"Dark money ads plunged when reporting requirement kicked in." As of Sept. 9, the FEC's reporting window for electioneering communications opened. Now, spending on all ads that mention candidates must be reported to the agency, says Open Secrets. Before this, only spending on ads that called on viewers to vote for or against a candidate had to be disclosed. Dark money groups sponsored 42.5% of ads by outside spending groups in competitive Senate races through Sept. 15. Since the reporting deadline, they are responsible for just 11% of the ads. Read more
Congressional Democrats raise record amounts of cash. The DSCC raised $19 million last month, its largest one-month fundraising haul ever. The DCCC raised $21 million last month. This signals a "growing expectation among donors that the party will win a majority in the Senate and significantly diminish Republican strength in the House of Representatives," says the Wall St Journal. Read more
House Republicans scramble for cash. Two top House Republicans held a conference call Wednesday urging their colleagues to "pony up cash to endangered colleagues," says POLITICO. "The warnings come as the Congressional Leadership Fund, the top House Republican super PAC, has begun spending millions of dollars to build a firewall around previously safe GOP seats that Democrats could pick off." Read more
Legal loophole helps Democrats bypass the limits on coordinated spending between parties and candidates, says POLITICO. FEC rules limit parties to $48,100 of spending in direct coordination with most House candidates. But, a candidate who words their ads to refer to generic "Democrats" and "Republicans" can split the cost of the ads with their party without affecting the spending cap. "More than a dozen Democratic challengers are benefiting from such “hybrid” advertising." Read more
Outside spending surges in state judicial races, says new report by the Brennan Center. "Special interest groups, many of which do not disclose their donors, have invested heavily in state supreme court races this election cycle." Outside groups have spent more than $1.2 million in six states over the past two weeks. This raises "concerns that campaign cash could affect decisions in the courtroom". Read more
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