Reminder: Our Instagram AMA on money in politics is tomorrow, Aug. 6. Got a question about campaign finance, lobbying or where political money actually goes? Bring it to @OpenSecretsDC on Instagram.

CHART OF THE WEEK: NY’s 12th district is a lock for Democrats, but outside groups have already spent $41.2 million on the primary - the most of any House race so far, thanks to spending by the AI industry.

Jay Clayton was confirmed as director of national intelligence on 7/28. President Trump nominated the former SEC chairman in June, after Tulsi Gabbard stepped down. We dig into his professional background + past political activity. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...

Virginia's "data center alley" keeps expanding, despite rising public opposition. Three NoVa Democrats, whose district houses 293 operational data centers with 154 more planned, have taken tens of thousands from the industry. Read more: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...

July 30 is the deadline for registered lobbyists and firms to disclose political contributions made January-June. Combined with the lobbying & FEC reports filed earlier this month, it provides a more complete picture of political influence ahead of the midterms. Follow for our continued analysis.

Nebraska Democrat Cindy Burbank spent less than $20k, won her primary with nearly 90% of the vote, then dropped out weeks later, clearing the ballot for independent Dan Osborn. Osborn has raised $5.8M & and is the main challenger to GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts. More: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...

50 agencies handle campaign finance at the state level. We're on a mission to chat with them all. Jeff Sigurdson, exec. dir. of the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. He oversees campaign reporting & lobbying disclosure. 📷Full interview: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...

PA has 3 toss-up House races, more than any other state & all 3 seats are currently held by Republicans. Republicans outraised Democrats in 2 of the 3 races through 6/30, but 2 Democrats head into the stretch w/ more cash on hand. Read more: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...

Outside groups have poured more than $52M into the Michigan Senate primary, second only to TX nationally. Four super PACs are driving spending, much of it backing Rep. Haley Stevens over Abdul El-Sayed, with AIPAC-aligned spending a major factor. Read more: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...

CHART OF THE WEEK: Outside groups have already spent more than $330M trying to sway '26 Senate races, with over 3 months still to go until Election Day. 86% of that money is concentrated in just 10 contests.

Spain just won the #FIFAWorldCup2026 🇪🇸⚽️. In honor of the win, we're taking a look at Spain's U.S. lobbying and influence activity, digging into the disclosures to see how the country engages with Washington. www.opensecrets.org/fara/countri...

Today is the deadline for Q2 lobbying disclosure reports. Every registered lobbyist has to report their lobbying activity for April-June. It's an important read on who is spending on policy influence ahead of the midterms. Stay tuned for our breakdown of the latest data.

CHART OF THE WEEK: Half the states ban foreign money in ballot measure campaigns. Federal law only bans foreign contributions to candidates' campaigns because the Supreme Court has ruled ballot measures count as issue advocacy. The House passed a bill Monday to close the gap at the federal level.

In honor of National Ice Cream Day, we're digging into the 2025 lobbying data behind the industry, specifically the holding companies of major ice cream brands & their trade association. Swipe through for the scoop🍦.

The major super PACs helping Hill Republicans reported huge war chests this week. The Senate Leadership Fund has $100M+ more cash than its Democratic counterpart. And in the House, the Congressional Leadership Fund reported 2X cash as the Democratic equivalent. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...

The crypto industry's political spending looks like it's split by party, but it's a coordinated campaign. Fairshake, Protect Progress & Defend American Jobs share a treasurer & address in Saint Paul. Fairshake has funneled tens of millions to the other two. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...

House and Senate candidates have filed their latest round of quarterly fundraising reports with the Federal Election Commission. Democrats dominate the top of the lists. (1/5) www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...

Sen. Lindsey Graham's death froze one of the GOP's biggest campaign war chests. As of his last FEC filing ahead of the 6/9 primary, Graham had raised $20.9M, w/ $4.2M cash on hand. What happens to that money is now an open question. Read our latest: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...

July 15 is the FEC's Q2 filing deadline. Every House and Senate campaign has to report fundraising and spending from April through June. This will give us a real read on where candidates stand financially before the traditional post-Labor Day sprint begins. Follow along for our analysis.

I talked with @opensecrets.org for insight into why two campaigns from opposing parties would want to create a mechanism to fundraise together. The answer: it may be more about messaging than money.

Fetterman and McCormick form bipartisan joint fundraising committee

Pennsylvania Sens. Dave McCormick and John Fetterman have formed a joint fundraising committee.

cbsnews.com

Tory Wegerski@producertory.bsky.social · 4w ago

Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) and Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA) launch a new joint fundraising committee for their re-election campaigns. Something something "new meaning to bipartisanship" something.

🏛️ The Supreme Court struck down limits on coordinated spending between political parties & candidates. Parties can now use joint fundraising committee money to coordinate directly w/ candidates on spending, something federal law previously restricted. More: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...

Democrats vying to replace Graham Platner face a financial hole. He had $2.2M cash on hand as of 5/20. But most of that money cannot transfer to a new candidate's committee. His successor starts from close to zero, against Sen. Susan Collins' $10M. Full story: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...

🎧 New on the Fast Politics podcast: @mollyjongfast.bsky.social talks money in politics with OpenSecrets ED Hilary Braseth. They cover dark money, disclosure rules & who's funding the ads you're seeing. Give the full episode a listen: open.spotify.com/episode/0dHL...

Tad Devine & Hillary Braseth

Fast Politics with Molly Jong-Fast · Episode

open.spotify.com

Among the 12 most competitive House races, a quarter of challengers are outraising incumbents. Each of those challengers has cleared $1M so far. 🧵 (1/3)

250 years ago, the Declaration of Independence was a radical act of transparency, a public accounting of power. Today, the fight looks different as dark money floods elections but the cause remains the same. Following the money is the ultimate democratic practice. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...

The Supreme Court has struck down federal limits on "oordinated party expenditures in a 6–3 decision (NRSC v. FEC). Political parties can now spend unlimited funds in direct coordination with federal candidates on campaign expenses like TV ads.

6/30 ends Q2, giving a crucial midyear snapshot before the midterms. The filing deadline for reports is July 15. Follow OpenSecrets for the analysis you’ll need heading into the fall.

The 20 corporate sponsors of the White House's Freedom 250 initiative have spent over $138M on federal lobbying & $17.2M via PACs this cycle. Disclosures show President Trump executed nearly 100 trades involving these same companies in Q1 2026. Read more: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/06...

#OTD in 2008 the Supreme Court struck down the ‘Millionaire’s Amendment’ in Davis v. FEC. The ruling found it unconstitutional to treat candidates differently based on how they fund their campaigns. 🏛️⚖️

Behind every July 4th tradition is a serious public affairs operation actively lobbying the government. 🌭🎆🇺🇸 From the National Fireworks Assn to the Nat'l Hot Dog & Sausage Council, holiday staples rely on trade groups to support their needs. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/06...