Good oppo research requires experience and manpower - two things in short supply. A new group meets these needs by combining the savvy of campaign veterans with the energy of online volunteers. This lowers the cost and time needed for oppo research, making it available to more progressive campaigns.
Research is split into smaller tasks and assigned (crowdsourced) to volunteers along with the online sources to be used. Research is uploaded to an online database where it's first checked by experts before being forwarded to campaigns. Email me to contact the stealth mode group to volunteer with them or use their service.
Ten resources they use include:
Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the independent regulatory agency charged with administering and enforcing the federal campaign finance law. It reports on donations by PACs and individuals and offers data downloads.
Congressional Record is the official website for U.S. federal legislative information. It provides access to legislative information for Members of Congress, legislative agencies, and the public.
OpenSecrets is run by Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan, nonprofit, research group tracks money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy.
SunLight Foundation is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that uses civic technology, open data, policy analysis and journalism to make politics more accountable and transparent.
MediaTrackers is dedicated to media accountability and quality fact-based journalism. It examines stories published in the mainstream media and provides the facts on the issues, candidates and elections.
MapLight is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit that reveals the influence of money in politics and empowers voters. It reveals donations by election period.
City Data collects data from a variety of government and private sources, to create detailed profiles for cities and identifyies donations to candidates by city.
Politifact - is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who speak up in American politics.
Wikipedia, a nonprofit charitable organization that offers content free of charge.
Google where alerts can also be set to monitor for new developments.
DemLabs expedites the flow of innovative solutions to progressives. Join us at two free workshops NY on 4/24 and DC on 5/2 to learn more about this oppo research service and other campaign innovations.