2010 Campaign Spending by Outside Groups

Top Groups Making Outside Expenditures in 2010 Elections, Excluding Party Committees

Organization	Total	View*	Independent Expenditures	Elec Comm	Comm Costs	Super PAC	527s†	501c
US Chamber of Commerce	$32,851,997	C	$0	$32,851,997	$0			x
American Action Network	$26,088,031	C	$5,669,821	$20,418,210	$0			x
American Crossroads	$21,553,277	C	$21,553,277	$0	$0	x	x
Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies	$17,122,446	C	$16,017,664	$1,104,782	$0			x
Service Employees International Union	$15,952,331	L	$15,692,364	$0	$259,967		x
American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees	$13,185,800	L	$11,995,182	$68,539	$1,122,079		x
National Education Assn	$10,245,561	L	$7,239,105	$105,724	$2,900,732	x	x
American Future Fund	$9,599,806	C	$7,387,918	$2,211,888	$0			x
Americans for Job Security	$8,991,209	C	$4,406,902	$4,584,307	$0			x
National Assn of Realtors	$8,890,737		$7,122,031	$0	$1,768,706	x	x
VIEW ALL GROUPS

* C = Conservative (GOP – Republicans – Right), L = Liberal (Democrats – Left – Unions)
^† Indicates that this organization has a 527 committee registered with the IRS. The committee’s 527 spending outside of electioneering communications is NOT included in these totals. Read more about 527s.

 

Top 2010 Candidates Attracting Outside Expenditures, Excluding Party Committees

Candidate	Race	Total	For Dems	Against Dems	For Repubs	Against Repubs	Results
Bennet, Michael F (D)	COS1	$12,092,391	$1,731,274	$6,573,603	$0	$0	Winner
Reid, Harry (D)	NVS2	$10,173,488	$2,453,498	$6,744,181	$0	$0	Winner
Buck, Ken (R)	COS1	$9,101,422	$0	$0	$2,523,919	$3,901,571	Lost
Sestak, Joseph A Jr (D)	PAS1	$8,901,618	$1,558,248	$5,854,490	$0	$0	Lost
Giannoulias, Alexander (D)	ILS2	$8,516,580	$637,604	$6,196,120	$0	$0	Lost
Boxer, Barbara (D)	CAS1	$6,948,186	$1,269,107	$767,957	$0	$0	Winner
Murray, Patty (D)	WAS2	$6,805,859	$1,112,250	$4,365,456	$0	$0	Winner
Carnahan, Robin (D)	MOS1	$6,755,812	$812,215	$3,980,623	$0	$0	Lost
Halter, Bill (D)	ARS2	$6,559,801	$4,730,364	$475,271	$0	$0	Lost primary runoff
Lincoln, Blanche (D)	ARS2	$6,447,154	$534,782	$2,849,004	$0	$0	Lost
VIEW ALL CANDIDATES

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Massachusetts state government: Top Scandals and Corruption

Source: The Phoenix > Talking Politics > Massholes: “A timeline of modern-day state house corruption”

1770s and royal governor Thomas Hutchinson: Hutchinson was accused of enforcing the much-despised Stamp Act and Tea Act in part because his brother-in-law was stamp master, and two of his sons were designated tea consignees.

1964 House Speaker John F. Thompson indicted on bribery and conspiracy charges. The allegations involved lobbyists for the small-loan industry who were seeking to prevent state regulation. More than two dozen people were charged. Thompson died before the case went to trial. Former Speaker Charles Gibbons, accused of perjury in the same case, eventually had the charges against him dropped.

1977 State Senators Joseph DiCarlo and Ron MacKenzie convicted of extortion and conspiracy, related to the McKee-Berger-Mansueto (MBM) company’s construction of the UMass-Boston campus. They each served a year in prison.

1980 The Ward Commission, established in the wake of the MBM scandal to examine the public-construction process, concludes in a multi-volume report that “corruption is a way of life in Massachusetts.”

1996 Speaker Charles Flaherty pleads guilty to tax-evasion charges, receiving two years probation and agreeing to pay $50,000 in penalties and fines. This came at the end of a three-year investigation alleging that Flaherty received contributions and favors — including free use of vacation homes — from lobbyists and businessmen currying his favor.

2005 Former Speaker Thomas Finneran indicted on perjury and obstruction-of-justice charges, the result of allegations concerning his role in the 2001 redistricting process. Finneran pleaded guilty to obstruction in 2007, and served no jail time.

2008 State Senator Dianne Wilkerson arrested and charged with extortion in federal court, for allegedly receiving cash payments from businessmen in exchange for political assistance. Wilkerson is awaiting trial, as is Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner, arrested in the same sting.

2009 Speaker Sal DiMasi indicted on charges that he accepted monetary payments from software company Cognos, in exchange for his assistance obtaining state contracts. DiMasi is free on bail awaiting trial.