Independent groups
Washington Post: Independent interest groups report hefty fundraising for September
By T.W. FarnamIndependent interest groups supporting President Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, reported Friday that September brought some of their best fundraising, driven by enthusiasm from wealthy donors on both sides of the political divide.
Washington Post: Corporate donors fuel Chamber of Commerce’s political power
By Carol D. LeonnigMajor U.S. companies as diverse as the drugmaker Merck, the chemical giant Dow and the financial services firm Prudential wrote big checks — some for more than $1 million — to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce last year for dues and political activity, according to recent disclosures.
NY Times: With Growing Willingness, Donors Come to Aid of Democratic ‘Super PACs’
By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE and JO CRAVEN MCGINTYPriorities USA Action, the group backing President Obama, will report raising $15.2 million in September, thanks in part to aggressive fund-raising by party leaders like former President Bill Clinton and Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago. The group has already reserved millions of dollars in advertising for the closing weeks of the campaign.
Washington Post: Pro-Romney PAC sought ‘1Million/couple’ for Palm Beach fundraiser, e-mail shows
By Tom Hamburger and T.W. FarnamPolitical fundraising has changed since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, and the transformation is visible these days in the in-boxes of wealthy donors from both parties.
Contribution Limits
NY Times: Missouri Political Donor Thrives With No Limits
By Nicholas ConfessoreCOLUMBIA, Mo. — When the first $150,000 check showed up in his campaign account, Shane Schoeller was locked in a tight Republican primary for the unheralded office of Missouri secretary of state, battling two fellow lawmakers with virtually identical platforms.
Disclosure
NY Times: Mystery Donors Dot Restore Our Future’s Campaign Filing
By MICHAEL LUOThe monthly campaign finance filing Friday by the pro-Romney “super PAC” Restore Our Future was dotted with contributions from corporate entities whose identities were often not entirely clear.
Candidates and parties
NY Times: Romney and Republicans Began Month With $34 Million Advantage, Filings Show
By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE, JO CRAVEN McGINTY and DEREK WILLISMitt Romney and the Republicans began October with a $34 million advantage over President Obama and the Democrats, according to disclosures filed with the Federal Election Commission on Friday and Saturday, as heavy spending by Mr. Obama offset his stronger fund-raising in the past two months.
Politico: Playing to donors, GOP groups spill some secrets
By Kenneth VogelFor two years, outside money was a secretive game, with deep-pocketed conservative groups refusing to detail their methods or strategies — let alone discuss their donors.
NY Times: Cash Flood Fuels Fight to the End in Leaning States
By JEFF ZELENYST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — At this late stage of the presidential race, President Obama and Mitt Romney are being spared one decision that has weighed heavily on many candidates in previous campaigns: choosing which hard-to-win battleground states to abandon.
Washington Post: Gary Johnson’s third-party presidential bid: A real factor or just a footnote?
By Sean SullivanGary Johnson, the Republican-turned-Libertarian Party presidential candidate, won’t come close to matching the vote totals of President Obama and Mitt Romney next month. Nonetheless, he’s a variable in a handful of battleground states that could determine the outcome of the election.
NY Post: Obama campaign accepted foreign Web donation — and may be hiding more
By ISABEL VINCENT and MELISSA KLEINThe Obama re-election campaign has accepted at least one foreign donation in violation of the law — and does nothing to check on the provenance of millions of dollars in other contributions, a watchdog group alleges.
Washington Post: Democratic convention ends in debt, Republicans’ in the black
By TW FarnamDemocrats ended their convention more than $8 million in debt on a loan secured by Duke Energy, while Republicans reaped massive donations from corporations and a stable of major conservative donors, new federal filings show.
Lobbying and ethics
NY Times: Sunlight on Lobbying in Albany
EditorialGiven all the scandals that have embarrassed Albany in recent years, the Legislature’s approval of a new ethics law last year was mostly good news. There will be “no more secrets,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo crowed as lawmakers were agreeing on the final bill. The governor boasted that New Yorkers, at last, would finally know whether lawmakers were working for the voters or the lobbyists.
