About OpenLobby
OpenLobby is an independent data journalism project that makes federal lobbying data accessible, searchable, and understandable.
The Problem
The Lobbying Disclosure Act requires lobbyists to file quarterly reports with the Senate. These filings are public record — but they're buried in a government database with a terrible interface. Most people have no idea who's lobbying their representatives, how much they're spending, or what they want.
What We Do
We download every lobbying filing from the Senate LDA database, process it, and present it in a way that's actually useful. You can search by client, firm, lobbyist, issue, or keyword. You can track spending trends over time. And you can read our investigations into the most interesting patterns we find.
The Data
- 650,000+ lobbying filings (2018–2025)
- 5,000+ top clients tracked
- 5,000+ individual lobbyists profiled
- 2,000+ lobbying firms analyzed
- $15.2 billion total lobbying income tracked
- $2.0 billion spent on lobbying in 2024 alone
Part of TheDataProject
OpenLobby is part of TheDataProject.ai, a portfolio of data journalism sites that make public government data accessible. Our sister sites include:
- OpenMedicaid — $1.09T in Medicaid spending
- OpenMedicare — $854B in Medicare payments + AI fraud detection
- OpenFeds — Federal workforce data + DOGE impact
- OpenSpending — Federal budget and contractor data
Data Sources: Senate LDA Filings (lda.senate.gov) · Lobbying Disclosure Act Reports
Last updated: February 2026
This site is an independent journalism project. Analysis and editorial content are not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.