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Methodology
The Money in Politics Project of the Ohio Citizen Action Education Fund analyzed contributions to Ohio statewide and legislative officials and Ohio political party committees from January 2005-June 2007. To identify the contributors associated with the development of new energy policy in Ohio, the Money in Politics Project placed a public records request asking for a list of those individuals and their organizations who had met with Governor Ted Strickland, the Energy Advisor, and the Governor’s staff. The Governor’s office provided the Governor’s schedule. To identify other contributors involved in the debate, the Project included those who commented in the press or made a public statement about Senate Bill 221 or regulation of electricity. This study does not include all contributions made during this time period. It focuses directly on contributions to public officials, policy-makers, and the political parties. Totals include contributions from political action committees (PACs), labor unions, and individuals.
The database (Microsoft Access, 30 mb) is based on the campaign finance filings of members of the Ohio General Assembly, Ohio statewide officeholders, and the filings of Ohio political parties, available in computerized form from the Ohio Secretary of State. These filings were submitted electronically by the committees to the Secretary of State and are available online. The public officials were given an opportunity to review their campaign finance profiles.
To identify the employers of contributors, the Ohio Citizen Action Education Fund used the following:
- Databases of architects, doctors, dentists, funeral directors, and certified public accountants registered to do business in Ohio from the Ohio Division of Administrative Services,
- A database from the Ohio Supreme Court of attorneys in Ohio,
- A list of lobbyists in Ohio from the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee,
- A list of contributors to political action committees in Ohio,
- Database of physicians provided by the American Medical Association,
- Database of attorneys provided by Martindale-Hubble,
- Search engines like Google.
For each candidate the total amount in this campaign finance database includes the following:
- Contributions received at a social or fundraising event,
- In-kind contributions received,
- Contributions the candidate gave to his own campaign.
The campaign finance profiles do not include Statement of Other Income, which includes interest, refunds, returns, and other non-contribution income.
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