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Joedy McCreary

@joedymccreary.bsky.social
278 followers 152 following 43 posts

Following the money for OpenSecrets. Previously USA Today, WNCN, AP Sports, MedPage Today. WVU grad. Fan of the en dash. It’s still 1988 somewhere.

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Reposted by Joedy McCreary
RedBoxWatch @redboxwatch.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Excellent article on red-boxing from @joedymccreary.bsky.social on @opensecrets.org, featuring RedBoxWatch. Check it out here: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/09...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
ICYMI: Campaigns aren’t allowed to tell super PACs what ads to run. But there’s a way for candidates to steer their spending: Redboxing. They post instructions on their websites, & super PACs read & follow. Candidates from both parties do it. I checked it out: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/09...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
NEW: Campaigns aren’t allowed to tell super PACs what ads to run. But there’s a way for candidates to steer their spending: Redboxing. They post instructions on their websites, & super PACs read & follow. Candidates from both parties do it. I investigated it: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/09...
opensecrets.org
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
ICYMI: You've probably scrolled past the $3 checkbox on your tax returns for the presidential election campaign fund. Barely 3% of taxpayers check it. Virtually no pres. candidates take its money. Its balance is largely tapped out. So what's the point? www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/09...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
NEW: Surely you've noticed the $3 checkbox on your tax returns for the presidential election campaign fund. Barely 3% of taxpayers check it. Virtually no presidential candidates accept money from it. Its balance is largely tapped out. So what's the point? www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/09...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
ICYMI: Wheel of Fortune helps me explain a tricky new campaign finance fight. Groups pay different rates for 30-sec ads during shows, incl. Wheel. Candidates get lowest rates. A SCOTUS order could give super PACs the same backdoor discount. Here's how: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/09...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
NEW for @opensecrets.org: For a 30-sec ad during "Wheel of Fortune" in Maine, Susan Collins & her JFC each paid $2,200 - but a super PAC backing her paid $10K. That could change. Here's how a SCOTUS order could give outside spenders a backdoor to lower rates: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/09...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
ICYMI: Chatter about the Protect College Sports Act has been everywhere. Ads, @collegegameday.bsky.social, etc. So I took a deep dive into the $$ surrounding it for @opensecrets.org. Dark money, GOP ops and $820K in lobbying spent by the loudest group backing it. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/09...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
NEW: My true love, college football, is back – and I'm back writing about it for @opensecrets.org. I dove into the money behind the Protect College Sports Act. What I found: Dark money, GOP ops and $820K in lobbying spent by the loudest voice supporting it. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/09...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
They're calling the RNC’s midterm gathering in Dallas a convention, a rally – even “Trumpapalooza.” But one thing isn’t clear. Who's paying for it? In my latest @opensecrets.org investigation, I asked straightforward questions but didn't get many answers. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/09...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
NEW: Flock tracks your license plate. I tracked what they spent on lobbying. It totaled $2M+ across the federal govt and 34 states since Jan 2025. Many of those states have weak disclosure rules. But what does Flock want? We at @opensecrets.org try to answer that: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/08...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
NEW from me: In the Senate battleground races, most of the $$ isn’t coming from their home states. I looked at candidates in 9 key contests and found that for the vast majority, most individual contribs came from out‑of‑state. For some it’s 85%+. Why? www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/08...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
NEW from me at @opensecrets.org: Super PACs are propping up minor candidates to game Alaska's US Senate primary. (The top 4 advance.) Nearly $2M in outside spending. Virtually 0 donor disclosure so far. Yet ranked-choice voting might make it meaningless. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/08...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
🚨 NEW from me at @opensecrets.org: Wisconsin’s tightest House race has one of the nation's top fundraisers. But voters won't see her personal financial disclosure until after the primary. On Rebecca Cooke’s money machine and the transparency fight in WI‑03. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/08...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
A cheap (<$20K) Senate campaign scrambled Nebraska’s ballot. Cindy Burbank won Dems' primary big & quit. An expert called it a “ruse.” Now there's a lawsuit. My @opensecrets.org breakdown of a race now seemingly down to indy Dan Osborn and GOP Sen Pete Ricketts: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
🚨NEW from @opensecrets.org: Super PACs dominate Michigan’s Dem. Senate primary. Outside groups (incl. AIPAC) have poured in 10s of millions. Most backs Stevens. Dark money fuels some of it. El‑Sayed’s father‑in‑law even appears in the mix. “PACs galore.” 🔗 www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
NEW: The GOP's 2 main congressional super PACs are heading into the fall with massive war chests. 💰 SLF (Sen): $238.6M cash – most of any super PAC 💰 CLF (House): $141.8M Both totals far exceed the Democrats' counterparts. My full @opensecrets.org breakdown: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
We're past the FEC's midnight deadline for 2nd quarter filings. So which House and Senate candidates have raised the most money and are sitting on the biggest piles of cash? Check the leaderboard my @opensecrets.org team and I have put together. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
🚨 NEW for @opensecrets.org. Crypto money flooding both parties is coming from the same places. I tracked $$ moving between 3 major crypto super PACs – including 2 HQ'd at the same UPS Store in Minnesota. Combined, they have $136M to spend on the midterms. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
NEW: Lindsey Graham’s sudden death didn’t just open a Senate seat. It raised questions about the future of 1 of the GOP’s biggest money machines. His campaign, PACs & a super PAC backing him raised millions. What happens now? My latest for @opensecrets.org: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
If you’ll indulge me a personal sports post. 29 years to the day after the Pirates' Cordova-Rincon no-hitter, I, too, threw one. Sort of. So it was only 2 1/3 innings of no-hit relief in a 7-5 loss in my old man baseball league. I'm counting it, darn it. (CC: @mattwharry.bsky.social)
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
🚨NEW from me at @opensecrets.org: Maine Dems are hunting for a new Senate nominee & they have a cash problem. Platner raised $16.3M and had $2.2M in cash on hand – way less than Collins’ $10M. Whoever takes over for him will start in a deep financial hole. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
🚨NEW: A SCOTUS ruling just erased limits on how much parties can spend in coordination with candidates. I dug in and found it could supercharge mega‑donor vehicles known as joint fundraising committees. Here’s how: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/07...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
🚨NEW for @opensecrets.org: As July 4 fireworks boom on the Nat'l Mall, Freedom 250’s sponsors are booming in DC, too. Since Trump returned to office, they've spent $138M+ lobbying. And from January-March alone, Trump traded those sponsors' stocks nearly 100 times. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/06...
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
🚨 NEW from @opensecrets.org: I found one House race in Maryland where nearly ALL the money is coming from 2 candidates who loaned big bucks to their own campaigns. It's already got the richest 2024 House race beat – and the primary hasn't even happened yet. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/06...
opensecrets.org
David Trone, April McClain Delaney pour millions into their primary - OpenSecrets News
A Democratic primary in Maryland is one of most expensive House races, with April McClain Delaney and David Trone providing most of the money themselves.
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
(ICYMI: Read this in Bruce Buffer's voice) 🚨 IT’S TIIIIIME! 🚨 In this corner: POLITICAL SPENDING! In the other corner: STOCK BUYS! Entering the octagon: LOBBYING! My latest for @opensecrets.org shows how all 3 are swinging in the cage at the White House UFC card. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/06...
opensecrets.org
Political spending rules the octagon at White House UFC event - OpenSecrets News
UFC Freedom 250 is backed by companies and executives with deep political footprints who have spent millions on political influence.
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
🚨 NEW at @opensecrets.org: Now stepping into the octagon ... political money. My latest reporting shows how the #UFCFreedom250 at Trump's White House is intertwined with stock buys, super PAC money, corporate lobbying and sponsors with major policy interests. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/06...
opensecrets.org
Political spending rules the octagon at White House UFC event - OpenSecrets News
UFC Freedom 250 is backed by companies and executives with deep political footprints who have spent millions on political influence.
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Take Me Home-Aha.
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
NEW from @opensecrets.org : Graham Platner built his Senate bid on opposing the "billionaire class." But FEC docs show a few billionaires still made small $7K-max donations. And Collins holds a massive lead in outside spending. My look inside the money in Maine: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/06...
opensecrets.org
Despite anti‑billionaire theme, Platner gets $ from billionaire donors - OpenSecrets News
Maine Democrat Graham Platner has built his Senate campaign on opposing the “billionaire class.” That hasn’t stopped them from donating.
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
NEW from me/@opensecrets.org: Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) has been out of public view for months w/ health issue. His campaign still brought in $167K in 6 weeks before tomorrow's primary (he has no challenger). Inside what 1 expert called 'autopilot' fundraising: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/06...
opensecrets.org
With Kean off the grid, his campaign racked up $167K on ‘autopilot’ - OpenSecrets News
Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) has spent nearly three months out of public view. His fundraising machine still managed to bring in six figures.
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
🚨 NEW from @opensecrets.org: Federal candidates who loan their campaigns $$ may raise cash 20+ days after the election to repay themselves. In 2022, SCOTUS decided this was OK. In the 4 years since, we found more candidates taking advantage of it. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/05...
opensecrets.org
More candidates repay campaign loans with post-election cash - OpenSecrets News
Since the Supreme Court ended limits on loan repayments, candidates have increasingly used money raised after elections to repay themselves.
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
🚨 NEW and WILD: A Georgia Senate candidate claimed she loaned her own campaign $50M – the largest self-loan in 2026 by a mile. The FEC sent a warning letter questioning its accuracy & has now yanked it from its main database. My latest for @opensecrets.org: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/05...
opensecrets.org
Georgia Senate candidate reports $50M self-loan - OpenSecrets News
Georgia Senate candidate Christina Clement, who reporting loaning her campaign $50M, could face penalties if she knowingly filed false info.
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
🚨 NEW from @opensecrets.org: From VA to CO, MO to CA, many of the same dark‑money groups keep turning up in the fights over whether to draw new House maps. Millions are flowing through nonprofits that never have to say where their money came from. My latest 🔗 www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/05...
opensecrets.org
The same dark money groups keep turning up in redistricting fights - OpenSecrets News
Dark money has been fueling the mid-decade redistricting ballot box and legal battles taking place across the country.
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
NEW: After winning the Texas Democratic primary, @jamestalarico.bsky.social not only raised more money – he went national. Out‑of‑state donors nearly tripled in 6 weeks & helped drive a $27M quarter. My latest for @opensecrets.org shows how quickly that shifted. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/04...
opensecrets.org
Talarico raised $27M last quarter as his donor base went national - OpenSecrets News
After Senate candidate James Talarico won the Democratic primary in Texas, his donor base didn’t just grow. It went national.
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
My latest for @opensecrets.org: A Maine law that caps contributions to super PACs at $5K is tied up in court. I traced some of the money behind the groups that sued to block the law back to a dark-money network linked to Leonard Leo. Here's what I found: www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/04...
opensecrets.org
How Leonard Leo factors into Maine’s super PAC lawsuit
The money trail behind the lawsuit challenging Maine’s cap on super PAC contributions traces in part to a dark‑money network connected to Leonard Leo.
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
Before saying they'd leave the House, Reps. Eric Swalwell & Tony Gonzales donated $$ to other candidates via their leadership PACs. Here's who they gave to in 25-26 – and who's now rejecting those contributions. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/04...
opensecrets.org
Swalwell and Gonzales sent thousands to other campaigns - OpenSecrets News
Scandal-tarred Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales, who announced that they will leave office, steered thousands of dollars to other candidates.
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
NEW: As USPS warns it could run out of cash by 2027, its biggest private‑sector rivals aren't sitting still. FedEx, UPS poured millions into lobbying last year. Their relationship with USPS is ... complicated, and my latest for @opensecrets.org explains why ⬇️ www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/04...
opensecrets.org
FedEx and UPS poured nearly $20 million into federal lobbying in 2025 - OpenSecrets News
FedEx and UPS poured $20 million into federal lobbying in 2025 as they worked to capitalize on a weakened U.S. Postal Service.
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
Play ball. Opening Day for old guy baseball is finally here. Never take for granted the opportunity to put on a uniform again so far removed from my teens. The goal is to hit my age X 100. Let’s do this.
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
UCLA may already have been bounced from @marchmadnesswbb.bsky.social. The 11-time champs can still claim another crown – this one on K Street. Congrats to the Bruins – winners of the @opensecrets.org K Street College Classic, our lobbying-based bracket. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/03...
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March Money Madness: UCLA cuts down the nets on K Street - OpenSecrets News
As schools compete in March Madness, OpenSecrets has released its K Street College Classic, picking each matchup based on lobbying spending.
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Along those lines, my first story for @OpenSecretsDC also lays out my origin story. How I followed the money ... all the way here. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/03...
opensecrets.org
How following the money led me to OpenSecrets - OpenSecrets News
Veteran journalist Joedy McCreary has joined OpenSecrets as senior reporter, bringing a wealth of experiencing following the money.
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
It's been a minute since I've posted on here, but I've got some professional news to share.
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
Are you reading this while you're on the toilet? If so, a couple of things. 1.) Thanks for reading. 2.) Ew. It's still gross. 3.) You might face a greater risk of hemorrhoids, researchers say. Here's why: www.medpagetoday.com/gastroentero...
medpagetoday.com
Toilet Time With Your Phone May Raise Risk of Hemorrhoids
Smartphone users lingered longer on the toilet, had a 46% higher hemorrhoid risk
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Joedy McCreary @joedymccreary.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
Let's get this thing rolling. Two senators made public calls for RFK Jr's outster as HHS secretary. I asked the other 98 where they stand. Do they also want him out? Here's what I found out: www.medpagetoday.com/washington-w...
medpagetoday.com
Here Are the Senators Who Want RFK Jr. Out of HHS
Recent demands followed a major CDC shakeup, controversial comments about school shooting
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