‘Self-Funded’ Billionare Donald Trump Preparing To Seek Big-Donor Money

Trump is only now beginning to turn his attention to this kind of big money. A decision on how fully to embrace outside groups is fraught with possible charges of hypocrisy, since he has called them “corrupt.”

Associated Press
By Associated Press
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks in his office at Trump Tower, in New York. The billionaire presidential candidate who prides himself on paying his own way and bashed his competitors for their reliance on political donors now wants their money - and lots of it.

LAS VEGAS — The billionaire presidential candidate who prides himself on paying his own way and bashed his competition for relying on political donors now wants their money — and lots of it. Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, recently hired a national finance chairman, scheduled his first fundraiser and is on the cusp

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Billionaires Give $12.3M To Dems & Hillary Via Joint Fundraising Committee Loophole

While past presidential candidates waited until they received the nomination to join joint fundraising committees, the Hillary Victory Committee has already distributed over $44 million to her campaign and other Democratic candidates.

MintPress News Desk
By MintPress News Desk
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks to supporters after winning the New York state primary election, Tuesday, April 19, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

WASHINGTON --- Some of the country’s Democrats with the deepest pockets are outspending their conservative counterparts in the race to exploit a complex campaign finance loophole. In an April 15 analysis, Will Tucker, the money-in-politics reporter for Open Secrets, a project of the Center For Responsive Politics, reported that top “mega-donors”

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Top Rubio Donors Include Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Tech Billionaire Larry Ellison

The Koch Brothers, private prison corporation the GEO Group, and powerful pro-Israel donors have also given generously to the campaigns of the junior senator from Florida.

Kit O'Connell
By Kit O'Connell
Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., talks with Anderson Cooper during a commercial break at a CNN town hall event, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

WASHINGTON --- Although he’s not a frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio nonetheless has many wealthy donors eager to support his political ambitions. When he launched his presidential campaign, Rubio was likely already holding onto a generous campaign war chest from supporters of his congressional

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Internal Memos Show Conservative Effort To Hide Campaign Donors

In internal memos, groups opposing tighter state campaign finance rules coach their local supporters on how to battle disclosure of political donors.

ProPublica
By ProPublica
money_in_politics

How do you stop states and cities from forcing more disclosure of so-called dark money in politics? Get the debate to focus on an "average Joe," not a wealthy person. Find examples of "inconsequential donation amounts." Point out that naming donors would be a threat to "innocents," including their children, families and co-workers. And never

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Selling Ignorance: How Ben Carson And Donald Trump Finance Their Campaigns

“When nearly 25 percent of the population happily celebrates Independence Day every July 4, without knowing from whom the U.S. gained its independence, there doesn’t seem to be much for a serious candidate to work with.”

Robert Fantina
By Robert Fantina
Donald Trump and Ben Carson watt before a Republican presidential debate at Milwaukee Theatre, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

KITCHENER, Ontario --- Never let it be said that any candidate in the United States miscalculated when relying on the ignorance of the U.S. voter. When nearly 25 percent of the population happily celebrates Independence Day every July 4, without knowing from whom the U.S. gained its independence, there doesn’t seem to be much for a serious

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Seattle Voters Approve First-in-the-Nation ‘Democracy Vouchers’

‘We look forward to seeing more cities and states implementing their own local solutions to the problem of big money in politics,’ says campaign spokesperson

Deirdre Fulton
By Deirdre Fulton
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Leavitt addresses members of the American Legislative Exchange Council Thursday, July 29, 2004, in Seattle. Behind Leavitt is a sign for the morning's sponsor, ExxonMobil. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Voters in Seattle, Washington on Tuesday approved a first-in-the-nation "democracy voucher" ballot initiative that could serve as a national model on campaign finance reform. Initiative 122 (I-122), which was endorsed by nearly every Seattle City Council candidate and enjoyed the support of dozens of local and national progressive groups, passed

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