OpenFEC

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides access to Federal Election Commission (FEC) campaign finance data through the OpenFEC API.

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6 months ago

First Indexed

2 months ago

Catalog Refreshed

Documentation & install

Readme and setup notes from the catalogue, plus a client-ready config you can copy for your MCP host.

Installation

Add the following to your MCP client configuration file.

Configuration

View docs

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "psalzman-mcp-openfec": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/absolute/path/to/mcp-openfec/build/server.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OPENFEC_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

You can access Federal Election Commission campaign finance data through the OpenFEC API via this MCP server. It enables you to search for candidates, view financials, access committee data, see individual contributions, track independent expenditures, retrieve filings and audit cases, and download bulk data, all through a configurable MCP interface.

How to use

You run this MCP server locally and connect your MCP client to it. Use the available tools to fetch candidate details, financials, committee information, and filings, or to retrieve bulk data links. The server is designed to enforce OpenFEC API request limits, so you can rely on consistent and documented access patterns from your client.

How to install

Prerequisites: install Node.js version 16 or higher and obtain an OpenFEC API key.

Step 1: Clone the MCP server repository and navigate into it.

Step 2: Install dependencies.

Step 3: Create a configuration file or set environment variables with your OpenFEC API key.

Step 4: Build the server.

Configuration and usage notes

To run the server with Claude Desktop, configure an MCP entry that points to the local runtime. You must provide the absolute path to the built server file and supply your API key via environment variables.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "openfec": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/mcp-openfec/build/server.js"],
      "env": {
        "OPENFEC_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      },
      "disabled": false,
      "autoApprove": []
    }
  }
}

Available tools

get_candidate

Retrieve detailed information about a specific candidate.

get_candidate_financials

Fetch financial data for a candidate, including contributions and expenditures.

search_candidates

Search for candidates by name, state, or other criteria.

get_committee

Get detailed information about a committee.

get_candidate_contributions

Obtain individual contributions made to a candidate.

get_filings

Retrieve official FEC filings.

get_independent_expenditures

Get independent expenditures related to candidates or committees.

get_electioneering

Fetch electioneering communications data.

get_party_coordinated_expenditures

Access party-coordinated expenditures data.

get_communication_costs

Retrieve corporate/union communication costs.

get_audit_cases

Get FEC audit cases and findings.

get_bulk_downloads

Obtain links to bulk data downloads.