For years, the U.S. House of Representatives has published fewer details about how members spent taxpayer dollars than the law specifies.
Continue readingOpening criminal justice data: What we learned from Louisiana
While Louisiana fails at reporting criminal justice data on the state level, it succeeds at doing so on the municipal level, making it an extraordinary case study of the complexities of state criminal justice data.
Continue readingPartisanship is a profit center for founder of new Scott Walker super PAC
A new super PAC is soliciting donations to draft Scott Walker for president. Specifics on how the donations will be used, however, are still hazy.
Continue readingOpenGov Voices: Advancing access to campaign finance data in Puerto Rico
Previously, citizens examining campaign finance information in Puerto Rico had to pay for paper copies of it. Now, ABRE Puerto Rico's developed a new tool allowing anyone to view and analyze this data online for free.
Continue readingUnlike potential opponents, Ted Cruz starts playing by the presidential rules
By being the first major candidate to publicly acknowledge his presidential ambitions, Ted Cruz also became the first to be bound by the nation's campaign finance laws. When will his rivals follow him?
Continue readingMcKeon's lobbying firm inks campaign contributor as client
Though retired Rep. Buck McKeon is barred from lobbying his ex-colleagues on Capitol Hill until 2016, the former chair of the House Armed Services Committee has already inked a major client— a former campaign donor — to his new lobbying firm.
Continue readingLobbyists and contractors fete senators, fuel McConnell
A recent beltway fundraiser produced big bucks for Mitch McConnell. Hosted by the lobby shop of Haley Barbour and featuring 18 Republican senators, more than $80,000 was pumped into McConnell's campaign coffers by PACs and lobbyists.
Continue readingTwenty House members received more money for mileage than Aaron Schock last year
Some House members have been reimbursed more than $80,000 since 2010 for driving their own car on official business. The practice is legal, though most representatives avoid doing so.
Continue readingGood Jobs First identifies government's favorite corporations
Good Jobs First's Subsidy Tracker 3.0 is an amazing resource that sheds light on the benefits corporations derive from government — and a reminder that who benefits from Washington largesse isn't always obvious.
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