CQ.com - MoneyLine

Best-Funded Senators: The Big Three

Charles E. Schumer , D-N.Y., with $19.4 million in his campaign account, probably doens’t have to worry about spending as the election year begins.
The figure puts him at the top of the list of well-funded senators facing re-election. Schumer, a shoo-in to win a third term this November, took in $3.1 million in the final three months of 2009 and spent $317,000. His campaign is so well-stocked that it collected $153,000 in interest during the reporting period — more than some credible Senate candidates raised in contributions. Full story

Feb. 5, 2010 - 11:32 a.m.

Ring’s Corruption Trial Postponed Until July

U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle agreed Friday to postpone the retrial of former House-aide-turned-lobbyist Kevin Ring until July. Roll Call (paid content)

Feb. 5, 2010 - 11:32 a.m.

Sheriff-Turned-Congressman Reichert Starts PAC

Add one more to the list of House members with two campaign committees rather than just one.
In addition to the committee that raises money for his re-election, Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Wash.) now is in the Federal Election Commission’s records with a political action committee to use to raise money for other candidatates. The new entity is appropriately named Sheriff PAC. Full story

Feb. 5, 2010 - 11:33 a.m.

Nevada Democratic Party Swims in D.C. Cash

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s fundraising clout in Washington and home state generosity has helped the Nevada Democratic party build a big financial edge over the state Republican party, which drew hardly any support from the nation’s capital in 2009. Full story

Feb. 5, 2010 - 11:33 a.m.

Colorado Candidate Wiens 90 Percent Self-Supported

Former Colorado state Sen. Tom Wiens (R) was the source of almost nine out of every 10 dollars that went into his U.S. Senate campaign in late 2009.
Wiens’ campaign said in a Feb. 2 release that it raised $728,418 through the end of last year, “which included contributions of over $188,418 and a candidate-provided loan of $540,000.” Full story

Feb. 5, 2010 - 11:34 a.m.

AstroTurf Aces Push Credit Fee Event

Consumers for Competitive Choice, a self-described grass-roots nonprofit representing mostly small-business owners, is storming Capitol Hill today in a push to lower the fees that credit card companies charge merchants. Roll Call (paid content)

Feb. 4, 2010 - 12:18 p.m.

The Best-Funded House Incumbents

More than 80 members of the U.S. House had more than $1 million in their campaign accounts as the election year began, according to a CQ Politics analysis of campaign reports recently filed with the Federal Election Commission. Full story

Feb. 4, 2010 - 12:19 p.m.

Open-Seat Races and Cash-Comfortable Candidates

Big money’s already in the bank in the districts of House members who are not running this year, and why not? It’s much easier to pick up an open seat than knock out an incumbent. Full story

Feb. 4, 2010 - 12:20 p.m.

Fourth-Quarter Reports Give Open-Seat Clues

Like a strong cup of coffee, a slap to the face or a cold shower, campaign fundraising reports have a way of bringing instant clarity to a cloudy situation. Roll Call (paid content)

Feb. 4, 2010 - 12:21 p.m.

CQ Politics Top 10: Best-Funded House Primary Challengers

There might be nine months until the November congressional elections, but some House incumbents have to be mindful of well-funded and potentially threatening opposition in primary elections months earlier. Full story

Feb. 3, 2010 - 12:24 p.m.

‘Don’t Ask’ Ignites Policy War

With his future at stake, Lt. Dan Choi hopped a train from New York to catch Tuesday’s Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on repealing the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays serving in the armed forces. Roll Call (paid content)

Feb. 3, 2010 - 12:28 p.m.

Anti-Abortion PAC Gets Heavy Fine

The Federal Election Commission has fined the National Right to Life political action committee $99,000 for late filings. Though the fine, which occurred late last year, is listed in the latest disclosure report covering the last half of 2009, the agency has yet to release any details concerning the penalty.
     “The $99,000 penalty paid to the Federal Election Commission in December of 2009 arose from late 24/48 hour reports filed by National Right to Life’s federal political action committee (PAC) in the 2003-2004 election cycle,” said National Right to Life General Counsel James Bopp Jr., Esq. “ That election cycle was the first election cycle after McCain-Feingold legislation, which for the first time required the filing of 24/48 hour reports.”
     During the 2008 election cycle, NRTL’s PAC raised almost $3.7 million and spent more than $4.1 million on donations and electioneering activities. More than $2 million of these disbursements were doled out in independent expenditures to support and oppose the election of more than 180 federal candidates. The largest of these was more than $2 million spent to support the White House bid of Sen. John McCain R-Ariz.
      Based on the information released by the FEC this year, the penalty, which was paid in late December, would be among the largest fines the agency levied against any campaigns or political action committees during 2009.

Feb. 3, 2010 - 5:23 p.m.

Campaigns Profit From Stock Advances

The ups and downs of the stock market during the last three months of 2009 were not lost on the campaign of Rep. Joe L. Barton, R-Texas. His campaign netted more than $27,000 during the quarter after some of his investments took losses of $73,000, while others saw profits of more than $100,000. Full story

Feb. 2, 2010 - 5:17 p.m.

Lawyer Behind Citizens United has More Changes to Come

James Bopp Jr. launched the landmark case of Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission, which has the potential to remake political advertising and grant corporations and advocacy groups new powers to influence elections.
But as political organizations are trying to understand what the new rules mean, Bopp is getting ready for the next fight. He is preparing for other legal challenges that could roll back McCain-Feingold bans on large donations, widen how political parties coordinate spending with campaigns and repeal many disclosure rules. Congress.org

Jan. 29, 2010 - 1:12 p.m.

Superintendent of Senate Public Records Office to Retire

The person who made sure that lobbyists, campaign treasurers and even senators were following disclosure rules for the last quarter century is calling it quits.
     Pamela Gavin, the superintendent for the Senate Office of Public Records, is retiring on Feb.1. She leaves behind more than a million documents for the public that measure lobbying, campaign contributions and other required forms detailing money in politics.
     On Monday, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., took to the Senate floor to congratulate Gavin on her career of public service –- including overhauling the office after the passage of Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (PL 104-65) and the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (PL 110-81).
     “During these 24 years of service, Ms. Gavin has met unusual challenges and upheld her responsibilities even under the most trying circumstances,” Reid said. “During the anthrax attacks of 2001, in which Senate staff were forced to vacate the Hart building for several months, she kept the Office of Public Records in business every day, using a small corner of the Senate Library to maintain her responsibilities to the Senate community and to the public.”

Jan. 26, 2010 - 5:43 p.m.

Campaign finance news