Who we are and what we're not
PaidFor is a free research tool that links who funds members of Congress to how they vote. We don't have opinions about officials. We have spreadsheets. Every figure on this site opens a receipt: the dataset, the record, when we collected it and a download of the raw file. If we can't show the source, we don't show the number. Version 1 covers Congress; state and local officials and outlooks for pending bills come in version 2 — see Coverage.
How it works
We collect
Daily automated runs pull from public filings: FEC records, House and Senate roll calls, Congress.gov, and more — listed in full on Sources.
We normalize, not interpret
Donations get matched to donors, votes get matched to bills, officials get matched to their terms. Same method, same layout, for every party.
We publish the method
How alignment is calculated, the small-number rules, the 'correlation is not cause' note — all on the Method page, in plain words.
You check it
Open any figure's receipt. Download the raw file. Compare a Democrat and a Republican on the same chart. See something wrong? Tell us below.
Report a correction
Found a record that looks wrong? Tell us which one, what looks off, and we'll check it against the source. We'll reply plainly. Nobody who writes in gets added to a mailing list — there isn't one.
Spotted an error? Corrections open soon.
How PaidFor was built
Building a Brand That Trusts No One
Why the logo, colors and tone assume you shouldn't believe us either.
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Follow the Receipts
The data model: every figure carries its own paper trail.
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Collecting the Receipts
The pipelines that pull filings and votes from official sources every day.
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From Spec to Site Design
How a written spec became these pages.
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