COVERING CAMPAIGNS

National Press Foundation

Paul Miller Fellowship
Oct. 5, 2015
Herb Jackson, The Record
cell: 202.309.1900 | jackson@northjersey.com
CAMPAIGN MONEY
How does money raised by incumbent match the issues he/she stresses on the floor, the votes
taken, the bills introduced. Do contributions or bill intros line up with votes on big issues? Are
moneyed interests lining up with challenger because of the way the incumbent votes? PACs
dont usually give in primaries, and if they are, its significant.
FEC: Electronic filing has the latest info on filing day; maps useful for geographical data; state
downloads; separate databases for independent expenditures, committee & candidate summaries,
& leadership PAC sponsors
http://fec.gov/pindex.shtml
Voluntary Senate electronic filing: http://docquery.fec.gov/senate/
CRP: Contributions (ID spouses, aggregates employers, interests), personal finances, lobbying,
tracks interest groups, bulk data downloads
http://www.opensecrets.org/
Sunlight: Influence explorer combines CRP data and state money, but also not as current; best
for researching a donors influence over a long period of time. Also allows you to set alerts
through Scout tool. Other tools also worth checking out: OpenCongress [Compare voting records
of 2 members]; Docket wrench [research regulations]
http://sunlightfoundation.com/tools/
IRS: Political org filings, Dem and Repub Governors Associations, legal defense funds. [PDFs
are a bear to get into database apps, but most are text searchable]
http://forms.irs.gov/app/pod/basicSearch/search
CQ: Subscription service with great cache of data and reporting, bulk data downloads
http://www.cqmoneyline.com/
National Institute for Money in State Politics: http://www.followthemoney.org/

CONGRESSIONAL DISCLOSURES
The law requires a lot of information to be disclosed every year, sometimes every quarter. We
should read it and ask about it if for no other reason than to make sure officials know someone is
watching.
Personal finances: Members, candidates [usually by 5/15] have to file. How much are they
worth, where do they make their money, any disclosed gifts, what kinds of property listed
[personal residence(s) do not have to be disclosed]. Records room computers also have info for
top-paid staffers [in case a former aide makes a run for office]
House: http://clerk.house.gov/public_disc/financial.aspx
Senate: https://efdsearch.senate.gov/search/home/
CRP: http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/
Office budgets: How much are they spending public funds: How much franked mail? Are they
buying Facebook ads to get followers?
House: http://disbursements.house.gov/
Senate: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/common/generic/report_secsen.htm
Sunlight database: https://sunlightfoundation.com/tools/expenditures/
Other disclosures: [Lobbying data, foreign travel, etc.]
Are the biggest lobbying groups on the campaign contribution list also lobbying the incumbents
committees? On legislation he or she is sponsoring?
House: http://clerk.house.gov/public_disc/index.aspx
Senate: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/lobbyingdisc.htm#lobbyingdisc=fd
CRP lobbying: http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/
Legistorm: subscription service has a ton of stuff my paper cant afford; staff data, travel data,
etc. https://www.legistorm.com/

BACKGROUNDING CHALLENGERS (besides Google)

Voting record: Usually elections clerk in candidates home county. Some may require filing
public records request. Does candidate vote often? How long a member of his/her party? How
often does he/she vote in primaries?
Some info also available from Lexis/Nexis, but may be out of date. http://www.nexis.com/
Lawsuit judgments, liens: http://www.nexis.com/
Social media: What have they said, done in the past. Might find past coworkers, employees
through LinkedIn, which allows sending email within service if you have a pro subscription.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ | Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/
Voter voices: Talk to people in the district. What they are hearing and saying about candidates
may not be what were hearing in DC and could open up lots of story angles.
SEC filings: If candidate is a corporate exec, company may have made some interesting
disclosures. https://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html
ISSUE INFO
Ratings on incumbents: Project Vote Smart is a good starting point, but needs to be verified, for
how different interest groups rated incumbents, with links to the scoring organizations that can
show you when they voted for or against bills the organization was watching.
http://votesmart.org/
CQ: Subscription service will give you key votes with member bios with accurate descriptions of
what the vote was for, along with how often they voted with party leadership and the president.
Very helpful if you get two incumbents facing each other, because you can see where they
agreed and disagreed. www.cq.com
Member web pages: See what issues theyve put out their own press releases about, then search
topics on the GAO web site for perspective. Searching committees of jurisdiction may also turn
up experts who testified on different sides on a subject who can be contacted for stories.
GAO: http://www.gao.gov/
House comms: http://www.house.gov/committees/
Senate comms: http://www.senate.gov/committees/committees_home.htm

TheRecord

1/1Monday,January30,2012
Publication:TheRecord
Edition:AE
Section:NEWS
Page:A01
Byline:ByHERBJACKSON,WASHINGTONCORRESPONDENT
Source:NJMG

PASCRELL,ROTHMANRACESPLITSDONORS
SupportersofbothDemocratsforcedtochoosejustone
Onelobbyistcomparedittoafuneral.ABergenCountypostalunionleadersaiditwas"like
choosingbetweenyourparentsinadivorce."
The"tragedy"they'reconfrontingistheprimaryfightbetweenReps.SteveRothmanandBill
PascrellJr.
Thefaceoffisforcinglobbyists,interestgroupsandunionsthatcountedbothNorthJersey
Democratsasreliablesupporters,andusedtheirpoliticalactioncommitteestohelpreelect
them,tomakeachoice.
Dotheysupportbothcandidates,pickafavoriteorsitonthesidelinesuntilthevotersin
JunechoosebetweenPascrell,DPaterson,andRothman,DFairLawn?
"It'salmostafuneralbecausewe'regoingtolosesomebodywhohasbeenhelpfultothe
company,"saidDocSyers,chieflobbyistfordefensecontractorITTExelis,whichmakes
radarjammingdevicesforArmyhelicoptersandNavyjetsataCliftonplant.
Bothcongressmenhaveconstituentswhoworkattheplant.Rothmanisamemberofthe
defenseappropriationssubcommittee,whilePascrellwasaclosefriendofthesubcommittee's
formerchairman,thelateRep.JohnMurtha,DPa.
Since2007,ITT'sPAChasgiven$19,500toPascrelland$21,500toRothman.Inthis
electioncycle,eachhasreceived$4,000,andwilllikelyget$1,000morebeforetheelection,
bringingthemtothemaximumthatPACscandonateinprimaries.Alltold,morethan120
groupshavecontributedtobothcandidatesoverthepastfiveyears,accordingtoananalysis
byTheRecordusingdatacompiledbytheCenterforResponsivePolitics.Somecontributors
favoredonecandidatemoreheavily,butmanyothersgavebothsimilaramounts.Outof$2.2
millionincontributionsfromgroupsthatgavetobothcandidates,53percentwenttoPascrell
and47percenttoRothman.
BAESystems,anotherdefensecontractorwithaplantintheregion,hasgiven$34,000to
Pascrelland$40,500toRothmansince2007.Itdoesn'thavetomakeachoiceaboutthe
primarybecausebothcandidateshavealreadygottenthemaximum$5,000fortheprimary.
'Waitandsee'
Someinterestgroupssaytheyarestayingoutofthefight.Buteventhatstillcanworktoone
candidate'sadvantage.
TheAmericanDentalAssociation,forexample,hasgivenPascrell$25,000andRothman
$10,000inthepastfiveyears.ThePascrellamountincludes$10,000forthisyear'sprimary
andgeneralelectionsthattheADAcontributedtohiminJune,amonthafterheintroducedabill
thatwouldmakemoredentaltreatmentandproductseligibleforreimbursementfromtax
favoredFlexibleSpendingAccounts.

RothmanhadnotgottenanyADAcontributionsthroughSept.30,anditnowlooksasthough
hewon'tgetanybeforeJune.
"We'regoingtowaitandseewhathappensintheprimary,"saidJimSchulz,theADA's
lobbyistinTrenton."Theybothhavebeenfriendstoorganizeddentistryformanyyears.
CongressmanPascrellhascertainlydemonstratedabitmoresupportthroughsomeofthe
sponsorshipoflegislationthatwe'vebeeninterestedin."
TheprimaryishappeningbecauseRothmandecidedtomoveandtakeonPascrellafterthe
stateCongressionalRedistrictingCommissionmovedhishometownofFairLawnintoa
RepublicanleaningdistrictrepresentedbyRep.ScottGarrett,RWantage.Pascrell'shomein
PatersonwasaddedtomuchofwhathadbeenRothman'sold9thDistrict.
SinceRothmanannouncedhischallengeshortlyafterChristmas,heandPascrellhavebeen
courtinglaborendorsementsheavily.Unionshavebeenamongtheirbiggestfinancialbackers
overtheyears,andsomecanalsoprovidestreetoperationstogetvoterstothepolls.
Unionsdivided
Forsomeorganizations,it'sasplitdecision.
TheNationalAssociationofLetterCarriersPACgave$12,000toPascrelland$11,500to
Rothmansince2007.Bothcongressmenalsojoinedinralliesandcosponsoredbillslastyear
againstcutbackstothePostalService.
"BillPascrell'sagreatcongressman.Ican'tsayabadwordabouthim,"saidJeffryFox,the
presidentofBergenCountyBranch425oftheNALC.
Nevertheless,FoxsaidhisbranchvotedunanimouslythismonthtoendorseRothman.
"Whenitcomesdowntoit,allpoliticsislocalandStevehasbeenourcongressmaninour
areafor16yearsnow,"hesaid."Whenwetalkedaboutitatalocalmeeting,itwasano
brainer.WesupportSteve."
Theassociation'sPatersonbranch,however,endorsedPascrellforthesamereasons.
"Iunderstandthat,"Foxsaid."Thishasbeenahorriblesituationwe'veallbeenthrowninto.
It'slikechoosingbetweenyourparentsinadivorce."
Pascrell'scontributionsfromtheServiceEmployeesInternationalUnionoverthepastfive
yearsexceededRothman's,$15,000to$4,500.ButwhentheSEIU'sNewJerseyState
CouncilendorsedRothman,theexplanationhadafamiliarringtoit.
"Itwasaverydifficultdecisionforusbecausetheybothhaveexcellentlaborrecords,"said
LizetteDelgadoPolanco,theexecutivedirector.Theunion'sleadershipdecidedRothmanhad
been"morepersonablewhenweapproachedhimwheneverwehadanissue.That'snottaking
anythingfromCongressmanPascrell.Becausehe'sanexcellentcongressman."
Email:jackson@northjersey.comBlog:northjersey.com/herbjackson
Sidebar:
Twocandidates,similarcontributors
Overthepastfiveyears,morethan120politicalactioncommittees,unions,lobbyistsand
businesseshavecontributedtoBillPascrellJr.andSteveRothman,theDemocratic
congressmenfacingeachotherinaJuneprimary.Herearetotalscontributedbydifferent
categoriesofdonorsandthetopcontributorsineachcategory.
Category,contributorPascrellRothman
*Transportation$180,600$180,800
KeepNewJerseyMovingInc.10,50030,500
JosephM.SanzariInc.12,60027,300
NationalAirTrafficControllersAssn.19,50018,000
AirLinePilotsAssn.19,50017,500
*Defensecontractors107,000170,500
BAESystems34,00040,500
ITTIndustries19,50021,500

HoneywellInternational15,50021,000
LockheedMartin8,00027,000
*Buildingtrade/industrialunions150,700118,000
Intl.BrotherhoodofElectricalWorkers37,50030,000
OperatingEngineersunion20,00020,000
Laborersunion18,50016,500
Plumbers/pipefittersunion20,20010,500
*Other136,025125,100
InserraSupermarkets4,50061,600
Wine&SpiritsWholesalersofAmerica19,5001,000
NationalBeerWholesalersAssn.17,5002,500
ServiceEmployeesInternationalUnion15,0004,500
*Pharmaceuticals/healthproducts113,456112,200
HoffmannLaRoche42,15615,000
Johnson&Johnson9,00020,000
Merck&Co10,50011,000
RegenBiologics2,30015,900
Category,contributorPascrellRothman
*Finance/insurance/realestate151,17073,950
NationalAssn.ofRealtors29,07018,000
NationalAssn.ofHomeBuilders17,50016,500
PrudentialFinancial24,5005,000
Natl.Assn./Insurance&FinancialAdvisors20,5001,000
*Hospitals/healthprofessionals114,80065,250
AmericanDentalAssn.25,00010,000
AmericanOptometricAssn.21,5006,500
AmericanHospitalAssn.17,0007,500
AmericanSocietyofAnesthesiologists10,0009,000
*Publicsectorunions85,00073,500
InternationalAssn.ofFireFighters17,0009,000
NationalAssn.ofLetterCarriers12,00011,500
AmericanFederationofState/
County/municipalemployees12,50011,000
NationalEducationAssn.11,0008,000
*Lawyers/lawfirms67,25072,900
AmericanAssn.forJustice12,50019,000
LowensteinSandler28,0501,800
GibbonsPC2,00010,000
Scarinci&Hollenbeck5,0005,300
*Lobbyists90,95048,450
PMAGroup50,1004,000
WinningStrategiesWashington18,05027,900
HuttonStrategies1,70020,400
WashingtonStrategicConsulting5,6005,300
*Grandtotal$1,196,951$1,040,650
Source:RecordanalysisofdatacompiledbyCenterforResponsivePolitics
Keywords:NATIONAL:Washington,D.C.,POLITICS:Politics,STATE:NewJersey,
TOWN1:FairLawn,TOWN2:Paterson
Credit:2PHOTOSNOCREDITS
Caption:PASCRELL
Image:0129L_3Pascrell_PM_5.TIF