Luke Rosiak

Huntsman family financing a test of money’s power

Two-thirds of the money from the main group advancing a presidential bid for former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. came from the candidate's father, disclosures filed Tuesday showed. Published February 1, 2012

Sixty percent of Obama funds comes from big-money bundlers

President Obama raised more than $56 million in the fourth quarter of 2011 for his re-election bid, $24 million of which came through a channel that allowed him to raise money from wealthy donors in chunks of more than $30,000. Published January 31, 2012

Colbert super PAC raises more than $1 million

A comedian's political action committee raised more than a million dollars in a few months in small donations from television viewers who responded to a gag about supposed noncoordination of candidates and the newly allowed unlimited-contribution accounts that jumped from behind the glass to become very real. Published January 31, 2012

Financier who profited on Europe’s debt fueling Paul PAC

A super PAC supporting a presidential candidate has finally disclosed some of its big-money donors — but it's not one of the groups backing the two top-tier candidates, both of which managed to avoid revealing their donors before the early primaries through a questionable loophole. In a federal disclosure Thursday, the Santa Rita Super PAC, which supports Texas Rep. Ron Paul, revealed the names of a few wealthy Texans who have given a total of a quarter-million dollars in the last several weeks. Published January 27, 2012

Supreme Court ruling unleashed torrent of attack ads

The honeymoon is over. In the first presidential race since a 2010 Supreme Court ruling gave rise to independent political groups that can spend millions of dollars, an early flirtation with using "super-PACs" for positive ads has devolved into their clear role as weapons of mass destruction. Published January 23, 2012

Public employees union heaps cash into GOP ad attacks on Romney

An unlikely combatant has jumped into the big-money battle between independent groups running ads weighing in on the Republican presidential primary: a national union representing public employees. Published January 22, 2012

Metro eyes monthly unlimited-use pass

Metro will consider offering New York City-style unlimited monthly passes in concert with fare increases after its board of directors expressed concern Thursday that riders are too dissatisfied with the rail system's performance to pay more without new incentives. Published January 19, 2012

Colbert PAC hits Romney with ‘killer’ ad

A political group established as a joke is seriously spending money on the Republican presidential primary in South Carolina. Published January 16, 2012

Ex-Ward 5 ANC official faces charge of fraud

A former advisory neighborhood commissioner accused in June by the District of Columbia auditor of stealing $30,000 in taxpayer money is being charged with a felony, court documents filed Wednesday show. Published January 11, 2012

Super-PAC shifts to Romney

A political group that had previously planned to back Rep. Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign instead has poured nearly a half-million dollars into efforts to elect former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Published December 28, 2011

Report finds Metro hiring process skirted

A top manager at Metro created a $140,000-a-year job for a friend whose California-based company had received stimulus funds and contracts from the transit agency — including one for $50,000 that paid for the design of a single banner hanging in Metro's downtown headquarters. Published December 28, 2011

Gingrich backers return fire at Romney

A super-PAC supporting Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich spent $40,000 attacking rival Mitt Romney by sending mailers about the former Massachusetts governor to Iowa voters the week before the state's first-in-the-nation caucuses, according to filings Tuesday. Published December 27, 2011

D.C. official to repay stolen $30,000 to city

An elected official who stole $30,000 from D.C. taxpayers and spent it on a luxury car and designer clothes will have to repay the money — without penalty — at a rate of $200 a month, according to a settlement announced Thursday by the D.C. Office of the Attorney General. Published December 22, 2011

Super-PACs are the elephant in the room

The video advertisements are looping almost continuously, and early-primary voters can't escape. Newt Gingrich "has a ton of baggage." Jon Huntsman Jr. "is more conservative than Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney combined." And President Obama's "plan is working: destroy Mitt Romney, run against Newt Gingrich." Published December 20, 2011

Dems outpace GOP in lobbyist cash race

The national political parties took more cash from lobbyists in the first half of 2011 than in any other six-month period on record, even during the wide-open election of 2008, and the Democratic Party's committees have easily outpaced their GOP counterparts despite President Obama's vilification of special-interest giving. Published December 19, 2011

Gingrich’s mailing list sale under fire

A campaign ethics watchdog group charged in a complaint filed Monday with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) that Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich illegally used campaign funds to enrich himself by using $42,000 in donations to pay himself for a mailing list. Published December 19, 2011

Gingrich awakens opposing super PACs

When Mitt Romney's backers started a super PAC, it seemed they had hoped to hold their fire until the general election. But Newt Gingrich may have shaken both Romney and Obama strategists' assurance that the former Massachusetts governor will make it that far. Published December 11, 2011

Cain left with millions after withdrawing from presidential race

When a bid for the presidency fails, the typical politician can roll over any leftover campaign donations to efforts to maintain a seat in Congress or place at the governor's mansion. But Herman Cain is not your typical politician, as the voters were often reminded; he's a businessman. Published December 5, 2011

D.C. funds for needy used more for perks

D.C. Council member Tommy Wells on Wednesday called for the elimination of special funds the city's lawmakers are supposed to use to help the needy — money critics consider "slush funds" rarely tapped to help residents. Published November 30, 2011

Most Republican bundlers still sitting on sidelines

Members of the Republican money machine that powered presidential elections from their time as "Rangers" for George W. Bush are betting almost entirely on Mitt Romney, but a large majority has so far sat out of the 2012 race altogether. Published November 27, 2011