Data sources
Public data sources, the records they provide and their update schedules.
Last updated
Every record on the map comes from a public source, and every connection keeps a link to where it came from. The official systems remain the records to check; the map helps you find and read them. The site's Sources page lists them with links.
These are California state sources. Federal, city and county data systems are outside Dark Money Map's product scope.
Sources at a glance
The map draws on these sources:
| Source | Publisher | What the map takes | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAL-ACCESS campaign filings | California Secretary of State | Committees, candidates, measures, reported receipts, itemized givers, late contributions, independent spending | Receipts for the current calendar year; late reports and independent spending of $5,000 or more |
| CAL-ACCESS lobbying filings | California Secretary of State | Lobbying firms, lobbyists, registrations, payments | From October 1, 2023 |
| California Legislative Information | California Legislature | Bills, their status and authors, and positions listed in bill analyses | The current session's bills in the snapshot |
| Voter Information Guide and eligible initiatives | California Secretary of State | Official titles, summaries and fiscal impact of ballot measures | The November 3, 2026, General Election |
CAL-ACCESS campaign filings
CAL-ACCESS is the Secretary of State's system for campaign finance and lobbying disclosure. The map reads its public data extracts, which the Secretary of State updates daily and describes as changing often.
| Form | What it is | What the map uses it for |
|---|---|---|
| Form 460 | A committee's campaign statement, covering a statement period | Reported receipts from the Summary Page, and itemized contributions |
| Form 496 | An independent expenditure report, filed close to an election | Independent spending for or against a candidate or measure |
| Form 497 | A late contribution report, filed close to an election | Late contributions made and received |
Links: CAL-ACCESS raw data, CAL-ACCESS search, Power Search.
CAL-ACCESS lobbying filings
Lobbying firms and organizations that employ lobbyists register with the Secretary of State and file quarterly reports. The map takes registrations (which firm represents which organization, and which lobbyists are with which firm) and payments for lobbying services. For payments it prefers the firm's own report and uses the organization's report where the firm's is missing.
California Legislative Information
California Legislative Information is the Legislature's official publication of bills, their text, status, history, votes and analyses. The map takes each bill's subject, author, status and latest action, and the organizations listed as supporting or opposing it in its committee and floor analyses.
Voter guide
For ballot measures that can be matched, the map uses text copied from the Secretary of State's Official Voter Information Guide and list of eligible statewide initiatives: title, summary, fiscal impact and what a yes and a no vote mean. Supporter, opponent and argument text is left out. The date the text was copied is kept with it.
How current the data is
The site serves a saved snapshot, not a live feed. The current snapshot is dated October 15, 2026. Filings made or amended after that date aren't included until the next release. See Current data release.
Campaign receipts run only through the end of each committee's latest statement period, which can be weeks or months before the snapshot date. Each receipts figure keeps that end date.