Signs outside a polling place support different opinions on an amendment to the Tennessee Constitution on Nov. 4, 2014, in Nashville.NASHVILLE — Newly filed campaign finance disclosures show political action committees with an agenda in the 2015 legislative session spent thousands of dollars in last-minute efforts to influence elections, then joined other interests in giving thousands more to elected lawmakers.
A review of disclosures filed with the Registry of Election Finance last week also shows there was more than $1 million in late spending on both sides of the campaign over passage of an abortion amendment to the Tennessee Constitution. The leading group supporting passage borrowed $100,000 for the last days.
Under state law, the last pre-election financial disclosure is dated 10 days before an election — falling on Oct. 25 in 2014 with Election Day on Nov. 4. Disclosures filed last week cover the period starting then and continuing through Jan. 15, two days after the 109th General Assembly convened. Sitting legislators are prohibited from taking political contributions during session.
A review of the new filings indicates two nationally based organizations pushing school vouchers and other “education choice” legislation continued to lead in late campaign spending on legislative races among groups not affiliated with political parties — as they had earlier in the year. All the late campaign spending by the Tennessee PACs of American Federation for Children and StudentsFirst went to attack Democrats or support Republicans.
The StudentsFirst Tennessee PAC reported $65,712 in expenditures during the final 10 days with almost half — about $30,000 — going in independent expenditures to either support Republican Eddie Smith in his successful campaign or attack Democratic incumbent Gloria Johnson in Knoxville’s 13th House District. The rest went for independent expenditures in efforts to help the Republicans who lost to Democratic Reps. Kevin Dunlap of Sparta and David Shepard of Dickson.