Outside
Money Takes the Inside Track
In First Full Post-Citizens
United Cycle, Unrestricted Groups
Moved Closer to Eclipsing Candidates and National Parties in Election Spending
in 2012
Dec. 19, 2012 —
Outside spending in the 2012 election cycle was historic. At
more than $1 billion, outside groups’ spending surpassed the total spent by
such groups in the four previous election cycles combined. This cycle’s spending
came on the heels of near-record spending by outside groups in 2010, the year
that the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision and
subsequent U.S. Appeals Court decision in Speechnow.org
v. Federal Election Commission lifted restrictions on the contribution amounts
that such groups could receive. But, in
2012, the top three outside spenders alone spent more than all outside groups
combined in 2010.