Jonah Patel
OpenSecrets is a non-profit organisation based in Washington, D.C. that tracks and publishes data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from the 2021 merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP). OpenSecrets is funded by donations from organisations including the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Hewlett Foundation, Google, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The website OpenSecrets.org has been described as having minimal bias and offering a nonpartisan look at political spending. The site provides information on the funding of previous political campaigns and politicians' finances.
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
OpenSecrets.org is a non-partisan news site
The Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C., that tracks the effects of money and lobbying on elections and public policy. The first data was published by CRP in 1990, and the website OpenSecrets.org was launched in 1996, making the data more readily available. OpenSecrets is funded by donations, with the largest donors including the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Democracy Fund, the Gaia Fund, Google, the Hewlett Foundation, the Kaphan Foundation, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, the Omidyar Network, Open Society Foundations, the Popplestone Foundation, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
OpenSecrets.org offers a nonpartisan look at political spending. Users can discover everything from the funding of previous political campaigns to a politician's finances and tax returns. The site breaks down how funding works, describes what candidates use money on, and includes donor information. OpenSecrets also publishes news related to spending that utilizes minimal bias and is properly sourced to credible media outlets. It is used as a resource by IFCN fact-checkers and the Media Bias Fact Check website. Overall, OpenSecrets is rated as Least Biased and Very High for factual reporting due to excellent sourcing of information and being an official source for fact-checkers.
Political Campaign Expenses: Tax Deduction Eligibility
You may want to see also
OpenSecrets is a non-profit organisation
OpenSecrets is funded by donations from organisations such as the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Democracy Fund, the Hewlett Foundation, Google, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The organisation also receives funding through partnerships with news organisations, which pay for information and analysis. OpenSecrets provides a database that allows users to view federal campaign contributions and lobbying activities, as well as the personal financial disclosures of members of Congress, the president, and top administrators.
The website OpenSecrets.org was launched in 1996, making the data more readily available to the public. The site offers a nonpartisan look at political spending, allowing users to search for information on previous political campaigns, a politician's finances, and tax returns. It also includes donor information, allowing users to search by name to find out what individuals have contributed to political campaigns. The site uses visual components and text written in an easy-to-understand, conversational tone to make the information accessible to users.
OpenSecrets has been rated as having minimal bias and high factual reporting due to its excellent sourcing of information. The organisation is an official source for fact-checkers and has not failed a fact-check. It provides exhaustive reporting on money in politics, with a particular focus on how funding works and what candidates spend money on.
Kamala Harris' Property Portfolio: Private Homes and Public Office
You may want to see also
OpenSecrets' investigations and findings
OpenSecrets, or OpenSecrets.org, is a nonpartisan, independent nonprofit organisation based in Washington, D.C. It was created from the 2021 merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP). Both CRP and NIMP were organisations that tracked data on campaign finance in the United States and advocated for stricter regulation and disclosure of political donations.
OpenSecrets is the nation's premier research and government transparency group tracking money in politics and its effect on elections and policy. It publishes data on campaign finance and lobbying, including a revolving-door database that documents individuals who have worked in both the public sector and lobbying firms and may have conflicts of interest. It also publishes a range of investigative reports, book contributions, journal articles, and other contributions to publications.
OpenSecrets investigations and findings include:
- A report exposing how a politically connected oil tycoon in Zimbabwe, Kudakwashe Tagwirei, moved millions of dollars in suspect funds from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to London to buy two Zimbabwean mines—Bindura Nickel and Freda Rebecca Gold Mine.
- A report exposing MTN's alleged role in enabling internet shutdowns, corruption, tax evasion, and enabling terror activities across Africa and the Middle East, highlighting its complicity in human rights violations.
- A report exposing the role of South African estate agents and lawyers in enabling corrupt property purchases for political elites from Mozambique, the DRC, and Equatorial Guinea.
- A report showing who holds the power in South Africa's energy sector and spotlighting the key private players in the coal, gas, diesel, and renewable energy industries.
- A report titled "The Consultants – A Corporations and Economic Crime", which details how consultants have pillaged the state and profiles McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
- A joint investigative report with The Sentry titled "Fronts, Fakes, and Facades: How South African and Mauritian Enablers Helped Move Millions from Zimbabwe to Britain".
- A report titled "Bad Cops, Bad Lawyers", which documents how the Hawks and the NPA have failed to take on state capture cases and recommends that true reform in these agencies will not be possible unless they hold themselves to account.
- A report titled "The Enablers", which focuses on the role of banks, accounting firms, consultants, and lawyers in facilitating criminal conduct that formed part of the state capture enterprise.
- A report titled "The Bottom Line", which looks into the role of big corporations that administer pension funds, such as Liberty Corporate and Alexander Forbes, and the role of the regulator in creating an enabling environment for the 'Cancellations Project'.
- Uncovering that Carolina Rising, a 501(c)(4) social welfare organisation, spent $4.7 million in 2014 on political ads in support of Thom Tillis, a Senate candidate from North Carolina.
- Uncovering that the Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign was financially related to the rally that preceded the January 6 United States Capitol attack.
OpenSecrets is funded by donations, with its largest donors including the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Democracy Fund, the Gaia Fund, Google, the Hewlett Foundation, the Kaphan Foundation, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, the Omidyar Network, Open Society Foundations, the Popplestone Foundation, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
Money Talks: Spending in Politics Reveals Truths
You may want to see also
Explore related products
OpenSecrets' funding and donors
OpenSecrets is a non-profit organisation based in Washington, D.C. that tracks and publishes data on campaign finance and lobbying. It is funded by donations and grants from private foundations and contributions from individuals. Since 2020, its largest donors have included the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Democracy Fund, the Gaia Fund, Google, the Hewlett Foundation, the Kaphan Foundation, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, the Omidyar Network, Open Society Foundations, the Popplestone Foundation, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. OpenSecrets also generates revenue from research fees and data contracts.
OpenSecrets provides a non-partisan and independent perspective on political spending and offers a searchable database of officials' personal financial reports. It allows users to explore politicians' funding sources and discover the industries and organisations supporting them. The platform enables users to follow the money trail to state legislators, governors, and judicial officeholders in states with elected judges.
The organisation has been operational since 1983, founded by retired U.S. Senators Frank Church of Idaho (Democratic Party) and Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania (Republican Party). The website, OpenSecrets.org, was launched in 1996, making data on political funding more accessible to the public.
In addition to its website, OpenSecrets also offers a donor lookup tool and a newsletter. The donor lookup tool allows users to search for donors to specific politicians or political committees at the federal and state levels. It also provides information on outside spending by party committees, super PACs, and "dark money" groups. The newsletter focuses on tracking the influence of money on U.S. elections and public policy.
In terms of media bias, AllSides rates OpenSecrets.org as "Center," indicating a lack of significant media bias. However, some users have expressed concerns about unmoderated comments on the website that may contain inappropriate language.
Harris' DC Rally: Time and Schedule Details
You may want to see also
OpenSecrets' reliability and credibility
OpenSecrets (or OpenSecrets.org) is a non-profit organisation based in Washington, D.C. that tracks and publishes data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from the 2021 merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP), both of which tracked data on campaign finance in the United States and advocated for stricter regulation and disclosure of political donations.
OpenSecrets is funded through donations from organisations such as the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Democracy Fund, the Hewlett Foundation, Google, Open Society Foundations, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The website OpenSecrets.org was launched in 1996, making data on campaign finance more accessible to the public.
Regarding its political bias, OpenSecrets has been described as having a "Lean Left bias" by AllSides, a media bias rating website. However, AllSides also notes that OpenSecrets does not exhibit much predictable media bias and may display a balance of articles with left and right biases. Media Bias/Fact Check, another media bias rating website, rates OpenSecrets as "Least Biased" and "Very High for factual reporting". This rating is due to OpenSecrets' excellent sourcing of information and its status as an official source for fact-checkers.
OpenSecrets has been described as a valuable resource for those seeking information on political spending and the influence of money in U.S. politics. The website provides data on various aspects of political funding, including campaign contributions, lobbying activities, and the personal finances of politicians. It also publishes articles and investigations based on its data, such as uncovering the financial connections between the Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign and the rally that preceded the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021.
In summary, while OpenSecrets may have a slight left-leaning bias, it is generally considered a credible and reliable source for information on campaign finance and lobbying in the United States. The organisation's commitment to data transparency and non-partisanship, as well as its use as a resource by fact-checkers, contributes to its credibility.
Political Operative: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
OpenSecrets is a non-profit organisation based in Washington, D.C., that tracks and publishes data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from the 2021 merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP).
OpenSecrets is considered to have minimal bias and very high factual reporting. It is a credible source for fact-checkers and has not failed a fact-check. The organisation puts a lot of effort into ensuring that its information is valid, updated, and easy to understand.
OpenSecrets offers a non-partisan look at political spending. Users can find information on the funding of previous political campaigns, a politician's finances and tax returns, and political contributions by state.
OpenSecrets is 100% funded by donations from individuals and organisations. Notable donors include the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Democracy Fund, Google, Open Society Foundations, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
OpenSecrets aims to track the flow of money in American politics and provide data and analysis to strengthen democracy. The organisation believes that powerful organisations use money to influence elections and policy, and it wants to make this information transparent.
