FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Center for Responsive Politics (OpenSecrets.org) and The Fiscal Times have today launched a joint reporting project that explores the intimate ties among congressional committees and the moneyed industries and special interests that seek to influence them.

The series shines light on how the financial industry in particular contributed money during and after the 2010 campaign to try to curry favor with members of the House Financial Services Committee, which has jurisdiction over legislation being sought to undermine the Frank-Dodd financial regulatory law.

It will also take a broader look at how members of key congressional committees receive disproportionate campaign cash from people and political action committees associated with industries that do frequent business before them.

Meanwhile, the series investigates how new House GOP freshman class fared in fund-raising during the 2010 campaign, and how many of them — including conservative and Tea Party members who ran against Washington and “professional politicians” — almost immediately turned to K Street and the lobbying industry for millions of dollars in contributions to help reduce their campaign debts.

The three-part congressional committee cash series, which will run today and Thursday, is written by the The Fiscal Times‘ Merrill Goozner, Eric Pianin and Jen DePaul, and OpenSecrets.org’s Michael Beckel.

Coordinating the project are OpenSecrets.org editor Dave Levinthal, a former Dallas Morning News political reporter, and Pianin, a former Washington Post reporter and editor.

Read the first installment here. The second installment is found here, while the third is located here.



At noon Thursday, the series’ authors and editors will conduct a live web chat, which is open to the public and accessible through the Center’s website, OpenSecrets.org, and TheFiscalTimes.com.

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ABOUT THE CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS

The Center for Responsive Politics is the nation’s premier research group tracking and reporting on money in federal politics and its effect on elections and public policy. The nonpartisan, nonprofit Center aims to create a more educated voter, an involved citizenry and a more responsive government. The Center’s website, OpenSecrets.org, is the most comprehensive resource for campaign contributions, lobbying data and analysis available anywhere. The Center relies on support from a combination of foundation grants, individual contributions and custom data work and accepts no contributions from businesses, labor unions or trade associations.

ABOUT THE FISCAL TIMES

The Fiscal Times is an independent media enterprise — written, edited and produced by experienced professional journalists — providing an array of original reporting and, analysis, and opinion, along with curated content from other leading partner publications, and research data important to understanding government policy and economics. The Fiscal Times is devoted to comprehensive quality reporting on fiscal policy, business, health care and global economic issues.



For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center: Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics.For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center: [email protected] g

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