American Express says that they’ll start disclosing information on their donations to 501(c) groups (trade associations, political 501(c)4s and so on) that engage in political activity, provided that the groups disclose this info to Amex:
Beginning for payments made in calendar 2008, American Express will request information regarding political contributions from trade associations, entities organized […]

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Lately I’ve been doing a lot of traveling, training reporters on using some of the campaign finance resources that Sunlight supports, and doing a lot of research in the process. I’ve come across some interesting stuff along the way, including this General Dynamics statement on their political contributions:
General Dynamics participates in the U.S. political process […]

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In the five years prior to joining Arizona Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign, Thomas Loeffler’s lobbying firm contacted U.S. government officials, including members of Congress, staff and executive branch officials, an average of 58 times during every six month reporting period on behalf of the government of Saudi Arabia. In the year that Loeffler has […]

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The day after President Bush vetoed the 2008 Defense Appropriations Act, mainly because he objected to a section relating to Iraq, a little known New Jersey law firm filed lobbying disclosure forms on behalf of the Iraqi government requesting “…Presidential action to preclude Section 1083 from becoming law as to Iraq,” documents show. The firm, […]

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Rep. Jo Bonner joined Sen. Richard Shelby in securing a $9,089,000 earmark for the University of Alabama “for construction, renovation, and equipment” in the Labor, HHS and Education appropriations bill, according to our good friends at Taxpayers for Common Sense. The earmark originated with Sen. Shelby–employees and family members of the University of Alabama collectively […]

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The next two earmarks are went to the same recipient. Rep. Jo Bonner, R-Ala., secured a $352,500 earmark for Team Focus, a Mobile, Ala.-based nonprofit which aims to “provide young men that do have a father figure in their life, ages 10 – 18 with leadership skills, guidance, Godly values, and a continual relationship with […]

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Rep. Jo Bonner and Sen. Richard Shelby joined President George W. Bush in requesting an earmark for the Mobile Tensaw Delta; the final value of the earmark, in the Interior, Environment, and related agencies appropriations bill, was $1,969,000.
It doesn’t appear that the State of Alabama or the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources lobbied […]

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In the Transportation and Housing & Urban Development appropriations bill, Rep. Jo Bonner joined Sen. Jeff Sessions in securing a $735,000 earmark for the Mobile Downtown Airport for ramp rehabilitation and drain repair.
The Mobile Regional Airport Authority employed Van Scoyoc Associates to lobby Congress; according to page two of their 2007 mid-year report, Van Scoyoc […]

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Rep. Jo Bonner joined Sen. Richard Shelby in securing $470,000 in the Commerce, Justice & Science appropriations bill for the Mobile County Commission to acquire interoperable communications systems.
The Mobile County Commission had Washington representation — the lobbying firm Van Scoyoc Associates. They lobbied on the “Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, FY […]

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In the Labor, Department of Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill, Rep. Jo Bonner secured a $199,000 earmark for the Fairhope Center for the Arts in Bay Minette, Ala., for arts education programs, including purchase of equipment. The Fairhope Center for the Arts doesn’t seem to have hired a federal lobbyist. The organization […]

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