Research for Political Organizations

Political organizations have diverse needs, and effective political organizations engage in research throughout the year, not just at election time. With so many issues to follow and individuals to inspect, the only way to get everything done is to manage the tasks out over a twelve-month period.

By retaining Gallagher Hollenbeck’s services as lead research consultant, your committee is provided a unique opportunity to access and examine data at any level of government. From assembling dossiers to developing proprietary databases, Gallagher Hollenbeck will provide your political committees the information you need for victory.

Vetting Nominees up for Confirmation – From judges to cabinet members, political organizations need to ensure that respectable individuals are nominated for positions of trust. Whether your goal is to recommend individuals or vet the opposition’s recommendations, research is of the utmost importance. The same methods Gallagher Hollenbeck utilizes to scrutinize candidates are easily adaptable to examining prospective appointees.

Dossiers on Legislators, Major Players – A proactive party maintains files on individuals of interest who are connected to the opposition. Gallagher Hollenbeck offers its clients a chance to build dossiers on potential challengers and major players. Our analysts will examine the interconnections that often present opportunities for corruption and scandal. Freed from the time constraints of a political campaign, our researchers will work up thorough reports on the major donors, lobbyists, policy advocates, potential challengers and other entities connected to the opposition.

Being able to stop an opponent’s candidate in his or her tracks with solid data has won more than its share of elections for our clients.

Corruption Investigations – Gallagher Hollenbeck’s researchers earned their stripes in New Jersey and New York – two of the most corrupt states in the nation. We are experts at rooting out corruption. Under a retainer agreement, we will utilize all the tools in our arsenal to hunt down questionable activity in the opposition party. Few party reputations remain unscathed after securitization by Gallagher Hollenbeck professionals. If it is there we will find it.

Member Item Investigation – Given the extended nature of research for political parties, our operatives are able to thoroughly trace member item appropriations and determine if any improprieties exist. You would be surprised to learn how often the recipient organization employs the sponsoring legislator or councilman.

Legislative Database – Often state legislative databases are impossible to navigate, on the rare chance that they are user-friendly, they tend to offer scant information for campaigns or committees. Gallagher Hollenbeck’s legislative experts maintain extensive legislative databases under our GILES Legislative Research System, a legislative database designed with opposition research needs in mind. As a service to state parties or other organizations, Gallagher Hollenbeck constantly updates our database while offering access to our system. You will find our system gives you a clear advantage in quickly working up legislative reports.

Full Donor Scrubs – Following the source of donations can provides Gallagher Hollenbeck clients with potent data that wins contests. Our unique Oppo-Scanner technology reveals exactly who is funding your opponents. We thoroughly vet every donor to the opposition party and draft dossiers on all of their major money sources. With this information, you gain a strategic advantage to identify any intra-party donations that appear questionable.

Compile master vendors list – Using our “FOIA blaster” Gallagher Hollenbeck researchers can send Freedom of Information Act Requests to numerous targets simultaneously. Among other uses, this tool allows us to create a master vendor list – a database listing all the contracts awarded and subcontracted out by governments and authorities to donors or lawmakers.

Media Monitoring – Gallagher Hollenbeck’s unique technology features an “online media trap” system. We are able to send online “spiders” to trawl news sources, including weeklies, which are not part of major online reports. These “traps” monitor web pages searching for the latest reports concerning subjects for investigation, save these clips, and republish them to our online internal client system, saving out clients the time, frustration and expense involved with employing interns to complete comparative tasks – especially in high-pressure situations that often lead to mistakes and substandard work.

Issue Verification/Sourcing/Fact Finding – Communication from the committee often needs that one perfect fact or statistic. From privatization statistics to the running state deficit, we can provide whatever fact or figure your communication staffers need. Let Gallagher Hollenbeck do the searching while you concentrate on winning your campaigns.

Vetting Staff or Coalition Members – To avoid potentially embarrassing situations, Gallagher Hollenbeck staffers are able to discreetly investigate the backgrounds of any staffers, members of potential coalitions, support groups or other individuals with whom a committee would be publicly associated. Save embarrassment; save time explaining a subordinate’s actions or a group’s past history.