Getting the goods on congressional candidates' campaign finances is fun and easy. Go to
the Federal Election Commission. Click on
Campaign Finance Reports and Data. When the new page comes up, click on
View Financial Reports, which will take you to a page titled "FEC Disclosure Reports." Scroll down and click on
Search the Report Image System. Enter the candidate's name in the search engine. One or more hyperlinks to campaign accounts will come up on the screen; click on the one you want to view. Summary information about the committee will appear. Scroll down to the tables displaying links to report images. Click on the report you want to see, and it will download so you can print it out or study it on the screen.
If you are interested in which candidates received how much money from a particular donor, go back to the Campaign Finance Reports and Data page. Click on Search Campaign Finance Data. Select whether you want to research donations from individuals, committees, or candidates. Either option will take you to a search engine. Enter the name of the individual, committee, or candidate, and a list of all donations from the named source will come up on the screen.
City Paper will run tips on how to use the Internet to inform yourself about the candidates periodically throughout the campaign season.
