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CONFIRMED! The U.S. Senate voted 74-18 to confirm librarian Carla Hayden as the new Librarian of Congress. She will be the first woman and the first African-American to oversee the nation’s library. We join many other voices hoping she will use technology to bring the library into the 21st century, making its knowledge available and accessible to the public across the United States. [Baltimore Sun]
FINED: Sunlight’s Libby Watson reported on the Federal Election Commission (FEC) announcement of $233,000 in fines for three 501(c)(4) groups that concealed the source of political ad spending in 2010. As she noted, however, the fines represents just 1 percent or 1.8 percent of the money two of the groups spent that campaign cycle. [READ MORE]
Watson writes:
CREW is right to note that the $233,000 total is large in the context of other FEC fines — “the FEC gave out $273,000 in conciliation agreement civil penalties for an average penalty of $15,000.” But that’s nothing compared to the kinds of funds these groups have. Fines this small can easily be seen as the cost of doing business for a well-funded group that wants to spend on elections — and obscure the source of such spending — until years after voters have had their say.
NEW VIDEO! Sunlight just published a discussion between Watson and Rep. David Jolly, R-Fla., and Rep. Rick Nolan, D-Minn., the co-sponsors of the Stop Act, which would prevent members of Congress from soliciting donations. Along with the bill, they discuss what the fundraising is currently like in D.C. for Congress and the campaign finance landscape.
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