A Season For Transparency

Season

Dear Tim, We at OpenSecrets hope you’re celebrating and finding joy in this holiday season. For many, it will be a relief to see the year come to an end: elusive solutions for "Dreamers;" hate speech and Charlottesville; and a parade of revelations about the exploitive behavior of powerful men. Social change is on the minds of many citizens. And for our representatives in government who serve the public, it's been a year of turmoil, while those who battle for accountability have kept up a steady drumbeat of calls for those in power to be transparent. Unfortunately, the just passed tax reform legislation has only complicated their position – with tales of back room bartering and concessions to donors who spend millions on the lobbying of – and donations to – our elected officials. Amidst all of this tumult, OpenSecrets keeps crunching the data to show who's ponying up the money and where it's going. We will continue to keep tabs on the money that is used to mold American politics and policy, no matter its size or source. Last year millions of citizens were empowered and better informed as a result of the data produced by OpenSecrets and by our experts featured in more than 31,000 media citations, that reported how the lack of accountability can change our lives – for better or for worse. Being a nonpartisan research watchdog is no simple task, but, your support and commitment to our mission makes it that much easier for us to be a force multiplier, serving up our research free of charge to reporters and citizens no matter their viewpoint. Thank you for helping us do what we do. If you have donated this year, I’m delighted to thank you once again. If you haven't, I encourage you to support government accountability and give the gift of transparency. Best wishes this holiday season. With Gratitude,                       Sheila Krumholz Executive Director Center for Responsive Politics