About LobbyWatch Mississippi
Lobbying is a routine part of American politics, but the records documenting it are often difficult to locate, search, and understand. Transparency is the first step to accountability, and we hope that LobbyWatch: Mississippi will serve as a vital resource for everyday Mississippians seeking to understand the influences on our elected officials.
LobbyWatch: Mississippi is a public education and government-transparency project that organizes publicly available information about lobbying, political influence, and money in Mississippi politics. Our goal is to make public records more accessible to residents, journalists, students, researchers, organizers, and anyone who wants to better understand how political influence operates.
The information presented on this website comes from public sources, including records maintained by the Mississippi Secretary of State and federal lobbying disclosure systems. Lobby Watch organizes and categorizes this information for educational and research purposes.
We do not claim that a lobbying relationship, expenditure, contribution, or meeting proves that an elected official acted improperly. We also do not tell users what conclusions to draw. Instead, we provide tools that help the public identify relationships, recognize patterns, ask questions, and conduct further research.
Political decisions shape everything from public infrastructure and education to healthcare, economic development, incarceration, technology, and the environment.
The public deserves meaningful access to information about who is trying to influence those decisions.
A Project of Mississippi for a Just World
LobbyWatch: Mississippi is a project of Mississippi for a Just World, a statewide human rights and public education organization based in Jackson, Mississippi.
Mississippi for a Just World created Lobby Watch in 2024 and continues to sponsor, maintain, and develop the project. MSJW staff and research partners collect and organize public records, maintain the website and databases, produce educational resources, and develop research on lobbying, political influence, and government accountability.
Lobby Watch supports Mississippi for a Just World’s broader mission to equip everyday Mississippians with the information and tools they need to understand government, participate in public life, and hold institutions and elected officials accountable.
In addition to Lobby Watch, Mississippi for a Just World leads public education, civic engagement, research, advocacy, and storytelling programs that connect Mississippi communities to movements for human rights and justice.
Our Data
LobbyWatch: Mississippi compiles, cleans, organizes, and categorizes information from publicly available government records. We transform records that may be spread across filings, databases, PDFs, and reporting systems into searchable tools, maps, profiles, charts, and research reports.
Our data may include information about registered lobbyists, clients, organizations, industries, reported expenditures, elected officials, and filing periods. The availability of each category depends on what the original reporting system collects and makes public.
Lobby Watch does not replace the official record. Users conducting legal, journalistic, academic, or investigative research should review the original filings and consult our methodology before drawing conclusions.
You can search and view those sources yourself by visiting:
State Sources:
- Statement of Economic Interest (Mississippi Ethics Commission)
- Corporate Business Search (Mississippi Secretary of State)
- Lobbying Disclosure (Mississippi Secretary of State)
- Campaign Finance Reports (Mississippi Secretary of State)
Federal Sources:
- U.S. Senate Financial Disclosures
- U.S. Senate Lobbying Disclosures
- U.S. House Financial Disclosures
- U.S. House Lobbying Disclosures
- Campaign Finance Reports (U.S. Federal Election Commission)
Other Sources:
OUr History
LobbyWatch: Mississippi was created by Mississippi for a Just World in 2024 to address a simple problem: public information is not always truly accessible.
Lobbying records may technically be available while remaining difficult to search, compare, interpret, or connect to the public decisions that affect Mississippi communities. LobbyWatch: Mississippi was developed to bring those records together and present them in a clearer, more usable format for everyday Mississippians.
The project is part of Mississippi for a Just World’s broader work to strengthen public understanding, government accountability, civic participation, and political education throughout the state.