Details about this story

• Source: Los Angeles Times
• Date: May 13, 2007
• URL: Read the story
• Bylines: Jack Leonard , Doug Smith
• Topics: Campaign Finance
• Data Types: Local Data
• Description/Excerpt: It has been more than a decade since any of Los Angeles County's five supervisors faced a serious election contest, but that hasn't curbed their appetite for campaign cash. A Times analysis of political donations shows that supervisors have raised more than $8 million since 1998, tapping businesses, labor unions and individuals who have stakes in decisions made by the nation's largest county government. The supervisors have used their political war chests to scare off potential opponents, donate to favorite political causes and spend on personal campaign items, including a gun permit in one case and UCLA sports tickets in another. Until now, the scope of these political donations was almost impossible to gauge. Unlike other local governments - including the cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach - the county has never made such contributions accessible in a searchable online database. But over the last four months, The Times has built a database of more than 15,000 contributions and, starting today, it is available at latimes.com. A review of the donations provides the most comprehensive look yet at who has given money to the supervisors since voters approved strict limits on campaign contributions in 1996.
• Database or Graphic: Go to site (com/news/local/politics/cal/contributions/)