USAT discusses outside groups’ funding here.
Independent groups that aren’t controlled by political parties or candidates have raised more than $120 million this election cycle, according to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics. These outside groups probably will raise and spend many more millions on TV and radio advertising, automated phone calls, mailed brochures, Internet sites and other politicking. Total spending by them was more than $433 million during the 2004 presidential campaign.