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Another Walker Aide Sentenced to Prison in Secret "John Doe" Investigation

by Brendan Fischer — January 22, 2013 - 3:47pm
  • Topics: Ethics, Politics

    • Another top official to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker during his tenure as Milwaukee County Executive has been sentenced to two years in prison for embezzling funds intended for families of veterans. The sentencing appears to close a chapter in the ongoing "John Doe" investigation into corruption and misconduct in the Walker County Executive's office, but the book remains open.

    News

    In the Fight for Secrecy, Are the Koch Brothers Like Rosa Parks?

    by Brendan Fischer — January 22, 2013 - 9:25am
  • Topics: Campaign Finance, Corporations, Democracy

    • Civil rights organizations like the NAACP and groups dedicated to overturning the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision have found common ground in recent months, coming together under the "Money Out, Voters In" banner to fight the dual threats of money in politics and voter suppression. But on the other end of the political spectrum, right-wing activists like Karl Rove are drawing parallels between heroic African-American civil rights activists in 1950s Alabama and privileged 1%ers like the Koch brothers, arguing that a 1958 Supreme Court ruling protecting the NAACP's membership list should allow the super-rich to write million dollar checks without the public ever knowing.

    News

    The "Swiss Bank Accounts" of the 2012 Elections: How Secret Donors Are Corrupting Democracy

    by Brendan Fischer — January 21, 2013 - 9:45am

    The corrosive influence of money in politics was amplified in 2012 by the fact that in many cases we don't know which individuals or which corporations actually provided much of the funding to affect election results. "Dark money" -- election spending where we don't know the source of the funds -- played a bigger role in 2012 than in any other presidential election since Richard Nixon's.

    News

    Fracking Industry Goes After Promised Land Film

    by Meher Ahmad — January 18, 2013 - 9:47am
  • Topics: Fracking, Propaganda, Public Relations

    • Before Gus Van Sant's latest film Promised Land even premiered, the energy industry was up in arms, gearing up to counter the film's apparent anti-fracking stance with a barrage of "community" responses (read: thinly veiled corporate PR).

    Press Release

    “Elections Confidential” Report Reveals Role of Dark Money Nonprofits and Shell Corporations in 2012

    by Brendan Fischer — January 17, 2013 - 11:06am
  • Topics: Election 2012, Campaign Finance, Corporations, Democracy

    • CONTACTS: Brendan Fischer, brendan@prwatch.org / Blair Bowie, bbowie@pirg.org

    Nearly One-Fifth of All Business Gifts to Super Pacs 
Were Contributed by Shell Corporations

    MADISON, WI — Mystery donors poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the 2012 elections via nonprofits and shell corporations, despite widespread public support for disclosure and decades of legal precedent supporting the public's right to know the sources of election-related spending.

    Guest Contributor

    Duke Energy Flip-Flop: ALEC Leads Attack on North Carolina Clean Energy with Duke Funding

    by PRW Staff — January 16, 2013 - 10:10am
  • Topics: ALEC Exposed, Corporations, Energy, Environment

    • -- by Connor Gibson, Greenpeace

    Corporate polluters are taking aim this year at states with renewable energy laws, starting with an attack on North Carolina's clean energy economy by American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) politicians and member companies.

    News

    The NRA and Koch-Backed ALEC Have Fought Gun Buyback Programs Across Country

    by Brendan Fischer — January 15, 2013 - 7:43am
  • Topics: ALEC Exposed, Corporations, Democracy, Politics

    • The National Rifle Association (NRA) is threatening legal action if the Tucson Police Department tries to destroy the guns it acquired through a voluntary gun buyback program -- thanks to legislation advanced by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and then passed in Arizona.

    Op-Ed

    A 25% Cut for the Pentagon? Key Dems Say Unnecessary Defense Spending Is Crippling the U.S. and Should Be Part of Debt Debate

    by Lisa Graves — January 14, 2013 - 2:11pm

    The largest Democratic Party organization in the nation has called on Congress to support a 25% cut in Pentagon spending. The California Democratic Party -- which includes more than 2,000 representatives of the state's more than seven million Democrats -- adopted this policy in the past year in the face of threats by Republicans in Congress to refuse to allow the U.S. to increase its credit limit.

    News

    FreedomWorks Putting Its War Chest to Work for ALEC’s Anti-Union Agenda in the States

    by Brendan Fischer — January 14, 2013 - 8:57am
  • Topics: ALEC Exposed, Democracy, Labor, Politics

    • The Tea Party-affiliated group FreedomWorks -- the right-wing organization that helps connect "Tea Party" groups with talking points, rallies, and more -- is gearing up to direct its sizeable war chest towards advancing anti-union initiatives in the states, supporting an agenda set by groups like David Koch's Americans for Prosperity and the Koch-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). This strongly suggests that the battle for the future of private and public sector unions in America is beginning a new phase of combat.

    Op-Ed

    Money OUT, Voters IN: Find an Event Near You!

    by Lisa Graves — January 10, 2013 - 2:45pm
  • Topics: Democracy

    • Last year, Americans witnessed an explosion in million-dollar checks from a handful of uber-wealthy people underwriting political campaigns and election ads. In 2012, there were also numerous efforts to make it harder for Americans to exercise their fundamental right to vote through restrictive voter ID legislation and limits on voter registration.

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