Peter Overby

Some Lawmakers Want Big-Budget Groups Included In IRS Debate

Peter Overby — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:01:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l2s_q_kfrU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdYjp8-RMwA

Why Lobbying Is Now Increasingly In The Shadows

Peter Overby — Fri, 03 May 2013 07:24:00 +0000

While ideological gridlock continues to immobilize Capitol Hill, another of Washington's institutions is morphing behind the scenes.

The lobbying industry is becoming more secretive — reversing a trend that dates back to the 1990s. And campaign money now looms ever larger as a critical element in the persuasion business.

Ever since Congress strengthened the lobbying disclosure laws in 1995, most lobbyists have routinely registered and filed their quarterly disclosures of clients, issues and fees.

FEC: DOMA Limits Political Donations By Gay Married Couples

Peter Overby — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:36:00 +0000

Maybe it's not your first thought after saying "I do," but federal election law gives married couples some advantages in making political contributions. The Federal Election Commission tried Thursday to make those same breaks available to couples in same-sex marriages — but commissioners said they're thwarted by the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

True, President Obama's Justice Department no longer defends DOMA, and the Supreme Court is weighing whether to get rid of it. But the FEC didn't want to get too far out in front.

IRS To 'Social Welfare' Groups: Show Me The Political Ad Money

Peter Overby — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 16:51:00 +0000

There are still unanswered questions about the politically active 501(c)(4) "social welfare" groups. The anonymously funded entities' multimillion-dollar ad budgets helped to clog the airwaves last year.

How much did they really spend to intervene in the 2012 campaign? What kinds of sources supplied their money?

Thieves Target Political Ad Consultants On New FCC Site

Peter Overby — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:41:00 +0000

Poke into the obscure corners of the Federal Communications Commission's website, and you can find one of the deepest disclosures in campaign finance.

An FCC database, which the government just approved last April and began making public in August, posts documents that reveal which politicians and advocacy groups buy TV ads on major-market network affiliates, and how much they pa