Money

Who paid: FEC committees ranked by total committee-to-candidate contributions given. Counts and sums only.

How this money flows — and what each column means

Federal law bars corporations, unions, and nonprofits from giving candidates money out of their own treasuries. What they can do is sponsor a committee — and the committee moves the money:

Organization Committee Candidates
Funding organization
The actor at the start of the flow — what the FEC calls the committee's "connected organization": the corporation, union, or association that sponsors the committee and whose employees or members fund it. When a committee has a bland name, this column says who is actually behind it. (Super PACs use the field loosely — often naming an affiliated committee instead of a sponsor; candidate committees usually name none.)
Committee
The FEC-registered entity that legally raises and spends. Every row in this table is one. Committees are the vehicle, not the actor.
Party
Self-declared at FEC registration. Candidate and party committees declare one; most PACs deliberately do not — that is the dash.
Type
What the committee is legally allowed to do. A regular PAC gives directly to candidates under per-election caps. A Super PAC raises unlimited money but may only spend independently — it can never hand money to a candidate. Hybrid PACs run both models from separate accounts; campaign committees belong to a single candidate.
Total given & Recipients
Itemized committee-to-candidate contributions in our data, and how many distinct candidates received them. Click a committee to see exactly who.

Full definitions in the methodology glossary.

4259 committees.

Funding organization Committee Party Type Total given Recipients
QUEST DIAGNOSTICS INCORPORATED QUEST DIAGNOSTICS INCORPORATED POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE PAC (multicandidate) $227,000 61
DEMOCRATS WIN FUND ACTION DEMOCRATS WIN FUND PAC (multicandidate) $226,729 98
FLUOR CORPORATION FLUOR CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (FLUOR PAC) PAC (multicandidate) $226,000 102
KAINE COMMON GROUND PAC Democratic PAC (multicandidate) $226,000 24
ARENHOLZ FIGHT ON PAC PAC (multicandidate) $225,500 36
UNITED STATES SUGAR CORPORATION EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE, UNITED STATES SUGAR CORPORATION EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE, PAC (multicandidate) $225,000 27
THE VANGUARD GROUP THE VANGUARD GROUP COMMITTEE FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT PAC (multicandidate) $225,000 65
GILLIBRAND OFF THE SIDELINES PAC PAC (multicandidate) $225,000 29
MULLIN VICTORY FUND BOOTS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE PAC (multicandidate) $225,000 26
NATIONAL CHICKEN COUNCIL NATIONAL CHICKEN COUNCIL POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (FKA) NATIONAL BROILER COUNCIL PAC PAC (multicandidate) $224,500 58
KELLY LIFTOFF PAC PAC (multicandidate) $224,000 51
SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL EMPLOYEES POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (SYNCPAC) PAC (multicandidate) $222,500 47
UNITED STEELWORKERS UNITED STEELWORKERS POLITICAL ACTION FUND NNE PAC (multicandidate) $222,000 36
TRANSAMERICA TRANSAMERICA CORPORATION PAC PAC (multicandidate) $221,500 82
AMERICAN PISTACHIO GROWERS PISTACHIO POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE PAC (multicandidate) $221,000 33
HUSTED JOBS OPPORTUNITY NOW POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE PAC (multicandidate) $221,000 29
EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (A.K.A. EDWARDS PAC) PAC (multicandidate) $220,000 80
EMMER VICTORY COMMITTEE EMMER FOR CONGRESS Republican House campaign $220,000 97
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE PAC (multicandidate) $219,500 76
AMERICAN GAS ASSOCIATION AMERICAN GAS ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE PAC (multicandidate) $219,500 84
PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH & MANUFACTURERS OF AMERICA PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH & MANUFACTURERS OF AMERICA BETTER GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE PAC (multicandidate) $219,250 114
AMERICAN PODIATRIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, INC. AMERICAN PODIATRIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE PAC (multicandidate) $219,000 58
NONE MAKE MONTANA GREAT Super PAC $218,494 1
CONOCOPHILLIPS CONOCOPHILLIPS SPIRIT PAC PAC (multicandidate) $218,000 54
SANOFI US SERVICES INC. EMPLOYEES' POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE PAC (multicandidate) $217,500 86
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AMERICA INC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE PAC (multicandidate) $217,500 76
NICK LEADERSHIP AND LOYALTY ONLY TO AMERICA PAC PAC (multicandidate) $217,000 44
NOVO NORDISK INC. PAC (NOVO NORDISK PAC) PAC (multicandidate) $216,750 69
INVESCO HOLDING COMPANY (US), INC. INVESCO HOLDING COMPANY (US), INC. EMPLOYEE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE PAC (multicandidate) $216,000 66
AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (API PAC) PAC (multicandidate) $216,000 91
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE PAC (multicandidate) $215,500 72
WHOLESALE & SPECIALTY INSURANCE ASSOCIATION (WSIA) PAC PAC (multicandidate) $215,500 51
REPUBLICAN MAJORITY FUND PAC (multicandidate) $215,000 29
BLUE HEN FEDERAL PAC PAC (multicandidate) $215,000 29
MOMS FED UP Democratic PAC (multicandidate) $215,000 30
NONE ROLLING SEA ACTION FUND Hybrid PAC $215,000 3
SEND IN THE SEAL PAC PAC (multicandidate) $215,000 27
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS - DRIVE BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS & TRAINMEN PAC FUND PAC (multicandidate) $214,000 80
LINCOLN NATIONAL CORPORATION LINCOLN NATIONAL CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (AKA LINCOLN FINANCIAL FEDERAL POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE, FEDERAL LFGPAC) PAC (multicandidate) $214,000 60
AMERICAN FOREST & PAPER ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE PAC (multicandidate) $213,000 70
NONE PEOPLE OVER MONOPOLIES Hybrid PAC $212,868 4
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CROP INSURERS AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CROP INSURERS PAC PAC (multicandidate) $212,500 86
MONTANA RED BIG SKY OPPORTUNITY PAC PAC (multicandidate) $210,000 27
HYDE-SMITH CONSERVATIVES HARVESTING SUCCESS PAC PAC (multicandidate) $210,000 24
PROTECT THE HOUSE 2024 CLF Hybrid PAC (multicandidate) $209,960 18
LKQ CORPORATION LKQ CORPORATION EMPLOYEE GOOD GOVERNMENT FUND PAC (multicandidate) $209,500 73
BUILDING AMERICA'S REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATION PAC PAC (multicandidate) $209,229 37
NONE KELLEY DRYE & WARREN POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE PAC (multicandidate) $209,000 54
SMALL BUSINESS INVESTOR ALLIANCE PAC PAC (multicandidate) $208,500 63
XCEL ENERGY XCEL ENERGY EMPLOYEE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (XPAC) PAC (multicandidate) $208,000 108

Hover any column header for what it means. A dash means the committee reports nothing for that field to the FEC — most PACs report no party. "Super PAC" committees raise unlimited money for independent spending but cannot give to candidates directly. Definitions live in the methodology glossary.

Source: FEC bulk data (committee-to-candidate contributions).

Top lobbying registrants

Lobbying firms ranked by total reported lobbying spend, grouped by registrant. These figures come from filings made under the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) — the 1995 law that requires paid lobbyists to file public quarterly reports naming their client, the issues (often specific bills) they lobbied on, and their total spend for the quarter (glossary). Campaign money and lobbying spend are separate channels: the committees above are FEC campaign contributions (money to candidates); the registrants below are lobbying income/spend (money to influence legislation). This platform does not yet link an FEC committee to a lobbying registrant — entity resolution to bridge the two is not built, so read neither total as flowing into the other.

Honesty note: each amount is a gross sum of per-quarter lump sums a registrant reported (roadmap §3.2). The filings name which bills were lobbied on, but never how much of the money went to any one bill, and never whether the filer supported or opposed it.

Registrant (lobbying firm)Total reportedClientsBill mentionsFilings
BALLARD PARTNERS $29,570,000 323 6 366
BGR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS $20,515,000 331 19 378
BROWNSTEIN HYATT FARBER SCHRECK, LLP $19,320,000 332 165 367
AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD $17,370,000 302 115 323
AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION $15,940,000 1 260 2
CORNERSTONE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, INC. $15,510,000 359 147 392
HOLLAND & KNIGHT LLP $12,760,000 292 168 326
PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH AND MANUFACTURERS OF AMERICA $12,210,000 1 63 1
MILLER STRATEGIES, LLC $11,730,000 129 16 141
CHECKMATE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS $11,020,000 113 8 145
CONTINENTAL STRATEGY, LLC $10,788,528 135 0 164
INVARIANT LLC $9,610,000 163 104 172
THORN RUN PARTNERS $9,260,000 251 64 276
CASSIDY & ASSOCIATES, INC. $7,850,000 179 80 193
S-3 GROUP $7,140,000 122 29 140
MEHLMAN CONSULTING, INC. $6,990,000 127 134 133
MERCURY PUBLIC AFFAIRS, LLC $6,830,000 108 2 131
SQUIRE PATTON BOGGS $6,455,000 174 14 189
FORBES-TATE $6,180,000 141 86 146
STRATEGIC MARKETING INNOVATIONS $6,105,000 169 4 181

Source: Senate LDA filings.