The public speaks out about LegiStorm

Posted by LegiStorm on Thursday, April 10, 2008

The public has spoken - and they appear to like what we are doing.

For several weeks we have been a bit beaten up. Congressional aides spoke of our site in sometimes vitriolic and, frankly, paranoid terms about how we invaded their privacy by publishing financial disclosures.

One staffer accused us of aiding the break-in of a home; others talked darkly about potential kidnappings and Russian gangsters. Many suggested lawsuits against us, at times for disclosing information that was already disclosed in the white pages delivered to homes and in Internet-searchable phone books. To be sure, there were some legitimate privacy issues raised but we have always believed the public right to know has trumped any privacy concerns that we have not already addressed.

When the story was a "local" one, confined to the congressional campus, we sensed the outrage about our publication of personal financial disclosures building to a level of hysteria - where the most absurd claims would be adopted as fact by an angry group of staffers. But the mood began to change dramatically yesterday when the Washington Post published a piece about how staffers were livid. NPR's All Things Considered ran an interview with LegiStorm founder Jock Friedly and American Public Media's Marketplace (also heard on many public radio stations nationwide) ran their own story. Salon and other publications joined in.

An encouraging thing happened: The broader public began to flood us with their private emails of encouragement. Dozens of others wrote complementary comments on our new blog. The Washington Times editorialized in favor of us.

We appreciate the support and we can assure you that we will continue to fight for all reasonable public disclosure measures while taking measures to protect staffer privacy where that does not damage the public's right to konw.

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28 comments so far

Posted by Charles on 04/23/2008 11:44 PM EDT
The old adage, "Follow the money" may now hold some relevancy and we owe this gratitude to you web site.
Posted by HillStaffer on 04/23/2008 10:48 PM EDT
I am a young person working on the Hill in order to help the people of my home state and serve the public. Several of the posters are missing the point. "Senior" staffers (those making over $100k a year) don't have an argument about their personal financial disclosures being made public. As long as it's JUST THE FINANCIAL info, then it's fine! Posting someone's HOME ADDRESS is ridiculous and could lead to threats, crimes, etc. It certainly won't help. Post the financial records if that's your fancy, but please try and give some protection to those who diligently serve others.
Posted by fendertweed on 04/23/2008 02:50 PM EDT
...what I know, wimbergramo, is that I deal often with congressional staffers who are ignorant, rude, arrogant, and even threaten people's jobs (as if they could actually do anything about it)... so I see no problem with public information on these high minded public servants being available to ... the public. My salary and my awards are matters of public records, nothing wrong with congressional staffers being subject to the same transparency. It might even teach some of them some manners and professionalism.
Posted by Michael on 04/18/2008 11:06 AM EDT
Just to curb any infintile statements due to lack of ability to refute my post. Wed wetters is intentional. It means that you are married to whining and complaining.
Posted by Michael on 04/18/2008 11:04 AM EDT
To those that have posted remarks against what legistorm is doing (Wimbergamo, James). Stop being a bunch of whiney wed wetters. The information posted is PUBLIC( see dictionary) you infintile idiots. If you are even remotely aware of what that means and the very law that supports this information being made public, then you would kow that you complaints have no basis not do you have any place taking the moral highroad. We the People (that includes you) have the right to know what our government does. You can disagree with this, as is your right and I do serve this Country and defend your right to your opinion. Keep in mind that it does not mean that I have to defend you from the consequences of your actions or statements. Do or say something stupid, be prepared to be called on it. Let me ask you two a question.. Do you both want the government to hand feed you? Obviously you do not want to have the freedom to persue your own future. The constitution is there to protect your right to persue what you want as long as it does not trample on, or abridge others rights. If you are not happy with what you do, then get a better job. If you do not have the skills to get that other job. Go to school. you have those rights. If you don't want these rights and want the government to control your life, please go to china. They will welcome you there.
Posted by Jerry on 04/18/2008 10:14 AM EDT
Great work. The more light that is shown on the people that are part of the government bureaucracy the better. I have spent over thirty years working for the Federal Government and can say that most of the people that I have worked with within the government a honest, trustworthy, and loyal but there are a few, as with every business both public and private, that are not. Those few are the ones that twist the system to their own ends, both for financial or political gain. I agree that all political and financial information concerning public servants should be released but I do not believe the home addresses of the staffers should be released. Everything else is fair game. After all, most of the legislation that makes its way into law is first suggested, researched, and written by staffers.
Posted by wimbergamo on 04/17/2008 12:23 PM EDT
You have no idea why you are even doing this. You found out you could do something, and like a small child, that was enough reason to do it. I doubt you have the slightest idea of the role played by Congressional staff and no appreciation of the hours they put in with virtually none of the same civil service protections other gov't workers enjoy. Staff are motivated to serve their country, and they do so at great personal risk and sacrifice. You, on the other hand, a simple minded scandal monger who wants to undermine public service. Nice work, jackass.
Posted by James on 04/14/2008 02:12 PM EDT
Having the right to do something, and doing it are two different things. Posting information in the manner and tone you do will drive away people like me from doing the work at the pay level you demand of us. (For the record I am not a staffer, nor have I been, but work in the field and would like to contribute to my country at some point.) If consumer groups demanded to know what investments you the secretary or line worker have in order to determine if the product you produce is good or bad, you'd be opposed to it. Don't I have the right to know that you invest in an oil company if you work for a firm that creates alternatives to fossil fuels? Isn't that a conflict of interest? Or if your husband works for Greenpeace shouldn't that make us wonder if you aren't in a conflict of interest if you work for Exxon? Especially if a site posted it like this for anyone to see. As a consumer/investor etc. don't you think then I have the right to YOUR personal info for any job you work on because I might find some reason to question your product or ethics. I pay your salary when I invest in your company or buy your products. Therefore I ahve the right to know about you. Ask yourself if you'd want to endure this and if not, ask yourself what kind of person would and is that the only kind of person you want doing the hard work of government? On a final note, have the people behind THIS site posted their data for all of us so we can determine if they have a conflict of interest or hidden agenda in what they do? Their is a presumption of guilt on their part regarding staffers, I think it fair to hold them to the standard to which they hold others.
Posted by dras on 04/12/2008 01:56 PM EDT
I love any site that will keep our elected politicians on their toes. As for the heat being stirred up over privacy issues of staff members all I can say that if we pay your wages then we have the right to know where our money is going. Homes addresses could be a problem but you must know that no job comes with out some downfalls.
Posted by Dennis on 04/11/2008 11:44 PM EDT
If it is public information, than make it public. Thanks
Posted by Mia18 on 04/11/2008 04:56 PM EDT
I love what you are doing and am very appreciative of your work. For those of you working at taxpayer expense: if you are unhappy with the us common folk now knowing what you are up to you are welcome to work in the private sector like the rest of us. Congress and most of the federal behemoth feeds off the fat of the land and gives us nothing of value in return. We need at least 50% fewer of you and 50% fewer regulations.
Posted by JB on 04/11/2008 10:46 AM EDT
It is disappointing, but unsurprising, to see the small-minded & ill-informed generalizations posted here by those who've likely never met a staffer, nor nailed their own financial history to their front door. A sad fact of democracy is that these people who paint all government employees as thieves are the very folks those government employees, overwhelmingly, work hard each day to protect and serve. I respect and defend your right to speak out, but cannot defend your blind need to tear down those you irrationally target and blame for your own perceived problems and misfortunes.
Posted by forty9er on 04/11/2008 09:20 AM EDT
Apparently you have hit the proverbial nail on the head, otherwise there wouldn't be a whisper from the big house!! Most likely they wouldn't have hollered if you had made a site to hide what the thieves make annually and whatever else they can steal from the taxpayers of this country. Yes they are taxpayers too, but they are reaping the benefits of taxpayer money and leaving the crumbs to the rest of the hard working folks out there. Bravo for a job well done and lets get after the State thieves as well if possible.
Posted by Freedem on 04/11/2008 08:37 AM EDT
It is long past time for a public discussion to be held about what is and is not legitimately private. For those things that are legitimately private, there is no group better than Congress to make that true for EVERYONE. Public Information needs to be totally available. There should not even be a need for such as yourselves to exist, that there is means that there is too much privacy for those with conflicts of interest, and way to much privilege for public information, that most people cannot access. Keep up the great work and hopefully the time will come when you are completely redundant.
Posted by JB on 04/11/2008 08:34 AM EDT
PLEASE POST MY COMMENT - I'm continually astonished at the assumption that those of use living and working here in Washington, DC are part of some elite shadowy conspiracy to undermine the American people. We all put our socks on the same way, get our kids off to school the same in the mornings, pay the same taxes, and struggle with the same concerns as every other hard working American. So it is one thing to publish a government employee's salary, but quite another to lay out a person's financial information for any unscrupulous person or nefarious group here or abroad to exploit. The net effect in the digital age is that capable, decent people may not want to work for the government for fear of being targeted by those who would use financial data to cause them harm. Most of the people whose critical personal information has been laid bare here are not remotely in any position to abuse the minor roles they play in their choked old cubicles downtown. It's pretty easy given what's on the news to make everyone in the Washington area out to be the enemy - working moms, grandmothers, dads with beat-up station wagons and polyester ties. That is who you're talking about (whether you want to hear it or not). Legistorm is irresponsible and reckless. The pendulum has officially swung too far.
Posted by MaidMarion on 04/11/2008 01:29 AM EDT
This site is wonderful. Cut through the matrix has offered sage advice. Know that we are really gaining on the global psycopaths who have done such horrific crimes agains humanity. Good has always trumped evil, and it will triumph once again..........thanks to people like you!
Posted by Cut Through The Matrix on 04/10/2008 07:21 PM EDT
To keep this great idea alive, make sure: 1 you won't get fed false information over which you may be sued. 2 get infiltrated. 3 get infiltrated and misled. Learn about personality types, and study the psychopath type especially, for they rule and mislead many, many, near all organisations, of all sizes. 4 Have plenty of backup and fall back servers and sites in mulitple countries. Wel I think you'll rearn quick, now wait for those misleaders to understand who really makes the bread. Thank you for standing up for the emphatic human facing a grim future of open global tyrany by the psychopaths. Have Courage, stand up for life, Cut through the matrix!
Posted by Camille on 04/10/2008 06:04 PM EDT
I like it and you remind me of a consumer credit agency for congress. Sunshine! Thank you very much for your service.
Posted by RLove on 04/10/2008 04:52 PM EDT
I don’t see anything wrong with what you are doing and the type of information you’ve provided to the public. Can the congressional staffer prove that their home got burglarized because of the disclosures? Probably not! If only there was a way to get a hold of the burglar and interview him to find out how he got the address. Perhaps they got the address from a local residence listing in the phone book? How about MySpace or Facebook? There are so many sites out there that anyone can access to gain such information on particular individuals. One just needs to be clever enough to know exactly where to look for them. So to the staffers, go into your office corners, get into a fetal position, and cry “Mommy”, because all I’m hear from them is “Waaaah, waaaah, waaaah!”
Posted by Patrick on 04/10/2008 01:28 PM EDT
A wonderful breath of fresh air which helps to make government more transparent. Thank you for your continued effort.
Posted by Leslie Graves on 04/10/2008 12:35 PM EDT
Thank you so much. Great project and a very important service. Thanks for persevering.
Posted by anonymous on 04/10/2008 12:10 PM EDT
Great service. Many other government (NSA, CIA, FBI, White House, etc) groups are required to file disclosure forms. Do you also report them? What are they up to? But I do think publishing their home addresses may endanger their safety.
Posted by Larry Miller on 04/10/2008 11:45 AM EDT
I believe your posting said it best: "To be sure, there were some legitimate privacy issues raised but we have always believed the public right to know has trumped any privacy concerns..." I don't know about "any" privacy concerns -- but the right to know certainly trumps most privacy issues. Thanks for what you do.
Posted by continue on 04/10/2008 11:29 AM EDT
Thanks for doing this country a great service.
Posted by anonymous on 04/10/2008 07:58 AM EDT
Thanks for this important service, if Congressional staffers do not like what you are doing that confirms that you are doing a good job. If they don't like your exposure of their information, maybe they should be more careful of how they complete the forms that they helped created via legislative action.
Posted by Ken on 04/10/2008 07:49 AM EDT
Your service is more helpful than most of us can imagine I suspect. There is nothing that I know of that makes a politician more accountable, in spite of their nature, than good old fashion healthy transparency.
Posted by hobo on 04/10/2008 07:35 AM EDT
Great Site! It is nice to know how some of our tax dollars are spent.
Posted by Marta on 04/10/2008 06:03 AM EDT
I think you are doing a GREAT service to the public by disclosing the finances of people in Congress, since those salaries are paid with taxpayer money, and they supposedly work for our benefit. The one part that bothers me is that you are disclosing their home address. This could pose a danger to their personal safety.

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