Press & Journalist Toolkit

1. 1Identify the member and their committee assignments on CapitolExposed
2. 2Pull their trade history and filter by high conflict score (>50%)
3. 3Cross-reference trade dates with committee hearings and votes using our Correlations page
4. 4Check lobbying filings for the same companies using the Bills page
5. 5Look for pattern: trade → committee action → stock price movement
6. 6File FOIA for any non-public communications using templates above
7. 7Check spousal/family trades for the same tickers on our Family Trades page

1. 1Visit the Violations page to find members filing late disclosures
2. 2Sort by days late to find the most egregious violations
3. 3Cross-reference with the member's committee assignments
4. 4Check if the late-disclosed trades were in sectors their committee oversees
5. 5Calculate estimated profit/loss during the delay period
6. 6Compare the member's trading volume during the unreported period vs. normal
7. 7File FOIA for ethics committee correspondence about the violations

1. 1Start on the Bills page. Find bills with high lobbying counts
2. 2Click through to see which companies lobbied on each bill
3. 3Check if bill sponsors or committee members own stock in those companies
4. 4Use the Correlations page to find vote-trade timing overlaps
5. 5Track campaign donations from the lobbying entities to voting members
6. 6Document the full pipeline: lobby → donate → legislate → trade
7. 7Download data via our API for your own analysis

Request trading disclosure records, late filing notices, and enforcement actions for specific members.

Dear FOIA Officer,

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552), I am requesting access to the following records:

1. All financial transaction reports (periodic transaction reports, PTRs) filed by [MEMBER NAME] for the period [START DATE] through [END DATE].
2. Any notices of late filing or non-compliance issued to [MEMBER NAME] regarding STOCK Act reporting requirements.
3. Any correspondence between the Office of Congressional Ethics and [MEMBER NAME] regarding stock trading disclosures.

I am a [journalist/researcher] seeking these records for [news reporting/academic research] purposes. I request a fee waiver as this information is in the public interest.

Please provide responsive records in electronic format where available.

Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[ORGANIZATION]
[CONTACT INFO]

Request lobbying disclosure filings connected to specific bills a member voted on while holding related stocks.

Dear FOIA Officer,

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552), I am requesting:

1. All lobbying disclosure filings (LD-1 and LD-2 forms) that reference [BILL NUMBER] for the period [START DATE] through [END DATE].
2. Records of any lobbying contacts with [MEMBER NAME] or their staff regarding [BILL NUMBER / COMPANY / INDUSTRY].
3. Any ethics committee correspondence regarding potential conflicts of interest between [MEMBER NAME]'s stock holdings and their legislative activities.

This request supports investigative journalism in the public interest. I request a fee waiver per 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iii).

Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]

Request records connecting campaign donors to stocks traded by members of Congress.

Dear FOIA Officer,

Under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552), I request:

1. All contribution records to [MEMBER NAME / COMMITTEE NAME] from employees, PACs, or affiliates of [COMPANY NAME] for [ELECTION CYCLES].
2. Any FEC enforcement actions, complaints, or advisories related to [MEMBER NAME]'s campaign finance activities.
3. Communication records between the FEC and [MEMBER NAME]'s campaign regarding contributions from entities in [INDUSTRY/SECTOR].

This information will be used for news reporting in the public interest. Fee waiver requested.

Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]