After Paul Vallas’s $100K loan to his campaign on March 2nd, both Vallas and Brandon Johnson are able to raise unlimited sums of money during the mayoral runoff. RFI ED Alisa Kaplan spoke with WTTW about how Vallas’s loan exploits…
Read MoreIn an interview with Crain’s Chicago Business about a new probe into Dan Proft’s super PAC, RFI Executive Director Alisa Kaplan spoke at length about how super PACs’ ability to raise and spend unlimited sums of money is predicated on…
Read MoreWho’s funding Chicago’s mayoral race? Not everyday Chicagoans. Our analysis of contributions in this year’s contest shows that small donors – defined as individuals who contribute up to $150* – play a tiny role in most candidates’ fundraising. Meanwhile, megadonations…
Read MoreBelow we’ve compiled highlights of the six responding mayoral candidates’ answers to our good government questionnaire. See their full answers and city council candidates’ answers here. Campaign finance reform Fair Elections (public campaign financing) Question: Running a political campaign is…
Read MoreRFI ED Alisa Kaplan spoke with Crain’s Chicago Business about how super PACs active in Chicago’s mayoral race this cycle are hiding the identity of their donors and taking advantage of campaign finance loopholes. “People should always know who’s trying…
Read MoreAs Election Day looms, super PACs are spending big in Chicago’s mayoral race – and some are hiding where their money is coming from. RFI Executive Director Alisa Kaplan spoke with the Chicago Tribune about how dark money and these…
Read More“While we may not be able to stem the flow of money [to super PACs], at least we can expose where it’s coming from to give that vital information to voters and prevent the corruption that can arise out of…
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With nine candidates and polls showing no clear front-runner, the race for Chicago mayor is all but certain to head to a costly, divisive runoff. In the meantime, many voters are struggling with whether to vote for the candidate they…
Read MoreWith a runoff election all but guaranteed in the mayoral race, ranked-choice voting (RCV) is gaining steam in Chicago as a way to prevent runoffs and make elections more democratic. RFI Executive Director Alisa Kaplan was interviewed on Reset with…
Read MoreAfter a super PAC supporting Mayor Lightfoot’s reelection campaign received contributions from four firms that do business with the city, RFI Executive Director Alisa Kaplan spoke with WTTW about how these contributions skirt Chicago’s anti-pay-to-play contribution limits for candidates. “Of…
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