In the Garden of Dark Money, the Thorny Case of Rosebush Corp.

Ever since news broke in 2013 that the IRS had targeted the exemption applications of tea party and some other politically-oriented groups for extra scrutiny, conventional wisdom had it that the agency throws up roadblocks for organizations trying to obtain its seal of approval.
But much evidence indicates the IRS backs down without much fuss when groups seeking 501(c)(4) “social welfare” status come calling.
That was certainly true in the case of Rosebush Corp., OpenSecrets Blog has learned. The Pennsylvania-based nonprofit has been a conduit for large sums of money destined for other, more politically active, groups — including Americans for Job Security (AJS), which spent more than $15 million attacking ... read more.

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Five Realities Five Years After: The Post-Citizens United Landscape

Happy anniversary! It has been five years since the Supreme Court’s landmark decision that shook up the world of campaign finance. Not all the changes came at once, but they’ve evolved to create a much different terrain for candidates running for office and for people of means who take an interest in politics. We can’t speculate as to whether the Court’s ... read more.

Who Cares About SOTU? We Have a Few Guesses

The economy is growing steadily, unemployment is down, the stock market is soaring, gas prices are diving. There was plenty of good news for President Obama to cite in his State of the Union speech. But he also highlighted several new initiatives that change the conversation. We take a bigger-picture look at whose ox would be gored, and how much clout they carry as inside-the-Beltway players ... read more.

State by State: Where 2014’s Campaign Cash Came From, and Where It Went

It’s no secret that our political process lavishes more attention on some states than others. Witness the long list of presidential contenders making pilgrimages to New Hampshire and Iowa, for example. At other points in the process, different states take center stage: Wealthy coastal locales are magnets for politicians seeking to build ... read more.