Your weekly newsletter on money in politics.
View this email in your browser
January 23rd, 2020
This week in money-in-politics
 
Wall Street donor influence shows unprecedented growth 10 years after Citizens United
 
 
The 2010 landmark ruling in Citizens United amplified the influence of deep-pocketed Wall Street stockbrokers and private investors in federal politics and rewarded them with greater political purchasing power.

The securities and investment industry gave more to outside spending groups than any other industry in each of the last four full election cycles. As big money continues to take advantage of current campaign finance regulations, the financial industry remains at the top as the 2020 election gets underway.

Since 2012, the industry has contributed at least $80 million to outside groups in every cycle, more than half of that coming from a small group of individuals. Before the Supreme Court decision, the industry never spent more than $17.8 million in any election cycle.


Read more
Share Share
Tweet Tweet
Forward to Friend Forward to Friend

Candidates and outside groups often coordinate, most recently in Michigan


John James, Republican challenger to Sen. Gary Peters, paid a political consultant to help manage his campaign in May. Just a few months later, the same consultant was running a “dark money” group attacking Peters’ record. The ties between James and the dark money group are an instance of problematic — if not illegal — coordination between political campaigns and outside groups.
Read More

Billionaires spent big following Citizens United — expect them to spend more in 2020


Billionaires spent unprecedented amounts of money influencing elections over the last decade — the top three donors and their spouses gave $717 million to outside groups such as super PACs — and they’re expected to shell out even more in 2020. Two of those billionaires are vying for the Democratic nomination for president.  
Read More

OpenSecrets speaks at United Against Corruption rally


On Monday, OpenSecrets outreach manager Brendan Quinn spoke at the United Against Corruption rally outside the U.S. Capitol building. Joining a number of powerful speakers involved in the democracy reform movement and representing a range of views, he reflected on the impact of Citizens United and OpenSecrets research that shows massive increases in spending in the decade that followed.
 
Watch it here
More money, less transparency:
A decade under Citizens United
 
In Case You Missed It  The Center for Responsive Politics has published a new report, More money, less transparency: A decade under Citizens United, a comprehensive look at the lasting impacts of this profoundly important case. Leveraging over 35 years of experience, this report uses OpenSecrets’ original research, which finds, among other conclusions:
  • Individual millionaires and billionaires, not corporations, emerged as the dominant political giving force. Just 10 donors accounted for more than $1 billion over the decade.
  • Independent groups, which have spent $4.5 billion since the ruling, routinely overshadow political parties and even candidates in crucial races.
  • With corporations, nonprofits and the like able to spend on elections, voters are often being influenced by secretive groups that don’t share information about their funding sources.
Read the report
Have a friend you think would like our money-in-politics newsletter? 
Click here to forward this email! 

OpenSecrets in the News

See where we've been cited by media outlets around the nation this week.  

 

See more here

tryu2.jpg
count-cah-make-change.png Chair-nave.jpg
Copyright © 2020 Center for Responsive Politics, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website, OpenSecrets.org.

Our mailing address is:
Center for Responsive Politics
1300 L Street NW
Suite 200
Washington, District of Columbia xxxxxx

Add us to your address book


unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences