Omar Bennett
Political campaign contributions are a matter of public record in the United States. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) maintains a database of individuals who have made contributions to federally registered political committees. All Senate, House, and presidential candidates are required to report campaign donations to the FEC, and FEC rules require campaigns to track all contributions, although the amount of information collected and reported varies by donation amount. There are also state-based organizations that track money in local elections, such as the Virginia Public Access Project, and non-profit, non-partisan organizations like OpenSecrets, which compiles detailed reports on spending by lobbyists, political action committees (PACs), interest groups, and other donors.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Are political campaign contributions public record? | Yes |
| Who can access the records? | Anyone |
| Who maintains the records? | Federal Election Commission (FEC) |
| What is the purpose of the records? | To track money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy |
| What information is included in the records? | Contributor's name, mailing address, occupation, employer, date of contribution, amount of contribution, etc. |
| Are there any exceptions to what is included in the records? | Yes, contributions of $50 or less do not require identifiable information about the donor, and smaller contributions (less than $200) are not part of the public record |
| Can the records be searched and filtered? | Yes, they can be searched and filtered by various criteria, such as contributor name, employer, occupation, location, date, and amount |
| Are there any state-specific databases? | Yes, some states have their own searchable databases, such as Michigan |
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What You'll Learn
Publicly available financial disclosure records
In the United States, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) maintains a publicly accessible database of individuals who have contributed to federally registered political committees. The database includes contributor information such as name, employer or occupation, city, state, and contribution amount and date. The FEC website provides search tools to look up this information by various filters, such as contributor name, employer, or contribution amount.
Additionally, organisations like OpenSecrets provide further resources for tracking money in US politics. While OpenSecrets does not provide street address or phone number information for contributors, its Donor Lookup database allows users to explore contributions by state or federal candidates, industries, and special interests. OpenSecrets also offers insights into "dark money" groups and the influence of industries and economic sectors on political campaigns.
Financial disclosure records for senators and representatives are also publicly available. The US Senate Financial Disclosures website provides access to reports filed by senators, former senators, and senate candidates from 2012 onwards. These reports are typically available for six years after a senator leaves office. Similarly, the house.gov site offers financial disclosure reports for representatives for the last eight years. Requests for these records should include the representative's name, the year(s) of records requested, the purpose of the request, and the requester's name and contact information.
Nonprofit organisations are also subject to financial transparency and public disclosure requirements. Charitable nonprofits, for instance, are expected to disclose certain financial information upon request and make their financial reports accessible to staff and board members. Copies of specific IRS forms, such as the 990 series, are available to the public on the IRS website for charitable nonprofits.
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Federal Election Commission (FEC)
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent agency of the United States government that enforces U.S. campaign finance laws and oversees U.S. federal elections. It was established in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Campaign Act. The commission is led by six commissioners who are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
The duties of the FEC are to disclose campaign finance information, enforce provisions of the law such as limits and prohibitions on contributions, and oversee the public funding of presidential campaigns. The FEC also provides information on the federal campaign finance process, including legal resources, campaign finance data, and help for candidates and committees.
The FEC maintains a database of individuals who have made contributions to federally registered political committees. This database includes records of receipts from all individuals who contribute at least $200 (smaller contributions are not part of the public record). The information in the database includes the contributor's full name and mailing address, occupation, and employer.
FEC rules for candidates include requirements for keeping records of receipts, time frames for forwarding contributions, record-keeping for joint fundraising, and documenting efforts to investigate questionable contributions. Candidates must also maintain separate books and records for each election, and political committees must maintain a record of each contribution received.
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Tracking money in politics
OpenSecrets allows users to search for specific information, such as donors in their state, industries, and special interests supporting candidates, and the influence of "dark money" groups. It also offers resources to understand political finance better and how money influences elections. Additionally, OpenSecrets provides workshops and training on money-in-politics data, ensuring that users can effectively navigate and interpret the information provided.
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) also plays a crucial role in tracking money in politics. The FEC maintains a database of individuals who have made contributions to federally registered political committees. This database includes information on contributors' names, employers, occupations, and contribution amounts. The FEC provides guidelines for candidates to maintain proper records of receipts, distinguishing between primary and general election contributions, and handling joint fundraising and questionable contributions.
Another resource for tracking money in politics is FollowTheMoney.org, a collaboration between the National Institute on Money in Politics and the Center for Responsive Politics. This website offers state campaign finance data, including federal data through the 2024 election year. By utilizing these tools and resources, individuals can gain valuable insights into the role of money in politics and its potential impact on elections and policy-making processes.
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Recordkeeping requirements
The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) requires the reporting of all receipts, but record-keeping is only mandatory for contributions. However, a candidate committee must keep records for all types of receipts to comply with the reporting requirements of the Act and FEC regulations.
FEC rules for candidates on keeping records of receipts include time frames for forwarding contributions, record-keeping for joint fundraising, contributions collected or credited to a lobbyist/registrant, and documenting efforts to investigate questionable contributions.
For each contribution exceeding $200, records must identify the contributor's full name and mailing address, occupation, and employer. If a person has already contributed an aggregate amount of over $200 during a calendar year, each subsequent contribution, regardless of amount, must be identified in the same way.
For contributions exceeding $50, the amount, date of receipt, and the contributor's name and address must be collected. Records must identify each contribution of more than $50 by the contributor's name and mailing address.
In the case of small contributions collected at a fundraiser, keep records of the name of the event, the date, and the total amount of contributions received each day.
If, before the primary election, a campaign receives contributions designated for the general election, it must use an acceptable accounting method to distinguish between primary and general election contributions. This includes maintaining separate books and records for each election.
The treasurer (or designated assistant treasurer) is responsible for keeping the required records of receipts and disbursements for three years from the filing date of the report to which they relate.
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State-based organisations
In the United States, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) maintains a publicly accessible database of individuals who have made contributions to federally registered political committees. This database includes records of receipts from individuals who contribute at least $200 (smaller contributions are not part of the public record). The database can be searched by the individual contributor's first and/or last name, employer, occupation, city, state, zip code, date of contribution, and amount contributed.
State-based organizations, such as those in Texas, also have specific requirements for reporting and disclosing political campaign contributions. Texas, for example, requires out-of-state political committees to file reports for each reporting period in which they accept political contributions or make expenditures in connection with a state or local election in Texas. These reports can be filed electronically or by sending a copy of the relevant pages to the Texas Ethics Commission.
Additionally, Texas has regulations for specific events, such as the Governor for a Day and Speaker's Reunion Day ceremonies, where Chapter 303 of the Government Code outlines rules for contributions and expenditures. Texas also mandates that monthly reports be filed by the 5th of each month, regardless of whether any contributions or expenditures were made during the reporting period.
Other organizations, such as OpenSecrets, provide additional resources for tracking money in U.S. politics. OpenSecrets offers a database of state campaign finance data, including information on political action committees (PACs) and the influence of industries and special interests. However, it's important to note that OpenSecrets does not provide street address or phone information for contributors.
Overall, the availability of information on political campaign contributions varies by state and organization, with specific regulations and reporting requirements in place to ensure transparency and compliance.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, in general, donations made to political campaigns are a matter of public record.
You can search for this information in publicly available financial disclosure records. Websites such as OpenSecrets, which is a non-profit, non-partisan organisation, offer searchable databases that allow you to see which campaigns or candidates a donor has contributed to.
The amount of information collected and reported varies by donation amount. For contributions of $50 or less, campaigns do not need to collect any identifiable information about the donor. For contributions exceeding $200, records must include the contributor's full name and mailing address, occupation and employer.
You can search your state's campaign finance or election commission website to search disclosure forms. Some states, like Michigan, have a searchable database of campaign finance information.
Political Action Committees are committees that receive and spend money to influence elections. They are often referred to as "dark money" groups as they are not required to reveal where their money comes from.
