In 1997 and 1998, the banking, insurance, and securities industries spend over $300 million to advance financial deregulation, including $58 million in direct campaign contributions to Democratic and Republican candidates, $87 million in soft money contributions to both parties, and $163 million on …
Banking IndustryInsurance IndustrySecurities IndustryDemocratic PartyRepublican Party+1 morecampaign-financelobbyingfinancial-deregulationglass-steagallcorruption+2 more
Democratic fundraiser Johnny Chung receives $300,000 from Ji Shengde, the head of Chinese military intelligence, with instructions to funnel the money to help reelect President Clinton in 1996. Chung tells federal investigators that he passed on $35,000 of this money to the Democratic National …
Johnny ChungJi ShengdeBill ClintonDemocratic National CommitteeChinese Military Intelligencecampaign-financeforeign-interferenceelection-interferencechinaillegal-donations+1 more
Vice President Al Gore attends a fundraising luncheon at the Hsi Lai Buddhist temple in Hacienda Heights, California, organized by longtime Democratic fundraiser Maria Hsia and DNC fundraiser John Huang. The event raises $166,750 for the Democratic National Committee through illegal contributions …
Al GoreMaria HsiaJohn HuangDemocratic National Committeecampaign-financeillegal-donationspolitical-corruptionelection-interferencemoney-laundering
Documents revealed in February 1997 show that President Bill Clinton and top aides orchestrated a broad fundraising operation during his first term, explicitly using overnight stays in the White House Lincoln Bedroom and other perks to woo and reward major donors. President Clinton personally …
Bill ClintonDemocratic National CommitteeMajor Donorscampaign-financepolitical-corruptioninfluence-peddlingfundraising-scandalwhite-house
The Republican Party, led by Newt Gingrich, Tom DeLay, and Grover Norquist, launched the K Street Project to fundamentally restructure Washington lobbying. By creating an explicit pay-to-play system, they pressured lobbying firms to hire Republican staff, track employee political affiliations, and …
corporate-influencelobbyingrepublican-strategyk-street-projectcampaign-finance+1 more
The Senate Ethics Committee launched an investigation into five senators (McCain, Glenn, Cranston, Riegle, and DeConcini) for their improper intervention with federal regulators on behalf of Charles Keating’s Lincoln Savings and Loan Association. The investigation was initiated after …
John McCainJohn GlennAlan CranstonDonald RiegleDennis DeConcini+1 morepolitical-corruptionbanking-scandalsenate-ethicscampaign-financeregulatory-capture
Justice Lewis Powell delivers majority opinion in First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti (435 U.S. 765), establishing for first time that corporations have First Amendment speech rights to influence ballot initiatives and political campaigns. Powell’s 5-4 decision strikes down Massachusetts …
Lewis F. Powell Jr.Supreme Court of the United StatesFirst National Bank of BostonFrancis X. Bellotti (Massachusetts Attorney General)Corporate Interestscorporate-speech-rightsfirst-amendmentbellotti-decisionpowell-memo-implementationcampaign-finance+1 more
Following the Buckley v. Valeo decision, corporations rapidly established Political Action Committees to influence elections. The number of corporate PACs grew from 89 in 1974 to 1,206 by 1980 - a 1,254% increase. This represented a systematic corporate mobilization to capture political influence, …
Corporate AmericaBusiness RoundtableChamber of CommerceFECcorporate-pacscampaign-financesystematic-corruptioninstitutional-capturesupreme-court+1 more
Following the Buckley v. Valeo decision, corporations rapidly established Political Action Committees to influence elections. The number of corporate PACs grew from 89 in 1974 to 1,206 by 1980 - a 1,254% increase. This represented a systematic corporate mobilization to capture political influence, …
Corporate AmericaBusiness RoundtableChamber of CommerceFECcorporate-pacscampaign-financesystematic-corruptioninstitutional-capture
The Supreme Court ruled in Buckley v. Valeo that spending money on elections is a form of free speech protected by the First Amendment. While upholding contribution limits, the decision struck down expenditure limits, creating a fundamental asymmetry that would enable unlimited corporate influence …
In a landmark constitutional law decision, the Supreme Court ruled in Buckley v. Valeo that political expenditures constitute a form of speech protected by the First Amendment, fundamentally transforming campaign finance jurisprudence. The Court established a critical distinction between campaign …
Justice Lewis Powell joins the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Buckley v. Valeo (424 U.S. 1), which fundamentally reshaped campaign finance law by equating money with political speech. The Court upheld contribution limits to prevent corruption while striking down expenditure limitations …
Lewis F. Powell Jr.Supreme CourtFederal Election Campaign Actbuckley-v.-valeocampaign-financemoney-as-speechpolitical-expenditurespowell-blueprint-implementation+2 more
In the landmark Buckley v. Valeo decision, the Supreme Court fundamentally reshaped campaign finance law by ruling that expenditure limits are unconstitutional. The Court distinguished between direct campaign contributions and independent expenditures, creating a legal framework that would enable …