While spending almost nothing on its stated causes.

ProPublica ProPublica <[link removed]> Donate <[link removed]>

The Big Story
Tue. Jun 18, 2024

<[link removed]>

How a Network of Nonprofits Enriches Fundraisers While Spending Almost Nothing on Its Stated Causes <[link removed]>

VIEW STORY <[link removed]>

Introducing ProPublica’s 527 Explorer

Each year, people and companies contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to tax-exempt political organizations in an effort to influence elections nationwide. These organizations, commonly known as 527s after a section of the tax code, can raise unlimited sums for political spending. Today, ProPublica is releasing a database that will allow journalists, researchers and others to more easily search 527s’ finances and find patterns <[link removed]>.

It’s a wide-ranging trove of data that includes well-known groups such as the Democratic Governors Association <[link removed]>, which influences pivotal races nationwide, and many obscure ones, including the Minnesota-based organization Garbage Haulers for Citizen Choice <[link removed]>, which says it advocates for local freedom of choice in waste pickup.

While the organizations in our database can affect the outcome of elections, their direct support of political candidates is often limited. This means much of their activity is not regulated by the Federal Election Committee or a state equivalent, and is therefore unavailable on the FEC’s easily searchable website.

The 527s in our database instead file reports with the Internal Revenue Service, much like charities, but their filings do not appear in the same locations as most nonprofits. Instead, they’re published on an entirely separate part of the IRS website <[link removed]> that uses a dated, difficult-to-use search tool <[link removed]>. But buried behind that clunky interface is some significant and useful information, from the names of organizations’ leaders all the way down to line-item expenditures and contributions.

Despite the influence of many 527s, experts said they receive little scrutiny and are rarely audited. Lloyd Mayer, a professor of law at Notre Dame, says that because these organizations’ filings don’t appear in the same place as those of most other nonprofits or political groups, they aren’t viewed as often. “FEC filings are a lot more searchable and therefore a lot more visible, and therefore it’s easier for reporters to make stories based on those and even for opponents or law enforcement investigators to discover stuff,” Mayer told us.

In this environment, questionable spending often goes unnoticed. Now that this data is more easily explorable, we look forward to seeing what you discover in it.

Search the data <[link removed]>

Learn More About Investigating Political Nonprofits, Scam PACs and More

On July 9, ProPublica will host a webinar <[link removed]> to coach journalists on how to use our database, from generating story ideas to deciphering contributions and expenditures. We will also help readers better understand money’s influence on politics, enabling users to explore 527s by state, organization and more.

Sign up <[link removed]>

More From Our Newsroom

Nine Takeaways From Our Investigation Into Microsoft’s Cybersecurity Failures <[link removed]> What you need to know about how a whistleblower repeatedly tried to get the software giant to fix a security flaw that left millions of Microsoft users exposed. by ProPublica <[link removed]>

When Therapists Lose Their Licenses, Some Turn to the Unregulated Life Coaching Industry Instead <[link removed]> Despite past misconduct, some former therapists have continued their careers as life coaches. Now, after a high-profile conviction in Utah, legislators are asking whether it’s time for more oversight. by Jessica Miller, The Salt Lake Tribune <[link removed]>

North Carolina Supreme Court Secretly Squashed Discipline of Two GOP Judges Who Admitted to Violating Judicial Code <[link removed]> The decisions came despite the Judicial Standards Commission’s recommendations to publicly reprimand the judges, and these are likely the only times in more than a decade in which the court didn’t follow the commission’s guidance. by Doug Bock Clark <[link removed]>

What a Leading State Auditor Says About Fraud, Government Misspending and Building Public Trust <[link removed]> We spoke to a leading state auditor about how remote work and artificial intelligence are ushering in new kinds of fraud in state and local governments. by McKenzie Funk <[link removed]>

Microsoft President Grilled by Congress Over Cybersecurity Failures <[link removed]> The criticism from members of the House Homeland Security Committee came in response to a ProPublica investigation that found Microsoft repeatedly rebuffed an engineer’s warnings that a product flaw had left millions of users vulnerable to attack. by Renee Dudley <[link removed]>

Harlan Crow Provided Clarence Thomas at Least 3 Previously Undisclosed Private Jet Trips, Senate Probe Finds <[link removed]> The Supreme Court justice flew to Montana and other destinations on the billionaire GOP donor’s dime. Crow’s lawyer revealed these flights to the Senate Judiciary Committee, whose ongoing investigation was sparked by ProPublica’s reporting. by Justin Elliott, Joshua Kaplan and Alex Mierjeski <[link removed]>

Whistleblower Says Microsoft Dismissed Warnings About a Security Flaw That Russians Later Used to Hack U.S. Government <[link removed]> Former employee says software giant dismissed his warnings about a critical flaw because it feared losing government business. Russian hackers later used the weakness to breach the National Nuclear Security Administration, among others. by Renee Dudley, with research by Doris Burke <[link removed]>

How satisfied are you with today’s newsletter?

1 Not satisfied 2 3 4 5 Very satisfied

Find us on Facebook <[link removed]> Follow us on Twitter <[link removed]> Follow us on Instagram <[link removed]> Watch us on Youtube <[link removed]> Donate <[link removed]>

Get the ProPublica mobile app:
Download on the App Store <[link removed]> Get it on Google Play <[link removed]>
Was this email forwarded to you from a friend? Subscribe. <[link removed]> Want less email? Click here if you only want to receive one ProPublica newsletter each week. This email was sent to [email protected]. Update your email preferences or unsubscribe <[link removed]> to stop receiving this newsletter. Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. <[link removed]> ProPublica • 155 Ave of the Americas, 13th Floor • New York, NY 10013 <a href="[link removed]><img src="[link removed]" alt="" border="0" /></a>