Tag: Arlington County, Virginia

Super PACs and independent expenditure hybrid PACs gave out a combined $552 million to the top 10 highest-paid political consultants during the 2018 election cycle, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics, meaning only a handful of groups produce a majority of the political ads that fill the airwaves come election season. Data on expenditures from outside spending groups, including payments to political consultants, is now included on the profile pages for super PACs and other outside spending groups on Opensecrets.org, making it easier than ever to see which consultants are being paid by these groups. Political consultants — which use money from super PACs to produce political ads and purchase them on stations along with other duties — tend to stick with one side of the ideological spectrum and are often staffed with former political operatives. With more than $149 million given to the group by super PACs and hybrid PACs, liberal consultant Waterfront Strategies claims the top spot among outside spending vendors in 2018. Between GMMB and Waterfront, the two groups have combined to be the highest-paid consultant in each election cycle since 2012. Waterfront was the top vendor for a number of major liberal super PACs, including Senate Majority PAC, Women Vote! and League of Conservation Voters. The firm has no online presence whatsoever and had just two large clients prior to 2018 — the National Republican Senatorial Committee ($7.4 million) and Liberty for All Super PAC ($1.3 million) in 2012. A majority of those funds — $38 million — came from Democratic super PAC Priorities USA Action, which spent $126 million in negative ads against Trump during the 2016 election. Red Eagle Media Group just makes the top 10, getting nearly $22 million from pro-Trump super PAC America First Action.

Here's everything you need to know: The witnesses: The jury heard testimony from several witnesses, including political TV ad consultant Daniel Rabin, FBI agent Matthew Mikuska, clothing store manager Maximillian Katzman, general contractor Stephen Jacobson, financial officer Daniel Opsut, longtime Manafort neighbor Wayne Holland, builder Douglas Deluca and Ronald Wall, a financial executive at the House of Bijan. Paul Manafort used offshore accounts to finance a grandiose home renovation that included an outdoor kitchen and garden, according to testimony from a contractor who worked with Manafort years ago. Longtime friend and neighbor testifies against Manafort Wayne Holland, longtime friend and neighbor of Paul Manafort, was briefly questioned by prosecutors and the defense team about a real estate deal he helped the Manaforts with. Stephen Jacobson, a longtime construction contractor who worked on personal projects for Paul Manafort in the Hamptons and New York City, testified Wednesday that Manafort had paid him millions of dollars worth of home renovations, mostly through international wire transfers. One incoming wire transfer in 2010 paid for home improvements worth $124,000 and came from a shell company that Manafort allegedly used called Global Highway Limited. Daniel Opsut testified that Manafort's family bought and leased expensive cars from the luxury dealership and paid using Manafort's offshore accounts in Cyprus. The new expectation makes sense, given that Ellis has tried to move the evidence presentation along during the trial. In recent weeks, prosecutors told the judge they needed three weeks to present their case, but their side's presentation clearly won't stretch that long. Six witnesses have given testimony so far as of Wednesday afternoon. Much of Wall's testimony centered on payments the company received from Manafort's offshore accounts.