Among the most active groups, union money has been eclipsed by individual donations, but that could change as it gets closer to the election.

Federal law bars using union money to advance the campaign of a union official.

The appeal was from his 1980 conviction for embezzling union money.

It said he failed to stop an illegal scheme that siphoned more than $750,000 in union money into his 1996 re-election campaign.

Republicans will claim that many of their candidates were outspent, if you count the additional "union money."

The public also scrutinizes the labor positions of anyone who takes union money to be sure they have not been bought off.

In addition, Federal law bars union money from being used to advance the candidacy of a union official.

Unless the plan dealt with the "bottomless pit" of union money, she said, "then there is no campaign reform."

Federal law bars union officials from using union money for their campaigns.

White House officials estimated that the decision could cut off as much as $2.4 billion each year in union money available for political activities.