Sunlight Foundation Launches Foreign Agent Registration Act Database

The Sunlight Foundation has launched a beta version of FARAdb, a database that allows users to find details about the efforts of foreign agents to influence U.S. public policy. FARAdb is easier to use and provides information in a more usable format than the database maintained by the Department of Justice.

The beta version of FARAdb contains records filed in 2006 and 2007 by lobbyists for entities from 15 foreign countries. Users can search by lobbying firm, client or member of Congress's office contacted. One other search option allows users to search various issues, which is a free text search. The current search function does not allow multiple search options at the same time. It allows some amount of calculations of aggregate numbers and also lets users download parts of the dataset. [JH]