FEC: $7 billion spent on 2012 elections

“Presidential and congressional candidates running in the 2012 election cycle, political parties and political action committees (PACs) received more than $7.1 billion and disbursed more than $7 billion in 2011-2012, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission that cover activity from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2012. Filings submitted to the Commission in this two-year period indicated that disbursements for independent expenditures and electioneering communications totaled nearly $1.3 billion.”