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Dear Concerned Citizen,

Welcome to Open Book, a database that compares state contracts with campaign contributions.

The Open Book database does just that, opens the books and allows users to essentially "follow the money." It provides a true portal of transparency for state government, where every dollar donated is recorded and can be traced back to any state contract awarded.

Our Open Book database combines information from the Comptroller's accounting system with the Illinois State Board of Elections semi-annual campaign finance disclosure reports, filed by political committees. Simply enter the name of an entity that conducts business with the State of Illinois, and compare that entity's state contract to any political contributions it has made.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any additional questions or requests for information about this database at openbook@mail.ioc.state.il.us. We are standing by, and look forward to providing whatever assistance you may need.

Sincerely,

Judy Baar Topinka
Illinois State Comptroller

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Disclaimer

The contracts are limited to the State's commercial vendors. As such, it does not include information related to State employees salary, income tax refunds, public aid assistance, lottery or, retirement.

The information from the State Board of Elections is updated twice yearly. Therefore, it may not include the most current information on file with the Board. The veracity of this information resides with the State Board and the individuals who file the prescribed forms and reports.

The information from the Office of the Comptroller is updated nightly. This information is supplied to our Office by State agencies that contract with the organizations. Although we do attempt to verify the information, the responsibility for its accuracy mainly resides with the State agency that files the contract with our Office. They obtain the information from the vendor.

The information that is drawn from the Comptroller's system is limited to contacts that have been entered into the Comptroller's System. Certain contracts that agencies file are not entered and, therefore, will not be presented. Also, all vendors doing business with the State do not have a contract. Only, vendors that do business in excess of $10,000 must file a contract.

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Contract Holder or Contributor Name: Next time, please hide welcome letter. It can be found by clicking on the "Welcome Letter" link at the bottom of any page.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions on how to improve the site? Email us at OpenBook@mail.ioc.state.il.us

Copyright 2007 Illinois Comptrollers Office. All Rights Reserved