michigan campaign finance network

Stateside: Dark money in campaign funding

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 21:46:30 +0000

There is an ongoing trend of furtive campaign funding in Michigan.

Rich Robinson, executive director of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, said voters should demand transparency from their elected officials and their funding.

Robinson called this undisclosed funding “dark money.”

And the two biggest sources of it are, according to Robinson, Michigan’s Democrat and Republican parties.

“My basic premise is that people don’t spend large amounts of money in politics for philanthropic motives. Essentially, they’re advancing their own interests in politics,” he said.

According to Robinson, citizens have a right to know where the money comes from.

Romney, Stabenow far outspend opponents on ads in Michigan

Jake Neher — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 19:28:55 +0000

Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney and Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow are both far outspending their opponents on TV ads in Michigan.

That’s according to a report released Monday by the Michigan Campaign Finance Network.

The report says groups supporting Romney have spent about $13 million for ads in Michigan since the February primary.

The Obama campaign and supporters haven’t spent as much in Michigan, but Obama still has a lead among likely voters, according to most polls.

Rich Robinson is with the Michigan Campaign Finance Network.

Lacking Integrity in State Government

Jack Lessenberry — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:29:42 +0000

First, the bad news: A State Integrity Commission yesterday released a new study of ethics and integrity in state governments across the United States. To quote the New York Times, it found:

Money from special interest groups flooded Michigan congressional campaigns in 2010

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 20:30:49 +0000

A new study finds 3 Michigan congressional campaigns were swamped with outside money during the recent election. And most of that money paid for negative ads.

National political parties, unions and special interest groups spent $19 million on issue ads leading up to the November election. The money was focused on the 1^st, 7^th and 9^th congressional districts, where Democrats were trying to fend off strong Republican challenges.