Campaign Finance - Research and Filings
Campaign Finance Filings & Data
About The Database
The campaign finance database is the San Francisco Ethics Commission's repository for records relating to campaign finance, lobbyist and campaign consultant filings. It can answer questions about who is contributing money, who is receiving money, and how it is being spent. Use the campaign finance database to research campaign contributions and expenditures, or review campaign, lobbyist, and campaign consultant statements and filing history.
The database provides live access to the Ethics Commission's records. Filings are accessible onced processed/posted by the Ethics Commission. Transactions can be extracted or searched for e-filed campaign finance Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) forms 460, 461, 465, 496 and 497. All transactions are posted live to the system as they are e-filed and are accessible immediately within the "Advanced Search" or an export of a committee's transactions, with the exception of annual transaction exports which represent an export of all transactions in the database as of the previous calendar day.
How To Use The Database
For assistance, please look at the frequently asked questions page, database key, description of state and local forms, or contact the Ethics Commission.
Payments Made at the Behest of an Elected Officer
In accordance with the California Government Code section 82015, payments made at the behest of elected officials are presumed not to be contributions if they meet the following guidelines:
- the payments are made principally for legislative, governmental, or charitable purposes, and
- the payments are made principally for purposes unrelated to the official's candidacy for elected office.
Although such payments are not contributions, they MUST BE REPORTED on the Report of Payments Made at the Behest of an Elected Officer form to the elected officer's agency within 30 days after the total payments made by a single source equal to or exceed $5,000 in a calendar year. The agency must forward a copy of the report to the Ethics Commission within 30 days of its receipt.
After the $5,000 threshold is met for a particular calendar year, all subsequent payments made by the same source during the calendar year must be reported by the elected officer within 30 days after the date the payment is made.
These reports are public records.
Audit Program
The Ethics Commission conducts audits of candidates who receive public funding. The Ethics Commission also audits other committees that are selected through a random selection process or that have filing irregularities.
Audit Reports
Public Finance Program
Summary of Third Party Disclosure Filings
Public Funds Disbursed
Questionnaires
- Questionnaire for Candidates, Treasurers and other Persons involved in the November 4, 2008 Election
Reports on the Public Financing Program
- Report on the 2010 Limited Public Financing Program
- Report on the 2008 Limited Public Financing Program and A Feasibility and Costs Study of a Full Public Financing Program
- Report on the 2007 Mayoral Public Financing Program and A Feasibility and Costs Study of a Full Public Financing Program
- Report on the 2006 Limited Public Financing Program
- Report on the 2004 Limited Public Financing Program
- Report on the 2002 Limited Public Financing Program
Voluntary Expenditure Ceiling and Individual Expenditure Ceilings
- November 8, 2011 Election
- November 2, 2010 Election
- November 3, 2009 Election
- November 4, 2008 Election
Non-Responsive Campaign Finance Disclosure Filers
Non-responsive filers are those that have not responded to two or more written notices and one or more verbal notices regarding past-due reporting. The Ethics Commission maintains a list of non-responsive filers.
Other Resources
Note: The Ethics Commission is not responsible for the accuracy of the information on external sites.
- California Secretary of State's Cal-Access Campaign Finance Search Engine (Advanced Search)
- Goldman School of Public Policy's Study on Public Financing
