Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group

1. Senate incumbents already seeing an uptick in campaign cash

   By Anupama Narayanswamy Jul 31, 2013 5:01 p.m.

   A little more than a year before the next round of congressional elections, at least 25 Senate incumbents and challengers have raised $1 million or more for their campaign war chests, second quarter reports now available at the Federal Election Commission show.

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2. Gun legislation in states forecasts close fight in Congress

   By Anupama Narayanswamy Apr 11, 2013 12:01 a.m.
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3. Immigration: Give me your poor, your tired . . . your lobbyists?

   By Anupama Narayanswamy Mar 21, 2013 9:59 a.m.

   Long before the last election put new political momentum behind the stalled efforts to enact a comprehensive update of the nation's immigration laws, Washington's influence industry was teed up to make it a titanic battle, an analysis of lobbying disclosures by the Sunlight Foundation shows.

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4. California group targets McCain on immigration

   By Anupama Narayanswamy Mar 14, 2013 6:02 p.m.

   Californians for Population Stabilization, a Santa Barbara, Calif.-based nonprofit, is running ads in Arizona against the state's senior senator, Republican John McCain, asking his constituents to call him and tell him to change his stance on immigration reform.

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5. Anti-immigration lobby runs first ad targeting Lindsey Graham

   By Anupama Narayanswamy Mar 7, 2013 3:10 p.m.

   The first issue ad of the immigration reform battle hit the airwaves in South Carolina last week, targeting Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who is up for reelection in 2014. NumbersUSA, one of the leading groups opposing comprehensive immigration reform paid for the ads, reports filed with the Federal Communication Commission show. The group, headed by long time advocate Roy Beck, has been around since the late '90s and argues that increased immigration will deplete the country’s resources, leading to sprawl, congestion and restrictions on individual liberties.

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6. Key players in immigration debate have support of special interests

   By Anupama Narayanswamy Feb 13, 2013 10:29 a.m.
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7. Political war profiteers: 20 consulting firms churn 80 percent of super PAC cash

   By Anupama Narayanswamy Jan 17, 2013 11:53 a.m.

   In the three years since the Supreme Court's Jan. 21, 2010 ruling in Citizens United, the super PACs that decision helped to spawn have largely been seen as advertising machines. But an anniversary-eve analysis by the Sunlight Foundation show that they have created a class of super consultants.

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8. Stealthy Wealthy: Donald Sussman, Rep. Pingree make strange bedfellows

   By Anupama Narayanswamy Dec 7, 2012 9 a.m.

   In the five or so years since hedge fund manager Donald Sussman and Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, have known each other, the investment tycoon has made his mark in her state, becoming its top political donor in 2012 and a major backer to Democratic super PACs. He's also found ways to bankroll her campaign, while buying a controlling interest in the local papers that cover her district.

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9. Emerson was in formal talks with electric co-op days after reelection

   By Anupama Narayanswamy Dec 4, 2012 3:29 p.m.

   On Nov. 19, nine business days after she won reelection with 72 percent of the vote, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., began final negotiations for a new job with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, official documents show.

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10. More than two-thirds of outside spending backed losing candidates

    By Anupama Narayanswamy Nov 7, 2012 3:54 p.m.

    Republican-leaning outside groups got trounced in Tuesday's election results, with the biggest spenders getting little return for their investment. Labor unions had a much better track record, with some directing 75 percent of their money--or more--to winning causes.

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11. Corporate, union and nonprofit giving to super PACs tops $167 million

    By Anupama Narayanswamy Oct 22, 2012 2:33 p.m.

    Approximately one-third of the money that super PACs have collected so far in the 2012 campaign come from organizations such as corporations, labor unions and other political committees.

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12. Republicans in tight House races on top in the money game

    By Anupama Narayanswamy Oct 19, 2012 4:32 p.m.
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13. Media spending tops $100 million in 10 key Senate races

    By Anupama Narayanswamy Oct 5, 2012 12:31 p.m.

    Voters in 10 states with competitive Senate races have been inundated with more than $106 million in campaign propaganda, an analysis of independent expenditure reports and campaign expenditure records from the Federal Election Commission shows.

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14. Outside groups spending millions on state level elections, ballot initiatives

    By Anupama Narayanswamy Sep 24, 2012 2:15 p.m.

    A six year battle between the state of Michigan and a local billionaire will come to a head this November, when voters decide whether to build the first public bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Canada. The ballot initiative will be voted on despite an agreement Michigan Gov. Richard Snyder, a Republican, reached with the Canadian government earlier this year which, Snyder says, can't be overturned by the referendum.

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Investigations by Sunlight Foundation reporter Anupama Narayanswamy