Political Software Giants Battle Over Data Use, Branding
BY Nancy Scola | Monday, March 29 2010
The messy back-and-forth between two well-known DC-based political software firms, NGP and Aristotle, has reached at least one point of resolution. According to a press release being mailed around by the latter firm, the Federal Elections Commission has voted to take no further action on a complaint filed by NGP that argued that Aristotle was misusing voter data acquired from the FEC.
According to Aristotle, the tactic in question forms the basis for data-matching technology which "incorporates detailed state contributor and voter lists with highly accurate consumer databases to illuminate exactly how much a donor has given, how much they can give, and to suggest the maximum they might agree to contribute where allowed by law." Aristotle reports that they recently filed a patent application on the data-matching software in question.
This latest skirmish may have ended, but the fierce fighting between the companies goes on, it seems. For years, the companies have been arguing about, among other things, NGP's marketing language that frames the firm as an ally of Democratic campaigns and candidates exclusively. The allegation is that NGP also does business as entities that work in significant ways with Republican-leaning PACs and other groups -- despite the squishy donkey toy (named "Lefty") that NGP regularly gives out at political conferences and other events. The Sunlight Foundation's Luke Rosiak has some great background on the context of the NGP vs. Aristotle branding conflict. (With Nick Judd)
Update: NGP's Stu Trevelyan writes to strongly push back on the idea that the latest development in the FEC's handling of this complaint represents a resolution of the matter in favor of Aristotle, writing that, "Documents related to the case will be placed on the public record by the FEC within 30 days, providing a much clearer view of the FEC’s findings and Aristotle’s actions, so stay tuned." It isn't our intention here to provide a close look at the ins-and-outs of what is by all accounts a pitched situation, but to to highlight for readers some of the debates taking place in the world of political technology. According to the FEC, the commission's processing of what it calls "matters under review" is a confidential investigation until the case is closed.