Poke into the obscure corners of the Federal Communications Commission's website, and you can find one of the deepest disclosures in campaign finance.
An FCC database, which the government just approved last April and began making public in August, posts documents that reveal which politicians and advocacy groups buy TV ads on major-market network affiliates, and how much they pay for those ads.
This database isn't the most user-friendly thing you'll ever find — not by a long shot. But it has its fans, including some nefarious data-miners who have used it to rip-off tens of thousands of dollars from political consultants.
via npr.org
