2016 Presidential Candidates Raise Millions from Key States

Andrea Izzotti/Shutterstock

July 17, 2015 -- The reports are in. On July 15, the 2016 presidential candidates turned in their Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings disclosing how much their campaign committees have raised to date. California, New York, Florida, and Texas dominate the list of states from which candidates have received money for their campaigns.

The total cost of the 2016 presidential election is expected to reach an unprecedented $5 billion, with outside groups, like single-candidate super PACs, accounting for an increasingly larger portion of expenditures. Filings for outside groups are due to the FEC on July 31.

Data: MapLight analysis of campaign contributions to the principal campaign committees of federal presidential candidates for the 2016 election cycle, from January 1, 2015 to June 30, 2015. Data Source: Federal Election Commission.

Methodology: MapLight analysis of campaign contributions to the principal campaign committees of federal presidential candidates for the 2016 election cycle, from January 1, 2015 to June 30, 2015. Total raised figures are based on candidates summaries compiled by the Federal Election Commission. State breakdowns for donors are based on itemized records of individual and candidate contributions. All numbers are based on latest data made available by the Federal Election Commission as of July 16, 2015.

MapLight is a 501c(3) organization that tracks money's influence on politics.

Via: Map Light

Continue Reading....

Public outcry forces FEC Democrats to junk bid to regulate Internet, Drudge

The Federal Election Commission, facing punishing criticism for suggesting that political activity on the Internet should be regulated, rejected talk of new rules Thursday, a victory for GOP commissioners who feared Democrats were targeting conservative sites, even the Drudge Report.

During a public meeting, Democrats on the FEC said they were responding to the public outcry in saying that no new rules are required.

RELATED: Charge: Election commission Dems want to regulate conservative Internet, super PACs

Democratic Commissioner Ellen Weintraub said the FEC received 5,000 comments demanding the agency keep their hands off the Internet. In response, she proposed a resolution that directly barred Internet regulation.

"I wanted to make clear that I was listening to what people are saying out there and I think we should allay those concerns if people are concerned that we are about to do that," she said. Her resolution said: "I further move that the Commission direct [counsel] to exclude from the rulemaking any proposal affecting political activity on the Internet."

RELATED: Head of 'non-partisan' FEC backs Hillary Clinton's push for more women in politics

Republicans on the commission had raised concerns that Democrats on the commission were targeting conservative political and news websites like Drudge, and could regulate them.

Weintraub said she never sought to regulate the Internet in her bid to provide more transparency in fundraising and political activity covered by the recent Supreme Court case, McCutcheon v. FEC, where the court struck down contribution limits.

RELATED: Drudge is the nation's news homepage, top driver to Fox, NYT, Politico

In seeking public comments on the effort, she said, "Two strong messages that came in. There was a strong message that we not regulate the Internet and there was an even stronger message in terms of number of people who bother to comment, who said do something about disclosure." Overall, some 32,000 comments were received.

Via: Washington Examiner

Continue Reading....