Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group

Real Time Investigations

1. Lawmakers mix campaign giving and guns By Louis Serino Dec 17, 2012 5:28 p.m.

   In the wake of the tragic Sandy Hook school shooting, many lawmakers are calling for stricter gun safety laws, but Party Time data shows that many more members use guns in their fundraising efforts. Since 2006, almost 70 legislators have thrown more than 110 fundraisers that involve firearms as...  

2. Mapping the Inaugural Parties! By Louis Serino Dec 14, 2012 1:35 p.m.

   While most people are distraught over the fiscal cliff, worrying about the end of the world, or stressing out on buying that perfect present, Party Time is happy to see that some are thinking ahead to a more jocular time — Inaugural ball season! The PT homepage is sporting a spiffy new button...  

3. This Week in Partying – Goodbye DeMint, Hello Koch Brothers, and more! By Louis Serino Dec 7, 2012 6:21 p.m.

   Farewell, James Warren DeMint. Party Time will miss you. After all, DeMint has thrown over 60 events since 2009, packing the PT database with fundraisers like it was a stuffed stocking. He even scheduled a $2,000 lunch at Congressional favorite Charlie Palmer’s on Dec. 13, but John Graham of...  

4. Luckily There’s No “Funder Cliff” – Holiday Parties, a Potato Festival and More! By Louis Serino Nov 30, 2012 2:08 p.m.

   The news world is buzzing relentlessly about the “fiscal cliff,” the dreaded spending cuts and tax increases that will automatically hammer the U.S. when the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31. If America does pull a Thelma and Louise and drives right off the ledge, it could send the...  

5. Get Off the Couch: Holiday Season Parties Begin! By Louis Serino Nov 25, 2012 7:36 a.m.

   Thanksgiving has come and gone, and Black Friday has launched that super-commercialized door-busting retail onslaught, also known as the holiday season. Much like shoppers rushing out at 4 a.m. to snag the best deals, politicians are hustling in the weeks after Election Day to throw parties and...  

6. Politicians Should Be Thankful for Fundraisers By Louis Serino Nov 16, 2012 5 p.m.

   As Thanksgiving rolls around next week, we should all honor the things and people we appreciate most in life. Take the time to count your blessings, share time with loved ones and pray for world peace. Or, you know, do what everyone else does: Eat way more than you should, watch way more football...  

7. Presidential Ballin’: Inauguration Parties Are Here! By Louis Serino Nov 15, 2012 2:22 p.m.

   It’s barely one week after the election and the first nails have already been hammered into the “Inaugural Platform,” signaling the start of the Inauguration cycle – and of course ball season! People have already started planning their presidential bashes, and Party Time has...  

8. Election Parties Not Over Just Yet By Louis Serino Nov 14, 2012 3:45 p.m.

   According to a Bloomberg article published earlier this year, there were about 38 previous presidential campaigns still technically “alive,” some of which stretch back as far as 16 years ago (for context, here’s Bob Dole’s ‘96 campaign website — how far...  

9. After the Election, Partying as Usual for Some Republican Senators By Louis Serino Nov 11, 2012 1:08 p.m.

   The election’s finally decided; dark money groups are falling back into the shadows; TV and the Internet are no longer crammed with horrifying attack ads; and at least some people are finally getting back to what’s important – partying! The columns of Party Time still run thin as...  

10. Partying too hard? Did Romney sacrifice face time with voters for fundraising? By Louis Serino Nov 8, 2012 6:10 p.m.

    Partiers, you know we love a good bash, and no one has been more energetic in recent months than Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. That’s why they were the top two partiers of 2012! But even we have to wonder – could they have partied too hard? Look at the record and you can’t help...  

11. Party Time’s Year in Review Extravaganza By Louis Serino Nov 4, 2012 12:02 p.m.

    Behold, Partiers: the ultimate political treasure map. xx Over the past year, politicians have unearthed valuable bounties at each of the X’s here – in other words, each dot on this map represents at least one 2012 fundraiser contained in our Party Time database of invites. We’ve...