Become a political ad sleuth in Wisconsin

One of the things I’ve long wondered about all those shady third-party political action groups that have sprung up in the wake of Citizens United is where exactly they get their funding from. It’s no secret billionaires like the Koch brothers and Sheldon Adelson have spent millions of dollars to help further the conservative cause nationally (not to mention here in Wisconsin), but who else wants to buy our votes?

If you’re as curious as I am about where all that money is coming from for those outside groups, the folks at the Free Press, the Sunlight Foundation and the New America Foundation want you to become a political ad sleuth here in Wisconsin.

The recall election has made Wisconsin a lightning rod for ad spending. Ads from Super PACs and third-party groups are dominating local airwaves — and many of these groups don’t have to disclose the sources of their funding or register with the Federal Election Commission. But there’s one place where they have left a paper trail: the TV stations that air these ads.

Free Press, the Sunlight Foundation and the New America Foundation are teaming up to find out what’s hiding in these files. But we need your help.

Sign up to become a political ad sleuth and we will send you all the information you need to inspect the files at your local station.

TV broadcasters are legally required to disclose information about these ads to the public. But the details are hidden away in filing cabinets at TV stations nationwide. We’re inviting you to join our team of muckraking political ad sleuths who will dig into these files to get some answers.

Sign up today to become a political ad sleuth here in Wisconsin!