I wrote an article for RADAR about 8 ways to use the Web to snoop on people. It's adapted from my upcoming book, Rule the Web: How To Do Anything and Everything on the Internet — Better, Faster, Easier.
6. How can I find out what political party someone has donated to?Federal law requires that people who contribute to political campaigns provide their personal information. The Federal Election Commission keeps this data, but its website isn't very easy to use. In fact, it's downright confusing.
That's where Fundrace comes in. Just select "Neighbor Search'" and type in an address or a name and you'll be presented with a list of the names and addresses of political contributors from the last presidential election, along with how much they contributed.
The searches aren't limited to your neighborhood, of course. I entered "Barbara Bush" in the search field and learned that she contributed $(removed),000 to the George W. Bush campaign. I clicked on Mrs. Bush's address (10000 Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77024), which brought up a list of everyone else in the same area that contributed. Lo and behold, a gentleman named Mr. George H. W. Bush at the same address also donated $(removed),000 to the George W. Bush campaign.
Beyond satisfying your curiosity about your neighbors' political affiliation, you can use Fundrace to organize a block party to raise funds for your party or favorite presidential candidate.
