• Home
  • News
    • Politics / Govt
    • Legislature
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
    • Archives
  • Sports
    • Badgers
    • Packers
      • Titletown Report
    • Brewers
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support

Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / Politics / Govt / Contributors give record amounts to 527s

Contributors give record amounts to 527s

March 9, 2010 By Jackie Johnson

Wisconsin contributors dole out a record amount of cash to special interest groups.

A watch dog group says the so-called 527s have raised $1.53 million over the course of 2009 for campaign advertising.

“You know all that money came from just 452 contributors — wealthy individuals, corporations and labor unions — more than half the money came from the top two contributors.”

Wisconsin Democracy Campaign Executive Director Mike McCabe says that means a select group of very wealthy people have a big influence in establishing public policy, while keeping everyone else less powerful.

McCabe describes the special interest groups as receptacles for political money, to be used for negative advertising, while hiding from the American people the identity of individuals or corporations paying for the negative advertising.

“Some of the most loathsome smear campaigns … is often sponsored by these outfits.”

McCabe says the 527s — or “shadow party groups” — do the dirty work while candidates can stay on the high road, keeping their advertising relatively clean.

NOTE: The so-called 527s are political groups named after the section of the federal tax code under which they are organized. The $1.53 million in contributions are the most ever in a non-election year, smashing the previous record of $1.12 million set in 2007. WDC report shows last year’s top 527 recipient was the Greater Wisconsin Political Fund. The liberal group took in $400,000. The Republican Governors Association was next with $186,000.

Jackie Johnson report 1:17

contributions1va030910

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Politics / Govt



Featured Stories

Brewers to open season with fans

Report: Former Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. to sign with Brewers

Seven Badgers honored by the WCHA

Panthers rally to upset Wright State in Horizon League quarterfinals

Jokic leads Denver in rout of the Bucks

TwitterFacebook

Sports Headlines

Big Ten Men’s & Women’s basketball Tournaments to Allow Limited Fan Attendance

Brewers to open season with fans

Report: Former Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. to sign with Brewers

Seven Badgers honored by the WCHA

Panthers rally to upset Wright State in Horizon League quarterfinals

More Sports

Tweets by @WRN

Get our news delivered to your inbox:

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Copyright © 2021 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC