Here's where to get the real goods--all the underlying, raw data that the Sunlight Foundation has created based on fundraising invitations collected in Party Time. As we enter information on new invitations, the database is updated automatically.
There are several ways to get your Party Time data fix, including an API for developers and email alerts for reporters.
The database contains records of invitations for fundraisers and other events feting lawmakers and congressional candidates collected by the project from anonymous lobbyist sources, political websites and media reports and are displayed on our public website.
Invitations gathered date back to 2006; however, most begin with the 2008 calendar year when we began collecting invitations in earnest and launched this project (July 2008). The data are input by Sunlight interns and staffers. While we check for duplicate entries for particular events and errors, it is always worth checking the original source, the invitations for display on our website, for accuracy.
Because these events are not required to be reported in any official manner, we only know about the events we've received information about. We encourage the public to send us more information about events.
These documents are posted as a public service in the interest of creating more transparency about the relationships between lobbyists and lawmakers. Sunlight is not responsible for the content of the invitations themselves (including erroneous information) or for verifying whether the events advertised in the invitations actually occurred.
Return objects consist of two parts; a meta object describing the results returned, and a list of the returned objects. The meta object looks like the following:
{"meta": {"limit": 50, "next": "/api/v1/event/?limit=50&offset=50&format=json", "offset": 0, "previous": null, "total_count": 17246}
All API calls can be given a 'limit' and an 'offset' parameter, though the limit can not be greater than 50. The offset must be positive.
beneficiaries__crp_id
/event/?beneficiaries__crp_id=N00003675&format=json
start_date__gt
/event/?start_date__gt=2012-10-01&format=json
host__id
/event/?host_id=12&format=json
beneficiaries__state
/event/?beneficiaries__state=CT&format=json
/event/<event_id>/
Return details about a single event referenced by ID. No additional parameters are required.
/event/31/?format=json
/lawmaker/
Return details about legislators. With no additional parameters, will return all legislators.
crp_id
/lawmaker/?format=json&crp_id=N00003675
/lawmaker/<lawmaker_id>/
Return details about a single legislator referenced by internal ID. No additional parameters are required.
crp_id
/lawmaker/19/?format=json
/host/
Return details about all hosts.
/host/<host_id>/
Return details about a single host identified by internal ID.
host_id
/host/?host_id=12&format=json
Events
Each fundraiser or other party includes the following data, though some fields may be empty.
Beneficiaries
canceled
checks_payable_to_address
contributions_info
distribution_paid_for_by
end_date
end_time
entertainment
hosts
id
is_presidential
make_checks_payable_to
postponed
resource_uri
rsvp_info
start_date
start_time
venue
Legislators / Leadership PACs
Not all legislators are present; only those who we have a record of hosting or benefitting from a fundraiser. Leadership PACs are also entered in this table; if that's the case, the lawmaker's name is given in the 'affiliate' field
affiliate
crp_id
district
id
name
party
resource_uri
state
title
Hosts
These are people listed as hosts on the invitation. They can be either lawmakers or regular citizens.
crp_id
id
name
resource_uri
Venues
The locations where fundraisers are held
address1
address2
city
id
resource_uri
state
venue_name
zipcode
You can find the RSS feed for Party Time here: http://politicalpartytime.org/feeds/pol/N00009668/