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Tracking The Money in Election 2014

Political fundraising is making news, as candidates vying for election in November have filed their third quarter reports.
In the 12th Congressional District in southern Illinois, the three candidates - Democrat Bill Enyart, Republican Mike Bost, and Green Paula Bradshaw - have raised nearly $765,000 and spent $1.85 million.

But political parties and interest groups outside the contest have poured more than $5 million in the last six weeks alone. Paul Simon Public Policy Institute Executive Director David Yepsen says that kind of spending, and that of independent groups, contributes to voter fatigue.
 
"There's probably nothing that  can be  done about the waves of money that are now pouring into politics. When the courts started to say that money was a form of free speech - that spending was a form of free speech - particularly by corporate interests, that really changes almost 100 years of law and practice in American politics. And so, for right now, it's the Wild West. "
 
Yepsen points to groups that are not required to disclose their donors - some of which are interested in one issue alone - as the biggest problem in political fundraising today.

Yepsen says unfortunately, much of that independent spending is un-trackable.
 
"I think it's impossible now for citizens now to find out where the money's coming from and where the truth is. The campaigns are raising so much money, the supporters of one candidate or another are raising even more money, and it's just difficult for a voter to find out where this money is all coming from."

The Supreme Court's "Citizens United" decision allows for this kind of donation. Yepsen says it allows major donors to contribute anonymously to non-profit groups, and those groups then work for or against candidates or on specific issues, which muddies the waters for voters.

You can get campaign finance information from the Federal Elections Commission, Project VoteSmart, or Open Secrets.

Jennifer Fuller joined Capitol News Illinois in July 2023 as the organization’s broadcast director. She will oversee the launch and operations of CNI’s new broadcast division.

Contact Jennifer Fuller at jfuller@capitolnewsillinois.com
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