ALL-IN-ONE WEB TOOL LAUNCHED TO SEARCH POLITICIANS, DONORS, AND LOBBYISTS

Sunlight Seekr will be available for use on all websites next week

November 15, 2006

Contact: Gabriela Schneider 202-742-1520 ext 236

WASHINGTON, DC – The Sunlight Foundation’s SunlightLabs is today unveiling a web tool that will allow users to search any politician, donor, industry or lobbyists on five leading political data websites at the same time. Available at www.sunlightfoundation.com, code will be made available next week, so that any webmaster can install it on his or her sites. Sunlight Seekr will cull through Congresspedia, GovTrack, the Institute on Money in State Politics, OpenSecrets.org, and the Sunlight Foundation’s own site for any search term for which a user may be looking. “With the number of resources out there on politicians and those who seek to influence them, it became apparent that there was a real need to make research easier and more centralized for citizens,” said Ellen Miller, executive director of the Sunlight Foundation. “Sunlight Seekr meets that goal, and will facilitate information gathering for journalists and citizens alike.” The tool consists of a small, unobtrusive search box. When users enter a search term and hit return, a results window will popup. As the tool works and searches the five different sites, results will appear in a tabbed window, one tab per site. Congresspedia.org is a wiki-based "citizens' encyclopedia on Congress" that anyone who registers can edit. It is overseen by professional editors to ensure fairness, accuracy and non-partisanship. The site currently receives 60,000-80,000 unique visitors per day and contains profiles on each member of Congress as well as articles on scandals, issues and pieces of legislation. It is a joint project of the Sunlight Foundation and the Center for Media and Democracy. GovTrack.us is an independent nexus of information about the United States Congress, following the status of federal legislation and the activities of senators and representatives. Data is collected from the official government websites via automated processes daily. Followthemoney.org is the website for the Institute on Money in State Politics. The Institute is a national nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to accurate, comprehensive and unbiased documentation and research on campaign finance at the state level. The Institute develops searchable databases, makes them available to the public online, and analyzes the information to determine the role campaign money plays in public policy debates in the states. The Institute also publishes studies and provides technical assistance and training to reporters, academic researchers and public interest groups that work on state policy issues. OpenSecrets.org is the website of the Center for Responsive Politics. The Center is a non-partisan, non-profit research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics, and its effect on elections and public policy. The Center conducts computer-based research on campaign finance issues for the news media, academics, activists, and the public at large. The Center’s work is aimed at creating a more educated voter, an involved citizenry, and a more responsive government. Founded in January, 2006, the mission of the Sunlight Foundation (www.sunlightfoundation.com) is to strengthen the relationship between lawmakers and their constituents. Sunlight puts information and tools in citizens’ hands so they can learn more about what Congress and their elected representatives are doing. Our ultimate goal of full transparency by Congress, its Members and staff will help reduce corruption, ensure greater accountability, and foster public trust in this vital institution of democracy. # # #