Open the books: improving political action committees with full disclosure.
The Sarbanes-Oxley federal law passed in 2002 in response to a wave of corporate accounting scandals aimed to shine the light on how publicly held companies handled their money. And while political action committees (PACs) associated with those corporations have no legal obligations to follow the rules...

The money chase.
Running a presidential campaign takes an enormous amount of money. Candidates have to pay for advertising, technology, consultants, travel, the list goes on. This year's candidates spent a combined $800 million before the start of summer. To raise all that money, they need to attract donors, and that's where...

Naughton bests rival at fundraising; Out-of-state donors aid Kerrigan.
Byline: Karen Nugent State Rep. Harold P. Naughton Jr. greatly exceeded Democratic rival Stephen J. Kerrigan in fundraising this year. But Mr. Kerrigan, who is challenging Mr. Naughton for his seat representing the 12th Worcester District in the primary election Tuesday, got $500 donations from several out-of-state...

Murray leads in fundraising; Speculation fueled that he'll run for gov. at some point.
Byline: Steve LeBlanc BOSTON - Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray has been on a fundraising juggernaut this year, raking in donations at a faster clip than any other statewide Beacon Hill officeholder, including Gov. Deval L. Patrick. Through the end of July, Murray had pulled...

Flanagan outraises, outspends Knuuttila.
Byline: Matthew Bruun FITCHBURG - State Rep. Jennifer L. Flanagan, D-Leominster, far outpaced Democratic rival Brian Knuuttila in fundraising - and spending - in the campaign to become the next state senator for the sprawling Worcester and Middlesex District. Ms. Flanagan has raised $87,170.77 during...

Montana nurses make a difference.
I returned from Washington DC this week on a "red-eye" flight through Denver. It had been an exhausting week preparing for, and living through, my first American Nurses Association (ANA) House of Delegates (HOD) Convention. Eight delegates and myself arrived at the onset of the convention prepared, as best...

Voodoo economics: a look abroad for a supply-side solution to America's campaign-finance riddle.
ABSTRACT The title of this Note--"voodoo economics"--is, at its core, an analogy: U.S. campaign-finance regulation operates like a price ceiling in the political money marketplace. Political campaigns are financed through money-for-access transactions and campaign-finance regulation caps the level of exchange. Like any other price ceiling, regulation is...

Hawaii.
The state Campaign Spending Commission is appealing a court ruling rejecting restrictions on corporate campaign donations. The commission had said that a state law restricted corporate donations to candidates in a general election to $1,000 from corporations' political action committees. During the primary, corporations could give up...

Clintons' $109m fortune has a fat <i>desi</i> contribution.
Byline: CHIDANAND RAJGHATTA (##include msid=2162032,type=11 ##) Bill and Hillary Clinton (TOI Photo) WASHINGTON: An Indian-American technology entrepreneur, whose connections and largesse to the Clintons has been under scrutiny, is once again in the news following voluntary disclosure by the former First Couple that...

Campaign officials outline ground rules for Shrewsbury.
Byline: Kevin Keenan SHREWSBURY - State campaign finance officials had two requests for local groups that are preparing for a possible Proposition 2-1/2 ballot question this spring: Call us before you do something questionable and don't make us the "content police." In a forum which...