Heavy Hitters
Independent Expenditures and Communication Costs, 1989-2008
In addition to direct contributions to federal candidates and the national political parties, many of the
top 100 organizations also spent money on their own to influence elections.
Strict rules govern these expenditures
and they must be reported to the Federal Election Commission.
| Organization Name | Total | Independent Expenditures | Communication Costs | | AFL-CIO | $36,017,433 | $425,689 | $35,591,744 |
| Air Line Pilots Assn | $14,604 | $14,604 | $0 |
| American Academy of Ophthalmology | $271,736 | $256,726 | $15,010 |
| American Assn for Justice | $363,887 | $11,596 | $352,291 |
| American Bankers Assn | $500 | $0 | $500 |
| American Dental Assn | $119,846 | $119,846 | $0 |
| American Federation of Teachers | $9,606,994 | $2,098,338 | $7,508,656 |
| American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees | $29,785,895 | $15,372,444 | $14,413,451 |
| American Hospital Assn | $673,904 | $673,904 | $0 |
| American Medical Assn | $11,912,992 | $10,330,696 | $1,582,296 |
| American Postal Workers Union | $262,451 | $0 | $262,451 |
| AMR Corp | $21,609 | $16,408 | $5,201 |
| Associated General Contractors | $37,437 | $37,437 | $0 |
| AT&T Inc | $263,863 | $0 | $263,863 |
| Carpenters & Joiners Union | $452,251 | $149,964 | $302,287 |
| Communications Workers of America | $1,769,633 | $287,072 | $1,482,561 |
| Credit Union National Assn | $706,851 | $706,351 | $500 |
| Eli Lilly & Co | $234,331 | $0 | $234,331 |
| EMILY's List | $5,806,966 | $5,806,966 | $0 |
| Human Rights Campaign | $1,024,318 | $1,016,269 | $8,049 |
| International Assn of Fire Fighters | $4,095,799 | $2,471,153 | $1,624,646 |
| Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers | $249,382 | $249,382 | $0 |
| Ironworkers Union | $4,178 | $4,178 | $0 |
| Laborers Union | $530,064 | $114,613 | $415,451 |
| Machinists/Aerospace Workers Union | $225,086 | $12,392 | $212,694 |
| National Assn of Home Builders | $144,532 | $0 | $144,532 |
| National Assn of Letter Carriers | $65,533 | $3,314 | $62,219 |
| National Assn of Realtors | $19,103,205 | $10,721,885 | $8,381,320 |
| National Beer Wholesalers Assn | $205,226 | $205,226 | $0 |
| National Education Assn | $24,232,284 | $9,649,648 | $14,582,636 |
| National Restaurant Assn | $491,831 | $491,831 | $0 |
| National Rifle Assn | $32,475,012 | $23,058,817 | $9,416,195 |
| National Rural Electric Cooperative Assn | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
| Natl Cmte to Preserve Social Security | $930,273 | $761,807 | $168,466 |
| Operating Engineers Union | $45,639 | $6,641 | $38,998 |
| Plumbers/Pipefitters Union | $22,228 | $3,311 | $18,917 |
| Service Employees International Union | $25,588,681 | $21,299,091 | $4,289,590 |
| Sheet Metal Workers Union | $179,313 | $123,044 | $56,269 |
| Teamsters Union | $1,983,814 | $455,137 | $1,528,677 |
| United Auto Workers | $6,182,704 | $5,159,889 | $1,022,815 |
| United Food & Commercial Workers Union | $1,936,276 | $713,747 | $1,222,529 |
| United Steelworkers | $127,771 | $58,227 | $69,544 |
| United Transportation Union | $37,144 | $37,144 | $0 |
| Vivendi | $1,000 | $0 | $1,000 |
Based on data released by the FEC on July 28, 2008.
Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics. For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center
