January 18, 2024

Outside spending on 2024 elections tops $318 million

Super PACs and other outside groups that can raise and spend unlimited sums of money on federal elections have already poured nearly $318 million into spending on presidential and congressional races as of Jan. 14 — more than six times as much as had been spent at this point in 2020.

Candidates cut back on child care expenses in 2024 election cycle

As more candidates with young children are successfully running for Congress than ever, the federal government and states across the country are considering changes to help parents pursue their political ambitions.

Pro-Haley super PAC drops $500,000 to swing independent voters in New Hampshire

A super PAC aiming to convince independent voters to back former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in the Republican presidential primary has dropped $500,000 on video ads less than a week before New Hampshire’s primary election on Jan. 23. 

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The pro-Haley SFA Fund emerged as the single largest outside spender in recent weeks as it capitalized on the former diplomat’s rising poll numbers. The super PAC — bankrolled by conservative megadonors, including billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller and Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone — has spent $68.1 million on the race.

Also backing Haley is Americans for Prosperity Action, a super PAC at the center of a network of conservative donors and activists led by billionaire Charles Koch. AFP Action, which signaled its opposition to Trump in early 2023, endorsed Haley in November. It has spent about $46.8 million on the election. 

Make America Great Again Inc., a super PAC aligned with Trump that is commonly known as MAGA Inc., also ranks among the top outside spenders, with $47.9 million spent on the election thus far.

See our media citations from outlets around the nation this week:

Citizens United anniversary marks expensive start to 2024 election (The Hill)

Nearly 14 years after a controversial Supreme Court case opened the door to unlimited independent spending in federal elections, the U.S. is on track for another election cycle with record-breaking spending. Citizens United kicked off “a race to the top of the spending charts,” Sarah Bryner, director of research and strategy at the money-in-politics tracking organization OpenSecrets, told The Hill.

Can this ex-congressman show Trump the path to life after indictment?(The Washington Post)

Though Collins has retained some lowbrow tastes — cheap cigars and Costco wine — he at one point ranked as the fifth-wealthiest member of Congress, with a net worth between $80 million and $228 million, according to government transparency group OpenSecrets.

The Last Man Standing in Crypto (The Wall Street Journal)

Brian Armstrong has become the new face of crypto after a string of high-profile collapses and government crackdowns. Armstrong’s former rivals—FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried and Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who once boasted far greater influence and wealth—are either in jail or facing time behind bars. In 2023, Coinbase spent $2.2 million on lobbying in the U.S. according to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan group that tracks political contributions. 

Forbes

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St. Cloud Times

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Spectrum News

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Fayette Tribune

The New York Sun

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