Kim Barker was a reporter covering campaign finance and the aftermath of the BP oil spill; her stories have run in outlets such as The Washington Post, The Atlantic and Salon. She specialized in "dark money," or social welfare nonprofits that do not report their donors for election ads. In late 2009 and early 2010, Barker was the Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, where she studied, wrote and lectured on Pakistan and Afghanistan and U.S. policy. She was the South Asia bureau chief for the Chicago Tribune from 2004 to 2009 and was based in New Delhi and Islamabad. At the Tribune, Barker covered major stories such as the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and rising militancy in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Her book about those years, "The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan," was published by Doubleday in March 2011.
Kim Barker
Reporter
Ron Paul Is Really Serious About Transparency
Unlike other candidates, Paul’s campaign reports the smallest expenses, even the 12 cents at Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
Two Year Sentence for Man Accused in Pakistan Spy Plot
Kashmiri-American Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai allegedly used at least $3.5 million from the ISI to try to influence U.S. policy on Kashmir.
Campaign Spending Shows Political Ties, Self-Dealing
So far, top super PACs and presidential candidates have spent more than $306 million in ways that hint at potential coordination. In some cases, this could violate FEC rules.
A Tangled Web: Who’s Making Money From All This Campaign Spending?
Many have been detailing the vast sums being raised by the presidential candidates and the super PACs supporting them. But where are all those millions being spent?
CPAC Tips: How to Win Friends and Influence
Panels and parties at last week's Conservative Political Action Conference provided a window into how the pros are raising unlimited, undisclosed money this election cycle.
With Spotlight on Super PAC Dollars, Nonprofits Escape Scrutiny
Super PAC filings for 2011 reveal few surprises in identifying contributors: Unions give to Democrats, while businesses back Republicans. Much less is known about the social-welfare nonprofits that might play a big role in the election.
PAC Track: Now Includes Contributions
What and where are the super PACs spending?
In the Gusher of Super PACs, Even One Named ‘The Internet’
Super PACs with similar-sounding names, satirical motives or undeclared aims are setting the stage for voter confusion in the months ahead. A super PAC called “a SuperPAC”? No kidding.
Kashmiri-American Pleads Guilty in Pakistan Spy Plot
Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, the head of the Kashmiri American Council, admitted making false statements to U.S. officials about $3.5 million in payments he received from Pakistan and its Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, or ISI. The money was allegedly used to try to influence U.S. policy on the disputed territory of Kashmir.
'Spillionaires' Powerbroker Loses Re-election Bid
Craig Taffaro Jr., president of Louisiana’s St. Bernard parish, who had been accused of favoritism in awarding work after the BP oil spill, loses to a candidate promising reform.
Super PAC Man Gobbles Up Regulators' Time, Patience
A Florida man has flooded the FEC with filings for a new kind of political action committee, showing how easy it is to create them and how few rules there are.
Man Accused in Pakistani Spy Plot Dies
It’s unclear how death will affect the U.S. Justice Department case against Zaheer Ahmad and another man, accused of using Pakistani money to try to influence U.S. policy on Kashmir.
The Man Behind Pakistan Spy Agency's Plot to Influence Washington
In some ways, Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai was living the American dream, with friends in high places and a nice home in suburban Washington. Now the advocate for Kashmir is under house arrest, facing a charge that he was a foreign agent.
Revealed: Man Sought in Plot to Influence U.S. Politics Is Prominent Figure in Pakistan
Investigators say Pakistani-American doctor helped launder money sent by Pakistani intelligence to U.S. politicians
In An Unusual Criminal Case, the U.S. Points the Finger at Pakistan's Top Spy Agency Again
In an indictment unsealed Tuesday, the FBI accused two men of funneling millions of dollars from the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, or ISI, into political campaign donations and other activities meant to influence American policy on Kashmir.
Spillionaires Revisited: Gov't Official's Associates Got Big Contracts After the BP Oil Spill
Craig Taffaro, president of Louisiana's St. Bernard Parish, has denied allegations in an earlier ProPublica story, but new reporting shows that longtime associates got lucrative spill-related work—and then they helped raise money for his re-election.
An AWKward Relationship: The U.S. and Its Ties to Hamid Karzai's Half-Brother
Ahmed Wali Karzai, assassinated earlier this week, was repeatedly accused of corruption and drug-dealing but remained a key Western ally and power broker in southern Afghanistan.
Super-PACs and Dark Money: ProPublica’s Guide to the New World of Campaign Finance
As the nation gets ready for more record-breaking election spending, here's a closer look at the secretive groups working hard to influence the outcome.
Inside the Campaign to Release Al-Jazeera English Journalist Dorothy Parvaz
Dorothy Parvaz's supporters created a Facebook page, tweeted, and sent emails but felt their missives were disappearing into the ether, ignored by an Iranian regime that listens to no one.
