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Wisconsin · Follow the money · Public records

Every campaign is paid for. Find out by whom.

Who Paid You? is a Wisconsin follow-the-money series from the Wisconsin Speaks channel. We show, in plain words, how to look up who funds local and state campaigns using public records, so you can ask the people who represent you one simple question: who paid you?

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    Public records onlyCampaign finance reports, meeting minutes and budgets. We report only what public records show.
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    Plain wordsNo jargon. We walk through the filings step by step so anyone can follow along.
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    Same question for everyoneNon-partisan. Every party, every office, from school board to the state Capitol.

Campaign finance reportsMeeting minutesBudgetsLocal racesState races

How to look it up yourself

You don't need a press pass. Campaign money in Wisconsin is reported in public filings. Here are the basic steps.

STEP 1Pick the race and the exact name

Write down the office, the year and the candidate or committee name exactly as it appears on the ballot or the filing.

STEP 2Search the state campaign finance records

The Wisconsin Ethics Commission runs a public campaign finance search. Look up the candidate or committee, open the filed reports and read the list of contributions: who gave, how much and when.

STEP 3For local races, ask the clerk

Many local candidates (city, village, county, school board) file their reports with the local clerk. Call or email the clerk's office and ask for the campaign finance reports for that race.

STEP 4Read the minutes and the budget

Meeting agendas, minutes and budgets are public. See what came up for a vote, how each member voted and where the money went.

STEP 5Keep your sources

Save each report and note the date and page. Stick to what the documents say, and leave out guesses.

STEP 6Ask, politely and on the record

Bring what you found to a public meeting, an email or a town hall and ask the question: who paid you?

A donation by itself is not proof of anything. We report only what public records show.

Get the episodes

New episodes come out on the Wisconsin Speaks channel. Leave your email and we'll send them to you.

Join the list
Suggest a race

Tell us a race, office or board you want looked at. We start with the public records.

Send a suggestion
Do it yourself

Use the steps above to look up any campaign in Wisconsin on your own.

See the steps

Questions

Is this partisan?

No. We ask the same question of every party and every office, and we use the same public records for all of them.

Where does the information come from?

Public records: campaign finance reports filed with the state or the local clerk, public meeting minutes and agendas, and government budgets. We report only what public records show.

Are you accusing anyone of something?

No. Giving to a campaign is legal and common. We show what the filings say and let you draw your own conclusions.

What can I suggest?

Any race, office or public board in Wisconsin, local or state. Tell us what you'd like looked at and why. We start with the public records.

Where do I watch?

Episodes are part of the Wisconsin Speaks channel. Join the list and we'll email you when new ones come out.

Does it cost anything?

No. The episodes and the list are free.