A campaign finance law intended to resolve questions about unregulated soft money is generating as many questions as answers. The legislation targeting so-called “Section 527” groups has led to a flood of inquiries at the Internal Revenue Service amid confusion and complaints about the interpretation of which groups must file under the law. The campaign […]

WASHINGTON, July 28, 2000 — At the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, cars and drivers will be provided for all attending Republican members of Congress, along with 24-hour concierge service, staffed with 50 workers at the ready, according to news reports. These perks would be paid for by “soft-money” contributions to the leadership political action […]

Though the law forcing certain tax-exempt political groups to disclose their donors and expenditures is just days old, some of the interests behind the groups are already seeking ways around it. “I have no intentions of submitting to this,” said William Wilson, spokesman for the Council for Responsible Government, one of the Section 527 groups […]

With a 92-6 Senate vote, Congress has passed the first campaign finance reform legislation in 21 years. The Full and Fair Campaign Finance Disclosure Act of 2000, introduced in the Senate by longtime campaign-reform advocate John McCain, R-Ariz., was approved by the Senate June 29 after clearing the House shortly after midnight on June 28. […]

WASHINGTON, June 27, 2000 — On June 8, the Senate passed an amendment by Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., that would force currently invisible political groups to disclose their identities and their sources of funding. Congress is trying to decide which measure will best accomplish that. Here is a comparison of the most promising legislation on […]

Political parties are turning to raising money jointly with candidates for Congress in greater numbers than ever this year and the questionable practice has raised more than $13 million so far this election cycle. WHAT IS ‘SOFT MONEY’? Soft money is the unlimited contributions from any labor, corporate, or individual donor received by a political […]

Before calling it quits, New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani had raised more than $19 million for his Republican Senate campaign against Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton. The Giuliani campaign, after paying remaining bills and returning $2.8 million in general election funds to contributors, will be left with more than $3 million. Senator Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., chairman […]

New York Republicans might be nominating Representative Rick Lazio instead of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani for the U.S. Senate, but one thing remains the same: Outside interest groups don’t want Hillary Rodham Clinton elected. Even before Hillary Rodham Clinton formally accepted the Democratic nomination on May 16, three interest groups and political action committees had begun […]

A group of Wall Street investors, media executives and fiscal policy experts have created a new political group that intends to spend $10 million to oust Republican and Democratic members of Congress who don’t favor free-market policies strongly enough. The Club for Growth is conducting a two-pronged campaign. One is regulated by the Federal Election […]

The same day that Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore unveiled his campaign finance reform proposal, an organization with ties to former California Gov. Pete Wilson launched a national attack on Gore by exploiting a tax-law loophole that allows a group to influence elections without having to report its existence to the Federal Election Commission or […]