# Patch Notes #006: Money in Politics / Corruption Source Appendix

Version: v0.1 public source appendix
Date: 2026-07-03
Status: Baseline source list, not final evidence review.

## Official Data

- Federal Election Commission data: https://www.fec.gov/data/
- FEC campaign finance statistics: https://www.fec.gov/data/browse-data/?tab=raising
- U.S. Senate Lobbying Disclosure Act database: https://lda.senate.gov/
- U.S. House lobbying disclosure: https://lobbyingdisclosure.house.gov/
- USAspending.gov: https://www.usaspending.gov/
- Senate Select Committee on Ethics: https://www.ethics.senate.gov/
- House Committee on Ethics: https://ethics.house.gov/

## Analysis And Reform Sources

- OpenSecrets: https://www.opensecrets.org/
- National Institute on Money in Politics / FollowTheMoney: https://www.followthemoney.org/
- Brennan Center, Money in Politics: https://www.brennancenter.org/issues/reform-money-politics
- Campaign Legal Center: https://campaignlegal.org/

## Legal Anchors

- Citizens United v. FEC: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-205.pdf
- McCutcheon v. FEC: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/13pdf/12-536_e1pf.pdf
- FEC v. Ted Cruz for Senate: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21-12_m6hn.pdf

## Source Rules For This Issue

- Separate contributions, expenditures, independent expenditures, lobbying, procurement, revolving doors, gifts, stock trading, and enforcement.
- Use official data for counts/filings where possible, and secondary sources for synthesis and usability.
- Do not call something bribery unless it fits the legal/factual claim.
- Treat constitutional constraints as design constraints.
- Track whether a reform reduces influence, improves disclosure, improves enforcement, or merely moves influence elsewhere.