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Dear friend of OpenSecrets,
In a letter from Thomas Jefferson to Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin in 1802, Jefferson said “we might hope to see the finances of the Union as clear and intelligible as a merchant’s books.” Not just so that every member of Congress could understand them, the President desired that “every [man] of any mind in the Union should be able to comprehend them.”
Fast forward 217 years—our Founding Fathers could not have imagined the extent or complexity of money in politics today: “Dark” or “gray” money groups funded by wealthy, secret donors; a blitz of “issue ads” targeting candidates, both Democrats and Republicans, a year before the 2020 primaries; a president fundraising for his reelection beginning in his first month in office. These are just some of the examples that illustrate the outsize role that money plays in our democracy today.
Since the Center’s founding in 1983, we have strived to uphold transparency in government and empower citizens by providing unique resources and reliable data on money in politics—tracking lobbying activity, campaign contributions, the revolving door and other data that allows citizens to monitor for potential conflicts of interest.
And we’re proud to report having just received our seventh consecutive 4-star rating—the highest possible—from Charity Navigator, so you can rest assured of our financial efficiency and commitment to accountability and transparency. Please help us to illuminate the halls of power to ensure transparency in American government, too.
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