Richmond’s 2014 election was defined by Chevron Corp.’s failed effort to get their favored candidates elected despite spending more than $3 million through an array of independent expenditure committees.
But instances observed during the campaign raise questions about how independent their committees and the candidates they supported really were. The murky situation could spell trouble for elections across the country as underfunded watchdog agencies and hazy campaign finance rules may be ill-equipped to deter coordination between committees and candidates.