Center posts state legislators’ personal financial disclosure By Sarah Laskow October 6, 2006 Posted: State legislators’ 2004 personal disclosures By Susan Schaab January 24, 2005 Voting procedure By The Center for Public Integrity September 24, 2004 At least seven state governments made changes in 2005 to provide more information to the public on legislators’ personal […]
Posted inHealth, Pushing Prescriptions
States see importation as solution to high drug costs
Deep pockets contribute to success By M. Asif Ismail April 6, 2006 FDA staff travels on drug industry dollars By Alexander Cohen March 30, 2006 Pursuing average savings of 25 percent to 50 percent below U.S. prices, many states have defied the federal government and turned to countries such as Canada for access to affordable […]
Posted inHealth, Pushing Prescriptions
Deep pockets contribute to success
Spending on lobbying thrives By M. Asif Ismail April 1, 2007 States see importation as solution to high drug costs By Victoria Kreha April 6, 2006 The pharmaceutical industry, which mounted a huge lobbying campaign to thwart attempts by states to reduce drug prices, also has spent tens of millions of dollars on campaign contributions […]
Posted inHealth, Pushing Prescriptions
FDA staff travels on drug industry dollars
States see importation as solution to high drug costs By Victoria Kreha April 6, 2006 FDA: A shell of its former self By M. Asif Ismail July 7, 2005 Through an apparent loophole in agency rules the Food and Drug Administration has allowed its employees to receive more than $1.3 million in sponsored travel since […]
Posted inAccountability
Senate rejects office of public integrity
The U.S. Senate defeated today, by a vote of 67-30, an amendment by Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) to create an independent Office of Public Integrity to oversee lobbying disclosure. Leading the opposition were Senators George Voinovich (R-Ohio), chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee, and Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), Vice […]
Posted inDemocracy
Fund-raising groups at a glance
Politicians spend much of their time and energy raising money to fund ever-more-costly election campaigns. They say it is a necessary evil, though critics of current campaign finance laws say the rules allow widespread abuse and corrupt practices. Here’s a glossary of terms to explain what some of the organizations involved in fund-raising are and […]
Posted inDemocracy
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss?
When Representative John Boehner, R-Ohio, was elected House majority leader on February 2, he presented himself as a new kind of leader — someone who would rise above doing business as usual, a departure from the aggressive tactics and ethical tight-rope walking of his predecessor, Tom “The Hammer” DeLay. But the Center for Public Integrity’s […]
Posted inHired Guns
States outpace Congress in upgrading lobbying laws
No longer on staff By Elspeth Reeve October 12, 2006 As Congress struggles to maintain public trust in the midst of the lobbying scandal raging in Washington D.C., members could look to the states for ways to revamp the federal system. Since the original 2003 “Hired Guns” report, lawmakers in almost half the states — […]
Posted inLobby Watch
New GOP House leader has many old ties to K Street
Now, Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) has a difficult campaign on his hands: taking concrete steps in reducing the influence of lobbyists on Congress. For starters, Boehner, who is currently the chairman of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, once handed out tobacco industry PAC re-election campaign contributions on the floor of the House. More […]
Posted inNational Security
Draft legislation undercuts Bush domestic spying rationale
A Justice Department memo written in 2003 may call into question the legal rationale the Bush administration has offered to justify electronic surveillance of Americans without court review. Some critics of the ongoing National Security Agency (NSA) wiretapping program believe the 2003 memo undermines the position President Bush is taking today. The memo describes legislation […]
Posted inLobby Watch
Lobbying FAQ
Below is a list of the most frequently asked questions and misconceptions about federal lobbying. What is lobbying? Federal statute defines lobbying as any communication made on behalf of a client to members of Congress, congressional staffers, the president, White House staff and high-level employees of nearly 200 agencies, regarding the formulation, modification, or adoption […]
Posted inLobby Watch
Candidates for GOP House Leader also have ties to K Street
The three candidates running to replace Rep. Tom DeLay as Republican Majority Leader in the House of Representatives have their own multiple “revolving door” connections to lobbying firms, each sending former staff members, and staff members of the committees they chair, to work for major K Street operations. Rep. Roy Blunt, (R-Mo.), Rep. John Boehner, […]
Posted inLobby Watch
Abramoff plea: digging up K Street
Lobbyist Jack Abramoff‘s guilty plea to charges of mail fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe public officials, could potentially open a Pandora’s Box on both K Street and Capitol Hill, industry experts said. “This thing is going to get a lot worse before it gets a lot better,” said Paul Miller, President of the […]
Posted inDemocracy
Lobbyist found guilty of jamming get-out-the-vote phone lines
James Tobin, a Republican lobbyist from Maine, was found guilty of conspiring to jam New Hampshire Democrats’ get-out-the-vote phone lines three years ago, reports the Bangor Daily News. According to the newspaper, Tobin faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Tobin’s conviction follows that of Charles “Chuck” […]
Posted inDemocracy, Silent Partners
Methodology
Silent Partners Stories in this series Indictment of a system By Elizabeth Brown and Alex Knott November 21, 2005 Study findings for “Indictment of a System” By The Center for Public Integrity November 21, 2005 527s – Frequently Asked Questions By The Center for Public Integrity November 21, 2005 Methodology 527s run aground in the […]
Posted inDemocracy, Silent Partners
Study findings for “Indictment of a System”
Indictment of a system By Elizabeth Brown and Alex Knott November 21, 2005 527s – Frequently Asked Questions By The Center for Public Integrity November 21, 2005 527 Ad Spending Heavy in Midwestern States By Derek Willis September 23, 2004 GOP 527s Gaining Ground By Derek Willis […]
Posted inDemocracy, Silent Partners
Indictment of a system
Study findings for “Indictment of a System” By The Center for Public Integrity November 21, 2005 527s run aground in the states By Kevin Bogardus October 24, 2005 Campaigning for oil By Kevin Bogardus July 14, 2005 Battling over social security By Kevin Bogardus February 8, 2005 527s – Frequently Asked Questions By The Center […]
Posted inDemocracy, Silent Partners
527s – Frequently Asked Questions
Indictment of a system By Elizabeth Brown and Alex Knott November 21, 2005 Study findings for “Indictment of a System” By The Center for Public Integrity November 21, 2005 527 Ad Spending Heavy in Midwestern States By Derek Willis September 23, 2004 527s attract new donors as others abandon system in wake of BCRA By […]
Posted inInequality
Nice work if you can get it
When Martin Cohen was appointed head of the Illinois Commerce Commission, the regulatory body that oversees utilities in the state, he joined a very small fraternity. Cohen took the post in September 2005 pending confirmation by state lawmakers, becoming only the nation’s eighth utility commissioner since 2004 to have a background as a consumer advocate. […]
Posted inInequality
State utility commissions fail transparency test
More than half of the states received a failing grade on making personal financial information of the nation’s utility board members available for public inspection, according to a Center for Public Integrity study examining laws in all 50 states. These governing boards, commonly known as “public service commissions,” regulate rates and services provided by telephone […]
Posted inLobby Watch
Cheney sidesteps travel disclosure rules
Vice President Dick Cheney and his staff have been unilaterally exempting themselves from long-standing travel disclosure rules followed by the rest of the executive branch, including the Office of the President, the Center for Public Integrity has discovered. Cheney’s office also appears to have stuck taxpayers with untold millions in travel costs rather than accepting […]
Posted inDemocracy
From coffins to coffers
Most people have heard tales of the dead casting ballots in Chicago or Philadelphia, but there’s another form of posthumous political participation that has grown into a nationwide trend: donating money from beyond the grave. A study by the Center for Public Integrity has found that there are at least 100 of the dearly departed […]
Posted inDemocracy, Silent Partners
527s run aground in the states
Indictment of a system By Elizabeth Brown and Alex Knott November 21, 2005 With $51 million in the bank for 2005 so far, 527 committees are riding high in the off-year election cycle. On the campaign trail, though, many of these political nonprofit organizations are running afoul of state regulators and election authorities. So-called 527 […]
Posted inLobby Watch
Lobbying the White House
Not many companies change their names to accommodate a recent hire, but not every new employee has the standing of Kirk Blalock. In a town where influence is predicated on who you know, Blalock’s connections are a conspicuously valuable commodity. As special assistant to the president, he often counseled George W. Bush and crafted political […]
Posted inDemocracy
Harriet Miers donated $5,000 to Bush election recount
President George W. Bush’s latest Supreme Court nominee, White House Counsel Harriet Miers, donated $5,000 to the Bush-Cheney 2000, Inc.-Recount Fund, a significant portion of the $26,700 total given by individuals at her law firm, Locke Liddell & Sapp. The firm has also taken in $1.23 million lobbying the federal government since 1998 for several […]
Posted inLobby Watch
PAC-Men lobbyists
WASHINGTON, October 3, 2005 — When lobbyist William Oldaker sits down to negotiate with a member of Congress, he brings years of experience working for the federal government to the table, as well as the legislative resources of his own firm. He also brings quite a bit of money. As the treasurer of 23 political […]
Posted inInequality
More cities offering wireless Internet access
As a resident of tech-savvy Austin, Texas, Adina Levin enjoys the benefits of widespread wireless Internet access. Austin is one of a number of cities in the nation that has built a system that allows residents to log on to the Internet without worrying about plugging into a phone or cable outlet. Levin wants the […]
Posted inDemocracy
The paper trail behind Tom DeLay’s indictment
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was indicted by a Texas grand jury Wednesday on a charge of conspiracy to violate campaign finance laws. Following the indictment, DeLay announced that he would temporarily step down from his post as House Majority Leader. The indictment alleges that $190,000 was illegally funneled from six corporations through DeLay’s nonfederal […]
Posted inDemocracy
The paper trail behind Tom DeLay’s indictment and Roy Blunt’s 527
Although Representative Tom DeLay, R-Texas, was indicted for allegedly laundering corporate donations through his 527 organization to a state party committee, the man chosen to fill in for him as House majority leader has engaged in similar—albeit legal—activities. Representative Roy Blunt, R-Mo., who has temporarily replaced DeLay, accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions […]
Posted inInequality
Former Bells dial up big numbers in statehouses
Telecommunications companies spent $60.3 million* on political contributions over six years and a minimum of $83.4 million* on lobbying over two years in an attempt to curry favor with elected officials in the states, according to a new Center for Public Integrity analysis. Large regional telephone companies and cable television operators are spending millions in […]