SACRAMENTO (CN) - The midterm elections set a record of "astounding proportions" for independent campaign contributions, according to the California Fair Political Practices Commission. The FPPC estimated that contributions totaled half a billion dollars.
"Campaign spending in California has reached astounding proportions," FPPC Chairman Dan Schnur said in a statement. "Whether someone believes that money in politics is good or bad thing for our system, it's critical to make sure that voters have the tools to see where that money originates."
According to the FFPC's Nov. 4 report, more than $31 million in independent expenditures were made in support of or opposition to gubernatorial candidates Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown.
Most of the contributions were in support of Brown and in opposition to Whitman, with the largest contribution of more than $8 million from California Working Families for Jerry Brown 2010.
Unions were highly represented in the report, with the American Federation of Teachers contributing $73,000 to Brown and the California Teacher's Association giving more than $3 million. The California Labor Federation AFL-CIO contributed over $2 million to Brown's campaign.
Whitman's primary support came from law enforcement groups, from which she received more than $2 million.
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