There is a lot of background that could be given on the data available from the California Secretary of State in the Cal-Access database. There is a searchable front-end at the SoS web site, but that can miss data which is added to the system in a bad way.

Other groups have done “hackathons” on this data. One does find interesting things. If one does a simple import into mysql, one loses a lot of data but there are still millions of rows of data there. If you are doing hand-wavy analyses or summaries, that may be good, but I am trying to do something else.

From a 20,000 feet high view of the situation, the problem is that the SoS is required to store and display campaign finance data entered by various entities. And the FPPC (the Fair Political Practices Commission) is mandated to prosecute violations of campaign finance law. But there is nobody who is mandated to ensure that the data is “correct” and makes sense. The SoS could dis-allow filings with bad information but it does not, and if a problem is not actually prosecutable, there is no reason for the filer to fix it. And the SoS is required to display what the filer filed, so they cannot fix the data.

But we can. I can download the data and fix things, as long as I do not say that I am the California Secretary of State. So, for example, if a candidate says his campaign office is in “Los Angeles, XA”, the SoS needs to leave that data in there, whereas I can change it to “Los Angeles, CA”.

One of the most non-standard things in the database are names. Names can be entered in any form. A candidate can put his name in a “Bob Smith”, “Robert Smith”, “RL Smith”, “Bobby Smith”, or “BB Smith” all on the same form or on different forms. There do not actually seem to be any rules about how names should be entered into the system.

I have smoothed out the names, somewhat, but you can see in the list below, there are still lots of things that disconnect names. And there are 1,939,499 names in the system as of June 15, 2020. These are names in different contexts. They may be candidates, office holders, recipients (ie a campaign pays a caterer for food, the caterer is a recipient), a payer, a treasurer, or one of many other things.

So, the question is, how can these names be disambiguated so that we can link together all of the activity for an actual person? Example names are below. Any ideas or suggestions?

cheers - ray

Note that many of these entries are not entered by the entity or person named. And I am sure this contributes to the problem.

Here is, perhaps, one company:

vanir
vanir construction
vanir construction management
vanir construction management inc
vanir construction management inc and vanir group of companies inc
vanir construction management inc; vanir development company
vanir construction management inc; vanir development company inc
vanir construction management inc; vanir development company inc; dorene dominguez
vanir construction management inc; vanir development company inc; dorene dominguez; dominguez plaza llc
vanir construction management inc; vanir development company inc; vanir group of companies; dorene dominguez
vanir construction management inc; vanir development company; foothill village oaks inc
vanir construction management llc
vanir construction managment inc
vanir construction mgmt inc
vanir construction mgt inc
vanir consturction management inc
vanir contruction management inc
vanir development co inc
vanir development company
vanir development company inc
vanir energy llc
vanir foundation
vanir group
vanir group of companies
vanir group of companies inc
vanir tower company

Here is a politically active couple. There seems to be confusion about whether the names are “Stuart” or “Stewart” or “Lynda” or “Linda”:

linda bresnick
linda resnick ms
lynda r resnick
lynda rae resnick
lynda resnick
lynda resnick ms
resnick family foundation inc
resnick for peralta community college board of trustees area 6 2016
resnick lynda rae
resnick stewart
resnick stewart a & lynda rae; and paramount farming company llc
resnick stewart a and affiliated entities
roll international corporation stewart and lynda resnick paramount farming company paramount citrus association paramount
steward & linda resnick
steward a resnick
stewart a resnick
stewart a resnick & affiliated entities
stewart a resnick & affiliated entities (paramount farming company)
stewart a resnick & paramount farming company llc
stewart a resnick and affiliated entities
stewart a resnick and paramount farming company llc
stewart a resnick del rey juice company llc paramount citrus association and paramount farming company llc
stewart a resnick del rey juice company llc paramount citrus association paramount farming company llc paramount farms inc and roll international corporation
stewart a resnick lynda rae resnick paramount farming company llc and paramount citrus association
stewart a resnick paramount citrus association & paramount farming company llc
stewart a resnick paramount citrus association and paramount farming company llc
stewart a resnick paramount citrus association paramount farming company llc
stewart a resnick paramount farming company llc and del rey juice company llc
stewart a resnick paramount farming company llc and franklin mint company
stewart a resnick roll international corporation paramount farming company llc and teleflora llc
stewart a resnick roll international corporation paramount farming company llc teleflora llc and paramount citrus association
stewart resnick
stewart resnick f
stewart resnick/paramount farming company llc/del rey juice company llc/roll international corporation
stuart a resnick
stuart resnick

Are all of these getting linked together in the SoS web site anywhere? I cannot see how they could be.

california strategies & advocacy llc on behalf of its client los angeles turf club incorporated and its affiliated entity pacific racing assocation
california strategies & advocacy llc on behalf of los angeles turf club & its affiliated entity pacific racing association
california strategies & advocacy llc on behalf of los angeles turf club inc et al
carter wetch & associates on behalf of los angeles turf club & its affiliated entity pacific racing association
los angeles turf club
los angeles turf club - santa anita
los angeles turf club - santa anita park
los angeles turf club (bay meadows operating co)
los angeles turf club & affiliated entities bay meadows llc & pacific racing assoc
los angeles turf club & affiliated entities bay meadows operating company & pacific racing assoc
los angeles turf club & affiliated entity pacific racing association
los angeles turf club & affiliates - bay meadows llc pacific racing assoc
los angeles turf club & its affiliate pacific racing association
los angeles turf club & its affiliated entities
los angeles turf club & its affiliated entity pacifc racing association
los angeles turf club & its affiliated entity pacific racing association
los angeles turf club & its affiliates bay meadows llc & pacific racing assoc
los angeles turf club and affiliated entity pacific racing assn
los angeles turf club and aggregated contributions
los angeles turf club and its affiliate pacific racing association
los angeles turf club and its affiliated entity pacific racing association
los angeles turf club at santa anita
los angeles turf club etal
los angeles turf club inc
los angeles turf club inc - santa anita park
los angeles turf club inc (magna entertainment corp and its affiliated entities)
los angeles turf club inc & affiliated entities
los angeles turf club inc & affiliated entities bay meadows operating co llc & pacific racing association
los angeles turf club inc & affiliated entity pacific racing assn
los angeles turf club inc & its aff pacific racing assoc
los angeles turf club inc & its affilated entity pacific racing association
los angeles turf club inc & its affiliated entities
los angeles turf club inc & its affiliated entities bay mdws op collc & pacific racing assoc
los angeles turf club inc & its affiliated entities bay meadows operating co llc
los angeles turf club inc & its affiliated entities bay meadows operating company llc & pacific racing association
los angeles turf club inc & its affiliated entitiesbay meadows op co llc & pacific racing asn
los angeles turf club inc & its affiliated entity pacific racing assn
los angeles turf club inc & its affiliated entity pacific racing association
los angeles turf club inc affiliated entity pacific racing assoc
los angeles turf club inc affiliated pacific racing assn
los angeles turf club inc an affiliated entity of magna entertainment inc
los angeles turf club inc and affiliated entities
los angeles turf club inc and its
los angeles turf club inc and its affiliated entities
los angeles turf club inc and its affiliated entities bay meadows operating co llc and pacific racing association
los angeles turf club inc and its affiliated entities bay meadows operating company llc and pacific racing association
los angeles turf club inc and its affiliated entities bay meadows operating company lll and pacific racing assoc
los angeles turf club inc and its affiliated entity pacific racing assn
los angeles turf club inc and its affiliated entity pacific racing assoc
los angeles turf club inc and its affiliated entity pacific racing association
los angeles turf club inc and its affiliated entity pacific racing association/santa anita park
los angeles turf club inc and its affilitated entities
los angeles turf club inc et al
los angeles turf club inc santa anita park
los angeles turf club inc/ bay meadows operating co llc/pacific racing assoc
los angeles turf club inc/santa anita
los angeles turf club inc/santa anita park
los angeles turf club incorporated
los angeles turf club incorporated & its affiliated entities bay meadows operating company lll and pacific racing assn
los angeles turf club incorporated and its affil entities
los angeles turf club incorporated and its affil entities pacific racing assoc
los angeles turf club incorporated and its affiliated
los angeles turf club incorporated and its affiliated entites bay meadows operating company llc and pacific racing assoc
los angeles turf club incorporated and its affiliated entites bay meadows operating company llc and pacific racing associa
los angeles turf club incorporated and its affiliated entities bay meadows operating company llc and pacific racing associa
los angeles turf club incorporated and its affiliated entities bay meadows operating company llc and pacific racing association
los angeles turf club incorporated and its affiliated entities bay meadows operating company lll and pacific racing assoc
los angeles turf club incorporated and its affiliated entity golden gate fields pacific racing association
los angeles turf club incorporated and its affiliated entity pacific racing association
los angeles turf club incorporated and its affiliated entity pacific racing association inc
los angeles turf club incorporated and its affliated entities bay meadows operating company llc and pacific racing associa
los angeles turf club incorporated including its parent magna entertainment corp
los angeles turf club incorporated santa anita park
los angeles turf club incorpotated
los angeles turf club llc and its affiliated entities bay meadows operating company llc and pacific racing
los angeles turf club mec california
los angeles turf club santa anita park
los angeles turf club-santa anita
los angeles turf club/pacific racing assoc
magna entertainment corp & its affiliated entities los angeles turf club inc
magna entertainment corp and its affiliated entities (entities: bay meadows operating company llc los angeles turf club inc pacific racing association)
magna entertainment corp and its affiliated entities formerly los angeles turf club at santa anita (entities: bay meadows
magna entertainment corp and its affiliated entities formerly los angeles turf club at santa anita (entities: bay meadows operating company llc los angeles turf club inc & pacific racing assn)
magna entertainment corp and its affiliated entities formerly los angeles turf club at santa anita (entities: bay meadows operating company llc los angeles turf club inc pacific racing assn)
magna entertainment corp/los angeles turf club inc
mec california los angeles turf club
mec california los angeles turf club and its affiliated entities
mec california los angeles turf club and its affiliated entitypacific racing
pacific racing asn and its affiliated entity los angeles turf club inc
pacific racing assn & its affiliated entity los angeles turf club inc
pacific racing assoc & affiliated entity los angeles turf club
pacific racing assoc and its affiliated entity los angeles turf club inc
pacific racing association & its affiliated entity los angeles turf club inc
pacific racing association and affiliated entity los angeles turf club inc
pacific racing association and its affiliated entity los angeles turf club inc
pacific racing association and its affiliated entity los angeles turf club incorporated
santa anita los angeles turf club inc
santa anita los angeles turf club incorporated
santa anita park - los angeles turf club/san luis rey downs
santa anita park / los angeles turf club / san luis rey downs
santa anita park los angeles turf club
santa anita park los angeles turf club inc
santa anita park los angeles turf club san luis rey downs
santa anita park/los angeles turf club inc
santa anita park/mec california los angeles turf club inc
santa anita-los angeles turf club inc
santa anita/los angeles turf club

And here is a company we all know:

company pacific gas and electric
p g & e corporation - pacific gas & electric pacific gas & electric
pacific gas & electric - pg&e
pacific gas & electric (pg & e) corporation
pacific gas & electric (pg&e)
pacific gas & electric (pg&e) corporation
pacific gas & electric (pge)
pacific gas & electric co
pacific gas & electric co (pg & e)
pacific gas & electric co law department
pacific gas & electric co pac
pacific gas & electric co state & local pac
pacific gas & electric company
pacific gas & electric company (pg & e)
pacific gas & electric company (pg&e)
pacific gas & electric company (pg&e) - north west california
pacific gas & electric company and affiliated entities
pacific gas & electric company and its affiliated entities
pacific gas & electric company and its affiliates of entities
pacific gas & electric company deleted 05/10/05
pacific gas & electric company id# 478163
pacific gas & electric company pg&e
pacific gas & electric company state & local pac
pacific gas & electric company state pac
pacific gas & electric company state/local pac
pacific gas & electric company state/local political action committee
pacific gas & electric corp
pacific gas & electric corporation
pacific gas & electric corporation (pg&e)
pacific gas & electric corporation (pg&e) - ie account
pacific gas & electric corporation and affliliated entities
pacific gas & electric corporation major donor
pacific gas & electric corporation/pg & e
pacific gas & electric employees state/local pac
pacific gas & electric legal department
pacific gas & electric state & local pac
pacific gas & electricity company
pacific gas & eletric company
pacific gas & eletric company pac
pacific gas and electric
pacific gas and electric - housing
pacific gas and electric (pg&e) corp
pacific gas and electric co
pacific gas and electric co (pg&e)
pacific gas and electric co state/local pac
pacific gas and electric company
pacific gas and electric company (pg&e corp)
pacific gas and electric company (pg&e)
pacific gas and electric company and affiliated entities
pacific gas and electric company and its affiliated entities
pacific gas and electric company and its affiliates of entities
pacific gas and electric company and its affliated entities
pacific gas and electric company conference room 307
pacific gas and electric company conference room a
pacific gas and electric company pac
pacific gas and electric company pg&e corp
pacific gas and electric company pg&e corporation
pacific gas and electric company state & local pac
pacific gas and electric company state/local pac
pacific gas and electric corp
pacific gas and electric corporation
pacific gas and electric corporation (pg&e corp)
pacific gas and electric state/local pac
pacific gas and electric/local pac
pacific gas electric company pg&e corp
pacific gass & electric company