Covering Companies From Washington

7/31/2019 Covering Companies From Washington

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Corporate Governance andTransparency: Covering

Companies from WashingtonNational Press Foundation

Paul Miller FellowsSeptember 2012


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How To

Decipher CEO pay packages by looking at

proxy statements or Form 990s.

Match PAC contribution data and lobbying

disclosure to corporate agendas.

Learn from SEC filings what

legislation/regulation companies want/fear.

Feed the data into coverage; spot and

enterprise


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Big Picture

COST OF THE 2012 ELECTION

$5.8 BILLION(Projected)


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Source: OpenSecrets.org


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Cycle Total Cost of

Election

To Dems To Repubs % to Dems % to Repubs

2012* $5.8 Billion n/a n/a n/a n/a

2010 $3.6 Billion $1.8 Billion $1.77 Billion 50% 49%

2008* $5.3 Billion $3 Billion $2.2 Billion 57% 42%


2004* $4.1 Billion $2.1 Billion $1.9 Billion 52% 47%

2002 $2.1 Billion $977 Million $1.18 Billion 45% 54%


Source: OpenSecrets.org


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Where does the money come from?

Unions

Corporations

Associations Individuals

Lobbyists


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Top Corporate Donors in 2008

Goldman Sachs - $7 Million

AT&T - $5.9 Million

JPMorgan Chase & Co. - $5.8 Million

Citigroup Inc. - $5.7 Million

General Electric - $4.3 Million

Morgan Stanley - $4.3 Million

Microsoft Corp - $4 Million

Comcast Corp - $3.9 Million


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Campaign Finance Law

Federal Election Campaign Act 1971 McCain-Feingold

Federal Election Commission

http://www.fec.gov/law/feca/feca.shtml
http://www.fec.gov/law/feca/feca.shtmlhttp://www.fec.gov/law/feca/feca.shtmlhttp://www.fec.gov/law/feca/feca.shtmlhttp://www.fec.gov/law/feca/feca.shtml


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Citizens United v. Federal Election

Commission - 2009

McCain-Feingold prohibition on independentexpenditures by corporations and unions violatedthe First Amendment

Paved way for Super PACs, that make no $scontributions to candidates, but can do unlimitedindependent expenditures

SpeechNow US Appeals Court, DC Circuit 2010.Lifted limits on amount of contributions, allowingunlimited funds from individuals, corporationsand unions.


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Top Super PACs

Restore Our Future (Romney) $82.5 mln

Priorities USA Action (Obama) $24.8 mln American Crossroads (Rove) $19 mln

829 groups organized as Super PACS raised $349 million and spent $233 million


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Sept. 5

NYT Emanuel to Raise Money for

Democratic `Super PAC

I find all the special-interest money lined up on

the other side, tilting the scales in a way that I

dont want to see, Mr. Emanuel said.


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Sept. 6

LA Times A convention without

corporate sponsors?

By Matea Gold and Melanie Mason Democrats vowed to put on a peoples convention

paid for with small donations. But Big-name

money was persistently present in Charlotte

AT&T, Bank of America, Coca-Cola and United

Health Group among those who gave $11 mln


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Sept. 8

AP Super PAC backing Obama airsanti-Romney tax ad, says middle-

income households would pay more

- Priorities USA Action airs ad in Colorado, Florida,Iowa, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin

- Romney said to have 5-2 advantage over Obamain some television markets


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Sept. 10

WSJ Obama Tops Romney in August

Fundraising.

President Barack Obamas campaign had itsbest fundraising month yet in August, raising

more than $114 million. With the DNC.

Romney and RNC raised $111.6 mln.


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Aug. 22

Sunlight Foundation Debuts Ad Hawk Appfor iPhone and Android (press release)

New mobile app to help voters better know who isbuying political ads. Listens to the ad and then listsinformation about who placed it.

http://adhawk.sunlightfoundation.com/
http://adhawk.sunlightfoundation.com/http://adhawk.sunlightfoundation.com/http://adhawk.sunlightfoundation.com/http://adhawk.sunlightfoundation.com/http://adhawk.sunlightfoundation.com/http://adhawk.sunlightfoundation.com/


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Resources

The Sunlight Foundation

Sunlight Labs creating new online and mobiletools

Influence Explorer www.influenceexplorer.com

A web bookmarking tool from Sunlight Labs, thetech arm of Sunlight Foundation.www.poligraft.com

Listings of fundraising events.www.PoliticalPartyTime.org

www.sunlightfoundation.com
http://www.influenceexplorer.com/http://www.poligraft.com/http://www.politicalpartytime.org/http://www.sunlightfoundation.com/http://www.sunlightfoundation.com/http://www.politicalpartytime.org/http://www.poligraft.com/http://www.influenceexplorer.com/


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Resources

Federal Election Commission

Disclosure portal has searchable catalog of officialcandidate and political action committee filings.

National parties and independent expenditures.

Downloadable data files.

www.fec.gov
http://www.fec.gov/http://www.fec.gov/


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Resources

Center for Responsive Politics

Top all time donors Search by industry or company name

Helpful staff. Custom data.

www.opensecrets.org
http://www.opensecrets.org/http://www.opensecrets.org/


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Resources

National Institute on Money in State

Politics.

Tracks donations in all 50 states

www.followthemoney.org


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Editors Want to Know

Whats the best story we can tell right now?

Answer: Analysis and exclusives Follow the money (data)

Paper trail (online)

Sources (people)


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Digging into Companies

10-K annual report

10-Q quarterly report 8-K material event report

Proxy statement. CEO pay and board of

directors


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Lobbying Disclosures

House Clerks Office

Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 Lobbyists required to report new clients, fees,

and legislation of interest

http://lobbyingdisclosure.house.gov
http://lobbyingdisclosure.house.gov/http://lobbyingdisclosure.house.gov/http://lobbyingdisclosure.house.gov/


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April 22

New York Magazine - Sugar Daddies. The Old,Rich White Men Who Are Buying ThisElection. By Frank Rich.

If you want to appreciate what Barack Obama is up against in 2012,forget about the front man who is his nominal opponent and lookinstead at the Republican billionaires buying the ammunition for thebattles ahead. A representative example is Harold Simmons, an 80-year-old Texan who dumped some $15 million into the campaign

before primary season had ended.

http://nymag.com/news/frank-rich/conservative-donors-2012-4/


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Aug. 15

WSJ - Zynga Puts Real Money Into Gambling

Lobby. By John Letzing

The lobbying investments by Zynga in Washington,

D.C., and California come as the company eyesreal-money gambling versions of games as a key

opportunity amid waning investor confidence and

a battered stock price.

online.wsj.com


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Corporate Governance andTransparency: Covering

Companies from WashingtonBill Roberts

202 329 7157

[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

Documents

Covering Companies From Washington