionable sources. Financier Robert Stanford, now under indictment for fraud, gave more campaign money to Nelson than to any other political candidate. Nelson now says he will donate this contribution to charity, along with other contributions that came from a Washington lobbyist firm now under investigation for possibly illegal fund-raising operations. http://floridacapitalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090219/CAPITOLNEWS/902190318 8/7/08 Bundling up in Florida in August. One of the nation's most prolific "bundlers" (collectors of $2300 campaign contributions from many individuals) is Harry Sergeant III, who has entertained John McCain at his Delray Beach home and has bundled contributions mostly from southern California contributors. Sergeant is a former government official now a successful defense contractor, and he is "ecumenical" in his campaign efforts (as contractors are wont to be) having "bundled" as well for Hillary Clinton as well as Charlie Crist. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/06/AR2008080602485.html 7/26/08 For his birthday, Florida Governor Charlie Crist gets a tie and a million bucks. The tie is from his sexy fiance Carole Rome, the million bucks from a fund-raising gathering at The Breakers in Palm Beach, where well-off contributors added a million dollars to the coffers of the state Republican Party and the re-election campaign of local legislator Jeff Atwater. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/07/24/a2a_jose_0725.html 6/1/08 Hello, Florida members of Congress. How are y'all?: Houston-based Suez Energy, attempting to construct a controversial liquefied natural gas terminus and pipeline off Ft. Lauderdale coast, is giving re-election campaign contributions to Democrats Wexler and Klein, Republican Martinez. As the candidates minimize the amounts and degree of influence of the contributions, a spokeswoman for Suez "explains" that "(These contributions provide) us with an opportunity to introduce ourselves, build relationships and share information." http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbcalypso0601sbjun01,0,6625204.story 4/8/08 Want a seat on the Orlando Internation Airport board? Put something in the Governor's campaign pot:. Orlando Sentinel Sun reports on several applicants for that position who made substantial contributions to the Crist gubernatorial campaign or his campaign in support of the property tax amendment. While maybe not illegal, an official of Florida Common Cause says, "the appearance is not good." http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/orl-airport0808apr08,0,4378432.story 3/16/08 A powerful gun pointed at the head of the DNC over Florida primary vote:. A wealthy Miami businessman who raised campaign funds for Hillary Clinton says to the party, as it struggles to find an acceptable formula for a presidential primary revote, ?If you?re not going to count my vote, I?m not going to give you my money,? Other Florida large donors are reacting similarly, and one survey shows that 1/4 of Democrats who voted in the original primary say they will not vote in November or will vote for a candidate other than a Democrat if the party refuses to seat its delegates to the convention. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/15/us/politics/15donate.html?th&emc=th 1/5/08 The money to finance the "Yes on 1" campaign: Where is it coming from? The second largest chunk (a half million dollars so far) is coming from Florida Power and Light. (the largest donation the million dollars contributed by Florida Association of Realtors) in support of the amendment offered voters on January 29 to "reform" property tax rates. A few days after an FPL lobbyist on December 5 drafted a bill which would ease public restrictions on the operation of public utilities, FPL wrote a check for $250k to the organization supporting the amendment. FPL representatives deny any connection between the two actions; how could anyone even imagine such a thing? http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008801030357 7/17/07 Big campaign bucks going from Florida to presidential candidates, with Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani leading the pack, Giuliana especially in south Florida with its many displanted New Yorkers. 12/11/06 Remember the headline that Utah spent the price of four flamingo lawn ornaments, $20, for each voter in the last election? Not only did Florida get Urban Meyer from Utah, it puts the Utes to shame as south Florida's congressional election between Ron Klein and Clay Shaw spent $63.51 per voter, with which each voter could probably have purchased a truly ugly piece of lawn statuary. 11/5/06 Awash in a sea of corporate money: race for district 22 congressional seat in south Florida has race upwards of $12 million for Ron Klein and Clay Shaw, third most expensive congressional race in the U.S. Klein's money comes largely from "Big Sugar," developers and trial lawyers, Shaw's from oil, insurance and pharmaceutical companies. 11/4/06 Estate of John Walton, Wal Mart heir who died last year in plane crash, is one of the biggest campaign contributors in the state, helping fund numerous legislative campaigns, especially those favorable to his favorite cause, school vouchers for private schools. http://www.sptimes.com/2006/11/03/State/Florida_s_top_campaig.shtml 10/26/06 Florida Elections Commission will not probe claim of Leon County Democrats that the Republican Party illegally contributed $1 million to Crist gubernatorial campaign when Gov. Mitt Romney gave that money to the GOP to "help" the party retain the governorship. http://www.tdo.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061026/CAPITOLNEWS/610260353/1010/NEWS01 10/24/06 With Democrat Christine Jennings unexpectedly competitive in her bid for the Congressional seat to replace Katherine Harris, Vern Buchanan has spent a near-record $4.5 million of his money for his campaign. http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061024/NEWS/610240381 9/24/06 Orlando Sentinel does an investigative report on the "electioneering-communications organizations" (ECOs) that are funding smear campaigns throughout the landscape of Florida elections. 9/21/06 Tip of the Iceberg: With 527 and PAC money for Florida elections from all directions running amok, Attorney General Charlie Crist is taken before Florida Elections Commission for allegedly violating state elections law by accepting $1 million of "earmarked" campaign money from the national Republican Party. http://gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060921/LOCAL/60921010/1078/NEWS 9/2/06 U.S. Sugar's investment of more than $4 million in Florida gubernatorial race becomes a major issue in the Democratic primary. http://gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060902/LOCAL/209020325/1078/news 9/1/06 Florida gubernatorial election brings out the big guns of 527 campaign financing, using high-sounding names to avoid limitations on contributions to a candidate. For example, Coalition to Protect the American Dream allows Florida Power and Light to give $225,000 to Tom Gallagher's campaign compared to the $1000 they could contribute directly. Other candidates have their own "pet" 527s with comparable levels of corporate funding. 4/29/06 In a spate of political rectitude, Florida Senate votes unanimously to curb big-money slush funds: http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060429/CAPITOLNEWS/604290325 3/13/06 State legislature considering proposals to rein in "soft money" contributions to campaign finance, said to be more corruptive on politics than the issue of lobbyist's gifts to legislators: http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060311/CAPITOLNEWS/603110319 2/2/06 GOP has advantage in campaign contributions: http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060130/NEWS02/601300326/1011/NEWS02 2/1/06 Senate President Tom Lee won't use political committee funds for his own campaign: http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060201/LOCAL/202010331/1078/news
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Analysis and views: Daytona Beach: 7/14/09 Key West: 7/14/09 Key West deep sea fishing tournament: selling face-time with Florida's political movers and shakers. Orange Co.: : 3/23/09 The best mayor of Orange County, Florida that money could buy. This seems to be situation in the county anchored by Orlando as a grand jury criticizes Mayor Rich Crotty and other officials for encouraging campaign contributions from vendors at the city/county expressway toll authority on whose board the Mayor sits; and it now appears that the same "encouragements" occurred with the vendors at Orlando Airport. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-bizcrotty22032209mar22,0,2501989.story Flagler Beach: 8/7/08 Practice of school board candidates taking campaign contributions from persons doing big business with school district is being questioned in Flagler County FL. http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Local/newFLAG02080708.htm Broward Co.: 7/27/08 Shahruck Djangi's campaign to become first Muslim sheriff of Broward County runs afoul of charges of campaign funding irregularities. http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2008-07-24/news/shak-attack/ Miami: 7/20/08 Democratic challengers to 3 Republican members of Congress from Miami have raised more campaign money than the incumbents. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/605949.html West Palm Beach: 6/7/08 Grand jury in West Palm Beach says state legislator acted unethically in urging a neighborhood association to write checks to the Mayor's campaign fund if they hoped to get city funding for their projects. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/06/06/s1a_grandjury_0607.html Titusville: 2/22/08 In an election, when is a bribe a bribe? That question is being raised in a special election in Florida's Space Coast to replace resigned Merritt Island Congressman Bob Allen. The Republican candidate is putting a 41 cent stamp with an absentee ballot sent to voters, to be used to return the ballot. Democrats are claiming this is an illegal payment for voting, Republicans say it's small potatoes compared to Democrats who "bus people in and feed them" to secure their votes. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/orl-stamps2208feb22,0,17348.story Bradenton: 1/25/08 "Electioneering" organizations' contributions to local political campaigns are put under the spotlight for their influence on outcome of Bradenton municipal race. http://www.bradenton.com/local/story/353284.html Gainesville: 11/3/06 Are the kids getting too much allowance? Gainesville Sun reports what every awake and aware person in the area knows: that the District 14 State Senate race between Jennings and Oelrich is awash in negative ads from both sides, fuelled by huge contributions from both state parties and by "electioneering" organizations. Maybe the "boys" need to have their allowances cut. http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061102/LOCAL/211020359 Jacksonville: 10/30/06 Jacksonville man is a major funder of the ballot initiative to return Cecil Field to the Navy, and has found a way around state election laws limiting contributions by individual corporations by contributing to GOP candidates using the 200 corporations that are registered in his name. http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/103006/met_5870426.shtml Volusia County: 11/6/06 Campaign ads at taxpayer expense: ads for and against charter amendments on Volusia County ballot are being paid for partly by city and county agencies. http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD01POL110606.htm
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