{
  "_about": "Research evidence matrix behind site/articles/outside-influence.html, published as a download at site/data/outside-influence-evidence.json, an exact copy that tools/check-site.js keeps in sync. Every entry comes from public records: FEC filings and bulk files, Lobbying Disclosure Act filings, House Clerk roll calls, and the cited organizations' public pages. One record per potentially significant relationship. Evidence classifications: relationship (a financial or organizational tie documented in public records), alignment (a legislative action matches the organization's stated interest, without causation), access (documented direct contact with Huizenga or his office), inference (several documented facts support a reasonable inference of influence, with limits stated). Nothing here is classified as proven influence. PAC industry assignments are in data/outside-influence-pacs-2026.json.",
  "reporting_periods": {
    "campaign_receipts": "Jan. 1, 2025 - Oct. 14, 2026 (pre-general report, file 2037215, filed Oct. 22, 2026). The 2025-26 cycle is incomplete.",
    "independent_expenditures": "FEC 2025-26 independent expenditure file, version of Oct. 31, 2026; reports received through Oct. 30, 2026 (refreshed Oct. 31, 2026; other records accessed Oct. 23, 2026). Matched by candidate ID H0MI02094 or, where the ID is blank, by name and state. Mostly 24- and 48-hour reports, many estimates.",
    "lobbying": "Lobbying Disclosure Act filings for 2025 and 2026 (Q1-Q3), retrieved Oct. 22, 2026 from lda.gov/api/v1. Q3 2026 reports were due Oct. 20, 2026.",
    "votes": "House Clerk roll-call XML."
  },
  "accessed": "2026-10-23",
  "records": [
    {
      "id": "crypto-fairshake",
      "organization": "Fairshake (C00835959) and Defend American Jobs (C00836221); principal funders Coinbase, Ripple Labs, Andreessen Horowitz (AH Capital Management) and its co-founders",
      "financial_relationship": "Independent expenditures supporting Huizenga: Defend American Jobs $511,996.46 (dissemination July 23-29, 2026, primary); Fairshake $1,019,166.76 (Oct. 2-6, 2026, general). Defend American Jobs also $107,352 on Oct. 1, 2024. Not contributions to his campaign. Fairshake transferred at least $37M to Defend American Jobs in 2025-26 (receipts of $100,000 or more).",
      "stated_policy_objective": "Fairshake: supports candidates \"committed to securing the United States as the home to innovators\" (fairshakepac.com, retrieved Oct. 22, 2026). Funders' LDA filings name H.R. 3633 (CLARITY) and the GENIUS Act.",
      "legislative_action": "Yea on H.R. 4763 FIT21 (2024 Roll 226, May 22, 2024; passed 279-136, 71 Democrats yea); Yea on S. 1582 GENIUS (2025 Roll 200, July 17, 2025; enacted P.L. 119-27); Yea on H.R. 3633 CLARITY (2025 Roll 199, July 17, 2025; 294-134, 78 Democrats yea; Senate cloture failed Sept. 15, 2026). Vice chair, House Financial Services; member, Digital Assets subcommittee. Office release DocumentID=404117 says he helped 'shepherd' the bills.",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.fec.gov/data/independent-expenditures/?candidate_id=H0MI02094&cycle=2026",
        "FEC bulk independent_expenditure_2026.csv, Fairshake file 2018439; Defend American Jobs file 2002069",
        "FEC bulk pas224 (Defend American Jobs 24E, 10/01/2024, $7,352 and $100,000)",
        "https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?committee_id=C00835959&two_year_transaction_period=2026&min_amount=1000000",
        "https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?committee_id=C00836221&two_year_transaction_period=2026&min_amount=100000",
        "https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024226",
        "https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025199",
        "https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025200",
        "https://huizenga.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404117"
      ],
      "classification": ["relationship", "alignment"],
      "counterevidence": "Votes were bipartisan. The network backs both parties: in 2025-26 Defend American Jobs supported 39 Republican House candidates, Protect Progress (C00848440, funded by Fairshake) 36 Democratic House candidates, and Fairshake itself 3 Democratic and 3 Republican House candidates. His FIT21, GENIUS, and CLARITY votes preceded the 2026 spending. No vendor overlap: his campaign reported no payments through Oct. 14, 2026 to Main Street Media Group, Dockside Strategies, Storytellers Group, Red Zone Strategic, IMGE, or Connection Strategy.",
      "confidence": "High for the relationship and alignment (primary FEC and Clerk records). No direct access documented. Influence not established; the records can't distinguish money rewarding an existing position from money seeking one."
    },
    {
      "id": "crypto-executives",
      "organization": "Individual executives of Coinbase, Ripple, Andreessen Horowitz; Coinbase Innovation PAC; a Paradigm employee",
      "financial_relationship": "Direct contributions to Huizenga for Congress, net: Marc Andreessen $3,500 (3/27/2025); Ben Horowitz $7,000 (3/28/2025); Christopher Dixon $4,833 (3/28/2025); Kara Calvert Campbell (Coinbase) $7,000 (2025-26); Brad Garlinghouse (Ripple CEO) $1,500 (6/30/2025); Brian Armstrong (Coinbase CEO) $7,000 (5/21/2026). Total $30,833. Coinbase Innovation PAC $1,000 and Paradigm VP of government affairs $2,582.64 as memo entries through joint fundraising transfers.",
      "stated_policy_objective": "Their firms' LDA filings name H.R. 3633 and the GENIUS Act.",
      "legislative_action": "As in crypto-fairshake.",
      "sources": ["FEC electronic filings 1886459, 1905981, 2023784, 2025479 (Schedule A lines 11ai and 12)"],
      "classification": ["relationship", "alignment"],
      "counterevidence": "Personal contributions within federal limits ($3,500 per election); 0.6% of receipts. Personal giving isn't company money.",
      "confidence": "High for the amounts; employer field as reported by the campaign."
    },
    {
      "id": "crypto-lobbying",
      "organization": "Coinbase; A16Z Capital Management (Andreessen Horowitz); Ripple Labs; Blockchain Association",
      "financial_relationship": "None to Huizenga. Lobbying registrations: Coinbase 44 filings (2025) and 27 (2026 Q1-Q3); A16Z 27 and 30; Ripple 16 and 12; Blockchain Association 24 and 12. Dollar totals not summed because in-house and outside-firm reports for the same client can overlap.",
      "stated_policy_objective": "Filings name H.R. 3633 (Digital Asset Market Clarity Act), the GENIUS Act, and related bills (e.g., Mehlman Consulting for A16Z; Franklin Square Group and Coinbase in-house; Michael Best Strategies for Ripple).",
      "legislative_action": "As in crypto-fairshake.",
      "sources": ["https://lda.gov/api/v1/filings/?client_name=coinbase&filing_year=2026", "https://lda.gov/api/v1/filings/?client_name=ripple%20labs&filing_year=2026", "https://lda.gov/api/v1/filings/?client_name=AH%20Capital%20Management&filing_year=2025", "https://lda.gov/api/v1/filings/?client_name=blockchain%20association&filing_year=2025"],
      "classification": ["relationship (general lobbying only)"],
      "counterevidence": "LDA reports list the House of Representatives as a body, not individual members. No record reviewed shows contact with Huizenga or his staff.",
      "confidence": "High that lobbying on these bills occurred; no evidence either way on contact with Huizenga."
    },
    {
      "id": "banking-pacs",
      "organization": "Bank, credit union, and lender PACs, including ABA BankPAC (C00004275, $10,000), ICBA PAC (C00032698, $7,000), America's Credit Union PAC (C00007880, $10,000), Mortgage Bankers Association MORPAC (C00004812, $10,000)",
      "financial_relationship": "Banking, lending and payments PACs $369,800; with insurance ($257,000) and securities ($248,000), $874,800, 42% of PAC receipts, Jan. 1, 2025-Oct. 14, 2026.",
      "stated_policy_objective": "ICBA commended House passage of H.R. 6955 (July 21, 2026). ABA, ICBA and 76 state associations asked the Senate to tighten CLARITY section 404 stablecoin-yield limits (ABA Banking Journal, July 13, 2026).",
      "legislative_action": "H.R. 6955, Main Street Capital Access Act, passed House 270-155 on July 21, 2026 (2026 Roll 271; 56 Democrats yea), including his FDIC Board Accountability Act and Enhancing Bank Resolution Participation Act; original cosponsor. Yea on House CLARITY (2025 Roll 199).",
      "sources": ["https://www.icba.org/w/icba-commends-house-for-passing-the-main-street-capital-access-act", "https://bankingjournal.aba.com/2026/07/aba-icba-join-state-associations-in-urging-senate-to-strengthen-stablecoin-yield-provisions-in-clarity-act/", "https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2026271", "FEC bulk itpas2 2025-26 and cn26 (bipartisan giving)"],
      "classification": ["relationship", "alignment"],
      "counterevidence": "126 of the 131 finance PACs that gave to Huizenga and to House candidates in 2025-26 also gave to House Democrats; 45.6% of their dollars to Democratic and Republican House candidates went to Democrats (FEC pas226 file, version of Oct. 18, 2026). Bank groups sought changes to CLARITY, which he voted for in the House form; no Huizenga statement on stablecoin yield found. Community-bank relief has a district constituency.",
      "confidence": "High for the amounts and votes; alignment is documented on H.R. 6955 and divergence on the CLARITY yield language."
    },
    {
      "id": "energy-holtec",
      "organization": "Holtec International Energy PAC (C00743468)",
      "financial_relationship": "$7,500 in 2025-26 ($2,500 6/30/2025; $1,500 and $1,000 9/3/2025; $2,500 8/3/2026). First contribution in FEC committee-to-candidate data reviewed (2021-22 onward): $1,000 on 3/4/2024.",
      "stated_policy_objective": "Restart of the Palisades nuclear plant (Covert Township, MI-4) with federal loan support.",
      "legislative_action": "Led a bipartisan Dec. 18, 2023 letter urging action on Holtec's loan application (four Democratic cosigners); statements in 2024-25 welcoming federal financing. No legislation.",
      "sources": ["FEC electronic filings 1905981, 1920425, 2025479", "FEC bulk pas224", "site/articles/energy-electric-costs.html#palisades"],
      "classification": ["relationship", "alignment"],
      "counterevidence": "Advocacy preceded the PAC money in the records reviewed; the restart has bipartisan support and is a district asset.",
      "confidence": "Medium: small amounts; sequence based on 2021-22 onward data only."
    },
    {
      "id": "energy-cms",
      "organization": "CMS Energy Corporation Employees for Better Government - Federal (C00075473)",
      "financial_relationship": "$10,000 in 2025-26 ($5,000 3/21/2025; $5,000 2/27/2026), as memo entries through the Team Huizenga joint fundraising committee. Has given in every cycle since at least 2021-22.",
      "stated_policy_objective": "Consumers Energy's 2021 resource plan and the 2022 settlement approved by the Michigan PSC retired the J.H. Campbell plant by May 31, 2025.",
      "legislative_action": "Says the plant \"should not have been shut down\" (Oct. 7, 2026, campaign event, WWMT); supports keeping it open under DOE section 202(c) orders.",
      "sources": ["FEC electronic filings 1886459, 1964885 (Schedule A line 12 memo)", "site/articles/energy-electric-costs.html#campbell"],
      "classification": ["relationship"],
      "counterevidence": "This is itself a divergence: his position differs from the plan the donor company adopted. Consumers is complying with the orders and seeking cost recovery, so its current interest is not simply retirement.",
      "confidence": "Medium."
    },
    {
      "id": "health-aha",
      "organization": "American Hospital Association PAC (C00106146) and other health care PACs",
      "financial_relationship": "Health care PACs $22,500 (1.1% of PAC receipts): Pfizer $7,500, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan $7,000, UnitedHealth Group $3,000, American Dental PAC $3,000, AHA PAC $1,000 (6/22/2026), HeartDocPAC $1,000.",
      "stated_policy_objective": "AHA on July 3, 2025: \"Today is an extremely disappointing and very difficult day for health care in America,\" over H.R. 1's Medicaid cuts.",
      "legislative_action": "Yea on H.R. 1 final passage (2025 Roll 190, July 3, 2025).",
      "sources": ["https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2025-07-03-house-passes-final-version-one-big-beautiful-bill-act", "https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025190"],
      "classification": ["relationship"],
      "counterevidence": "Divergence: he voted against the hospital association's stated position, and its PAC gave afterward.",
      "confidence": "High for the facts; amounts too small for a case study."
    },
    {
      "id": "ag-pacs",
      "organization": "Agriculture and food PACs, including Michigan Farm Bureau PAC (C00096362, $10,000) and USApple PAC (C00344945, $2,500)",
      "financial_relationship": "$55,000 (2.6% of PAC receipts).",
      "stated_policy_objective": "Not systematically reviewed.",
      "legislative_action": "Tariff and agriculture votes documented in site/articles/trade-manufacturing-tariffs.html and agriculture-specialty-crops.html.",
      "sources": ["data/outside-influence-pacs-2026.json"],
      "classification": ["relationship"],
      "counterevidence": "No comparison of farm groups' stated tariff positions with his votes was made, so no alignment or divergence finding.",
      "confidence": "Low; insufficient for a case study."
    },
    {
      "id": "outside-opposition",
      "organization": "House Majority PAC, LCV Victory Fund, Your Community PAC, EDF Action Votes, AFSCME PEOPLE, Retired Americans Action, Giffords PAC, AB PAC, and nine others",
      "financial_relationship": "About $11.7M in independent expenditures opposing Huizenga through reports received Oct. 30, 2026; House Majority PAC $6,190,292 and LCV Victory Fund $1,836,954. Through reports received Oct. 22, 2026 the total was about $9.8M.",
      "stated_policy_objective": "Electoral; not compared with his record in this investigation.",
      "legislative_action": "n/a",
      "sources": ["FEC bulk independent_expenditure_2026.csv"],
      "classification": ["context"],
      "counterevidence": "n/a",
      "confidence": "Medium: 24/48-hour estimates subject to revision. Funders of opposing committees not reviewed."
    }
  ],
  "questions_for_comment": {
    "status": "Prepared Oct. 22, 2026; not yet sent to Rep. Huizenga's office.",
    "questions": [
      "Have you or your staff met with representatives of Coinbase, Ripple, Andreessen Horowitz, Fairshake, or the Blockchain Association about the CLARITY Act, and would your office publish a log of such meetings?",
      "What is your position on whether stablecoin issuers and platforms should be able to pay yield, and how does it serve MI-4's community banks and depositors?",
      "Do you welcome Fairshake's and Defend American Jobs's spending in your race, and does it affect your role on digital-asset legislation?",
      "How would H.R. 6955's changes reach community banks and borrowers in MI-4?",
      "Should Congress require broader disclosure of outside spending, such as the donors behind super PACs funded by other committees?"
    ]
  }
}