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Wall Street’s Biggest Supporter Could Lose Her House Seat

Ann Wagner, a senior Republican on the House Financial Services Committee, is in danger of losing a seat in suburban St. Louis, despite millions in bank donations.

Finance Primary category in which blog post is published

Tillis Pushed Deregulation That Helps His Top Donor, Blackstone Group, Bilk Small Investors

Besides being Tillis’ top campaign donor, Blackstone’s CEO has given $20 million to a super PAC attacking Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham.

Democracy Primary category in which blog post is published

Republican Texas Judges Get Big Money Boost Ahead of Redistricting

Oil and gas billionaires, private equity firms, and GOP megadonors are funding ads that aim to keep the Texas Supreme Court entirely in Republican hands as state voting trends shift from red to purple.

Democracy Primary category in which blog post is published

Campaign Against ‘Dark Money’ Disclosure in Alaska Keeps Hiding Its Donors

The donors include the super PAC arm of Charles Koch's main political nonprofit and the Republican State Leadership Committee.

Health Primary category in which blog post is published

Anti-Abortion Ad Barrett Signed Is Tied To Group Working To Bring Abortion Cases To the Supreme Court

Federal statute instructs judges to disqualify themselves when they have a personal bias concerning a party.

Democracy Primary category in which blog post is published

The ‘Dark Money’ Behind a Pro-Gerrymandering Measure in Missouri

The campaign behind a ballot measure to reverse Missouri's voter-approved redistricting reforms did not raise money from a single Missouri resident, instead relying on funding from GOP party groups and nondisclosing conservative nonprofits.

Quick Hits Primary category in which blog post is published

Billionaire Trump Megadonors Behind Group That Promoted Scott Atlas as an Anti-Fauci

It's the same group that promoted hydroxychloroquine to the president in March.

Defense Primary category in which blog post is published

House Dem in Charge of Military Budget Opposes Cuts Favored by Progressives

House Armed Services Committee chair Adam Smith (D-Wash.), a top recipient of PAC money from weapons makers, has called some Democrats "extremists" for wanting to reduce the Defense Department's $740.5 billion budget.

Democracy Primary category in which blog post is published

Baltimore County Grassroots Groups Look To Continue a Public Financing Wave

Voters in Baltimore County will soon have their say on a ballot measure that would join several other large Maryland counties, as well as the city of Baltimore, in adopting a voluntary public financing program for elections.

Quick Hits Primary category in which blog post is published

Blue Dog-Affiliated Group Runs Ads for Big Pharma

Center Forward, a "dark money" group with major funding from Big Pharma, is running a Facebook ad campaign touting the pharmaceutical industry as its super PAC spends millions to re-elect Blue Dog Democrats.

Democracy Primary category in which blog post is published

Arizona Judge Reinstates GOP Law Shielding ‘Dark Money’

The state's clean elections commission will now be required to defer to the IRS on which political spending groups can keep their donors secret.

How Uber and Lyft Are Buying Labor Laws

California’s Prop 22 could set back labor standards, particularly for nonwhite workers, for decades.

Democracy Primary category in which blog post is published

Billionaire Oligarchs and Anonymous Megadonors Behind Amy Coney Barrett Ads

Finance executives, industrial magnates, and right-wing megadonors have readied the groups spending tens of millions of dollars on ads to confirm Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, who often rules in line with corporate interests.

Digital Primary category in which blog post is published

Firm With Deep Ties to Facebook’s Election Integrity Partners Busted for Meddling in Latin America Elections

Employees scrubbed from the D.C. firm's website after it was caught running social media disinformation networks in Latin America have deep and long-standing ties to groups employed by Facebook to defend global election integrity.

Defense Primary category in which blog post is published

Hawkish Dem Sherman is Next in Line to Replace Engel as Foreign Affairs Chairman

With the ouster of Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), progressives are calling for the position to be filled by someone not beholden to special interests. Next in line for the position by seniority, however, is Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) who is heavily funded by the defense industry and pro-Israel PACs.

Democracy Primary category in which blog post is published

In Heavily Gerrymandered Wisconsin, a Bipartisan Grassroots Movement Fights for Fair Maps

The Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition has helped pass resolutions in 54 of 72 counties calling on the state legislature to adopt nonpartisan redistricting, with 11 more on the ballot in November.

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