The Influenced Index – Measuring what money buys in American politics

The Influenced Index scores every member on ten categories: direct contributions, outside spending, lobbying inside the policy areas they regulate, revolving-door lobbying access, vote alignment with funders, contribution timing around legislative action, dark-money concentration in outside spending, stock trades inside the industries they regulate, donor concentration, and foreign-interest lobby exposure. Evidence of capture — how members vote, when money arrives, and whether they trade in the sectors they regulate — carries more weight than the money itself.Read the full methodology →
The Influenced Index · A project of the-projects.org
Built by R.S. Taylor · Data: FEC, Congress.gov, Senate LDA, IRS 990, OGE 278e
All findings from public records · May 2026
Via Notes From the Front Anne P. Mitchell Esq. The Influenced Index was built to answer one question: when a member of Congress takes money, does it change how they vote? Here’s how we calculate each member’s score: we look at ten things – who gives them money, how much, whether they vote the way their donors want, whether contributions show up right before key votes, and whether the money comes from groups trying to hide who’s behind it. We weigh the evidence of influence more heavily than the money itself. A member who takes modest donations but always votes with their funders will score higher than one who raises millions but votes independently. Every score comes from public records – FEC (Federal Election Commission) filings, lobbying disclosures, and recorded votes. Just as TESS is able to trace all of Epstein’s financial and other transactions, TESS has now built an engine tracing the campaign donations to every Congressional representative, from whom the money came, and how strongly the votes of each member of Congress align with the desires of their donors.
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