Methodology

What the records can—and cannot—tell us

This application organizes official disclosures. It does not infer motive, prove influence, or turn an absent record into a zero.

01

Reported is not verified

A filing shows what its filer reported under a particular disclosure regime. We retain that assertion status and link the displayed row to its source.

02

Roles stay separate

Source, legal recipient, political subject, and vendor or intermediary remain distinct. A media payment supporting a candidate is not labeled a payment to that candidate.

03

Coverage has boundaries

Federal election, lobbying, and foreign-agent filings answer different questions. “No record found” means only that the current release did not find a covered record.

04

Identity matches need evidence

Official identifiers are preferred. Names and addresses may nominate a possible match, but an unreviewed similarity never silently merges two identities.