OpenSecrets

{{Short description|Government watchdog group based in the US}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = OpenSecrets

| logo = OpenSecrets logo.svg

| founded_date = {{start date and age|1983}}{{Cite book | last=Harvey | first=Kerric | title=Encyclopedia of Social Media and Politics | publisher=Sage Publishing | date=January 2014 | isbn=9781452290263 | page=252}}

| founders = {{ubl|Frank Church|Hugh Scott}}

| merger = Center for Responsive Politics
National Institute on Money in Politics

| type = Research

| tax_id = 52-1275227

| status = 501(c)(3)

| focus = Campaign finance in the United States

| location = Washington, D.C.

| coordinates = {{Coord|38.9037|-77.0300|type:landmark_region:US-DC|display=inline, title}}

| area_served = United States

| leader_name = Bert Brandenburg{{Cite web | url=https://www.opensecrets.org/about//board |title=OpenSecrets: Board of Directors | work=OpenSecrets}}

| leader_title = Chair, Board of directors

| leader_name2 = Hilary Braseth (December 2023 – present){{Cite web | title=OpenSecrets Welcomes Hilary Braseth as New Executive Director

|url=https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2023/12/opensecrets-welcomes-hilary-braseth-as-new-executive-director}}

| leader_title2 = Executive director

| revenue = $2.5 million

| revenue_year = 2023

| expenses = $4.3 million

| expenses_year = 2023

| employees =

| employees_year =

| website = {{URL|https://www.opensecrets.org/}}

}}

OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks and publishes data on campaign finance and lobbying, including a revolving door database which documents the individuals who have worked in both the public sector and lobbying firms and may have conflicts of interest.{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dWwSDAAAQBAJ | last=Wiist | first=William | title=The Bottom Line or Public Health: Tactics Corporations Use to Influence Health and Health Policy, and What We Can Do to Counter Them | publisher=Oxford University Press | date=March 3, 2010 | isbn=9780199704927 | page=149}}{{Cite web | url=https://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/ | title=Revolving Door | work=OpenSecrets}}{{Cite news | url=https://truthout.org/articles/over-500-former-government-officials-are-now-lobbying-for-defense-contractors/ | title=Over 500 Former Government Officials Are Now Lobbying for Defense Contractors | first=Taylor | last=Giorno | work=Truthout | date=May 6, 2023}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2019/06/12/lobbying-politics-washington-congress-elaine-chao-department-transportation | title=Reporting Raises Questions About Washington's Potential Political Conflicts Of Interest | work=WBUR-FM | date=June 12, 2019}} It was created from the 2021 merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP), both of which were organizations that tracked data on campaign finance in the United States and advocated for stricter regulation and disclosure of political donations.{{Cite news | last=Drake | first=Philip | title=Helena-based political transparency group merges with another watchdog | work=Helena Independent Record | url=https://helenair.com/news/local/helena-based-political-transparency-group-merges-with-another-watchdog/article_aef2efe9-c615-57ab-9112-12cba2093321.html | date=June 3, 2021 | url-access=subscription}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.cjr.org/news_startups_guide/2012/04/national-institute-on-money-in-state-politics.php | last=O'Connor | first=Maura | title=National Institute on Money in State Politics | work=Columbia Journalism Review | date=April 4, 2012}}{{Cite news | url=https://publicintegrity.org/politics/lax-state-rules-provide-cover-for-sponsors-of-attack-ads/ | last=Suderman | first=Alan | title=Lax state rules provide cover for sponsors of attack ads | work=Center for Public Integrity | date=May 16, 2014}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/florida-group-wants-to-end-caps-on-campaign-donations/2013/01/23/8bbab36a-658e-11e2-85f5-a8a9228e55e7_story.html | last=Farnam | first=T.W. | title=Florida group wants to end caps on campaign donations | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=January 23, 2013 | url-access=limited}}{{Cite news | url=http://www.startribune.com/money-in-state-politics-report-minnesota-fails-disclosure-test-again/284635911/ | last=Stassen-Berger | first=Rachel | title=Money in State Politics report: Minnesota fails disclosure test, again | work=Minneapolis Star-Tribune | date=December 3, 2014 | url-access=subscription}}

Examples of investigations conducted by the organization include uncovering that Carolina Rising, a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization spent $4.7 million in 2014 on political ads in support of Thom Tillis, Senate candidate from North Carolina,{{Cite news | title=Carolina Rising offers new low in campaign finance | url=https://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article41576454.html | work=The News & Observer | last=Maguire | first=Robert | date=October 27, 2015}} and that the Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign was financially related to the rally that preceded the January 6 United States Capitol attack.{{Cite news | url=https://www.newsweek.com/trump-rally-organizers-received-millions-re-election-campaign-before-capitol-riot-1563818 | title=Trump rally organizers received millions from re-election campaign before Capitol riot | last=Fung | first=Katherine | work=Newsweek | date=January 22, 2021 | url-access=limited}}

The organization is funded by donations; since 2020, the largest donors have been: the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Democracy Fund, the Gaia Fund, Google, the Hewlett Foundation, the Kaphan Foundation, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, the Omidyar Network, Open Society Foundations, the Popplestone Foundation, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.{{Cite web | url=https://www.opensecrets.org/about/funders | title=Funders | work=OpenSecrets}} In 2023, the organization reported $2.5 million in revenue and $4.3 million in expenses.{{cite web |title=Opensecrets - Nonprofit Explorer |url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521275227 |website=ProPublica |access-date=27 December 2024 |language=en |date=9 May 2013}} In 2024, having serious financial difficulties, OpenSecrets laid off a third of its staff.{{cite news |last1=Schuman |first1=Daniel |author-link1=Daniel Schuman |title=Open-Government Nonprofits Are Dying Off Just When They’re Needed Most |url=https://www.thebulwark.com/p/open-government-nonprofits-are-dying-off-just-when-needed-most |work=The Bulwark |date=16 December 2024}}