FEC update, October 22, 2010, Disclosure of independent expenditures, Searchable database, Federal Election Commission

From the FEC,  Federal Election Commission October 22, 2010.

“FEC Offers Real-Time, Searchable Information on Independent Expenditures”

“WASHINGTON – The Federal Election Commission this week introduced a new, searchable feature on its website allowing real-time, comprehensive disclosure of independent expenditures in the 2010 federal campaign. This new feature is part of a far-reaching effort by the agency to expand the use of searchable, sortable and downloadable data technologies to provide timely information to the public.”

“This file contains “24-hour” and “48-hour” notices of independent expenditures filed in 2009 and 2010. The file contains detailed information about independent expenditures, including who was paid, the purpose of the disbursement, date and amount of the expenditure and the candidate for or against whom the expenditure was made.

Independent expenditures represent spending by individual people, groups, political committees, corporations or unions expressly advocating the election or defeat of clearly identified federal candidates. These expenditures may not be made in concert or cooperation with or at the request or suggestion of a candidate, the candidates campaign or a political party.

Any time up to 20 days before an election, if these independent expenditures by a person or organization aggregate more than $10,000 in a race they must be reported to the Commission before the end of the second day after the communication is publicly distributed. If the communications are distributed within the last 19 days before the election, the expenditure must be reported within one day if they aggregate more than $1,000 in any race.”

http://www.fec.gov/data/IndependentExpenditure.action?format=html