The Secret Money Project- Follow the independent groups' big money commercials this election season

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From: Center for Investigative Reporting

Election 2008: The Secret Money Project

The Center for Investigative Reporting and National Public Radio have launched a joint initiative tracking the hidden cash in this election season. The Secret Money Project catalogues and examines the sometimes-shadowy independent groups seeking to influence both the presidential and Senate races.
In 2004, the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads kneecapped Democratic
presidential candidate John Kerry’s campaign. This year’s crop of
independent ads has the potential to be equally powerful. Outside advocacy
groups can raise unlimited sums of money and operate under more secrecy than the candidates or party committees. Check out The Secret Money Project on NPR.org:
[ http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92513698 ]

+ INTERACTIVE MAP: Who's paying to influence voters in your state? Watch the
ads and learn who's behind them in a state-by-state interactive map:
[ http://tinyurl.com/4wq5pt ]

+ BLOG: A blog of breaking news and analysis by reporters Peter Overby (NPR)
and Will Evans (CIR):
[ http://www.npr.org/blogs/secretmoney/ ]

+ DIG DEEPER: See profiles of key advocacy groups, showing their background,
context and funding sources. A leadership directory details the interconnected
web of political operatives behind the advocacy groups:
[ http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92458631 ]

+ SEND US TIPS: Readers can report new ads, automated calls, and other
political efforts by independent groups:
[ http://www.npr.org/contact/election_secretmoney.html ]

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Berkeley, CA 94703-2565
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e: [ center@cironline.org ]
w: [ http://www.centerforinvestigativereporting.org ]


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Presidential candidates raise money from foreign lobbyists

The Center of Investigative Reporting has issued an alert on a project it has produced in cooperation with ABCNews.com:

Lobbyists for foreign governments raise money, get meetings
By Will Evans and Avni Patel
ABCNews.com February 1, 2008

Top fundraisers for the presidential campaigns of Democrat Hillary Clinton and
Republican John McCain lobby on behalf of foreign governments, and in some
cases, helped their clients gain access to the senators, according to a CIR and
ABCNews.com investigation.

>> Read the story and see source documents:
[http://centerforinvestigativereporting.org/projects/moneyandpolitics]

>> A CIR web exclusive chart follows the money: WEB OF INFLUENCE
[http://www.centerforinvestigativereporting.org/files/flash/webofinfluence.swf]