Ron Nixon presents during the free business journalism workshop, "Follow the Money -- Tracking Companies' Influence on Politics." For more free resources on business journalism, please visit businessjournalism.org.

1. Access and Influence: A guide to
following the money and legislative
or regulatory outcomes.

2. Money: The Mother’s Milk of politics.
There
are
two
things
that
are
important
in
poli1cs.
The
first
is
money
and
I
can't
remember
what
the
second
one
is.
-­‐-­‐
Ohio
poli)cal
boss
and
U.S.
Senator
Mark
Hanna,
1895
and
fundraiser
for
President
William
McKinley.

3. Tracking the Money In:
— Campaign
Contribu.ons
— Personal
Financial
disclosures
— Lobbying
disclosure
forms
— Nonprofit/527’s
— Property/Real
Estate
— Adver.sing/Consul.ng
— Super
PACs

4. Tracking the Money Out:
— Federal/State/Local
Contracts
— Earmarks/Tax
benefits/Regula.ons
— Vote
for/against
legisla.on/regula.on
— Revolving
Door
(Jobs,
consul.ng,
hiring
spouse,
former
staffers)
— Trips
and
GiPs
— LeQers
of
Support/LeQermarking
— Appointments
— Giving
to
Founda.on/nonprofit
linked
to
lawmakers

5. Tax me if you can!

6. Documents Used
— Joint Tax Committee in Congress
— U.S. Tax Code
— Senate and House Member Websites
— Senate Office of Public Records
— Campaign Finance reports

7. Axis of Evil Business?

8. Documents Used
— Office of Foreign Asset Control license database
obtained through lawsuit against Department of
Treasury.
— Letters in OFAC files written by members of
Congress in support of companies seeking
permission to operate in Iran.

9. Pizza as a Vegetable?

10. Documents Used
— Lobbying Disclosure records
— Federal Register
— Comments on proposed regulations written by
members of Congress and industry obtained through
regulations.gov website.

11. The End of Earmarks?

12. Documents Used
— Lobbying disclosure records
— Appropriation bill
— Committee reports

13. Lettermarking!

14. Documents Used
— Letters obtained under Freedom of Information Act
to various agencies

15. It just won’t die!

16. Documents Used
— Cuts, Consolidations and Saving budget report from
the White House
— Lobbying disclosure reports
— Campaign finance reports

17. It won’t die either!

18. Documents Used
— Cuts, Consolidation and Savings budget report from
the White House
— Lobbying disclosure reports
— Campaign finance report
— The Congressional Record

19. Charitable Contributions

20. Documents Used
— Campaign Finance reports
— Lobbying Disclosure reports
— Annual Reports
— Foundation tax forms

21. Not for Profit!

22. Documents Used
— Congressional Earmark requests
— Lobbying disclosure records
— Campaign finance reports
— Godaddy.com website
— I.R.S.

23. I’m a Business, Man!

24. “Disregard the Man behind the Curtain!”

25. Documents Used
— Congressional Records
— Lobbying disclosure reports

26. We are the Champions!

27. — Campaign Finance reports
— Thomas.gov
— Congressional websites
— Congressional votes database

28. All in the Family!

29. Documents Used
— LegiStorm database
— Lobbying disclosure reports

30. Regulators! Mount Up!

31. Documents Used
— Agency travel records
— Office of Government Ethics private sponsored travel
reports

32. A Seat at the Table.

33. — Agency websites
— State Campaign finance records
— Meeting notes
— Legislative audits

34. Bad Medicine

35. Documents Used
— State and Federal Campaign Finance Records
— State and Federal Lobbying disclosure records
— Political ad records from local TV stations
— Corporate annual reports
— I.R.S. tax form 990

36. Tying Contributions to Outcomes: Resources
— The Congressional Record
— Lawmakers websites
— Regulations.gov
— FOIA
— Lobbying disclosure forms
— Office of Government Ethics
— Federal Register
— Guidestar/IRS 990s

37. Resources Cont:
— Appropriation bills and committee reports
— Authorization committees (House and Senate)
— Letters/Communications between Agency staffers
and former employers.
— Thomas
— GovTrack
— LegiStorm
— Federal Advisory Committees
— Congressional Tax Committees

38. So Damn Much Money!