Follow the Money

Every claim. Every source. Every time.

Commission Research

I'm an archival researcher. I build dossiers the way I build history: from primary sources, with every fact footnoted. If you need to know what's documented about a person, a company, or a decision — and you need to be able to defend every line of it — that's what I do.

My public work is my portfolio. Every tracker I publish is a working sample of my standards. What I sell is the same rigor, aimed at your question.

What you can commission

The Short Brief — from $500

For when you need the essentials, fast.

Good for: pre-interview prep, a quick background check on a public figure, verifying a tip before you run with it.

The Full Dossier — from $1,500

For when the stakes are high and the record is long.

Good for: opposition research, investigative groundwork, litigation support, book research.

The Research Retainer — $100–150/hr

For when the questions keep coming.

Good for: campaigns in active season, newsrooms without a research desk, organizations tracking an ongoing issue.

Prices are starting points. The quote depends on the scope — a narrow question with a short paper trail costs less than a decade of someone's public life. You'll know the price before I start.

Who hires me

How it works

  1. You tell me the question. Use the intake questions below, or just write it in your own words.
  2. I quote it. Fixed price for briefs and dossiers, hourly estimate for retainers. No work starts until you approve the quote.
  3. 50% deposit up front. The balance is due on delivery.
  4. I research. You get the finished product on the agreed date — PDF, plus the source appendix for dossiers.
  5. You ask questions. One round of follow-up questions is included with every commission. If you need more digging, we quote it separately.

Frequently asked questions

How do you source your work?
Primary sources first: court records, government filings, campaign finance disclosures, archived web pages, public meeting minutes, FOIA-obtained documents. Secondary reporting only to point at primary material. Every factual claim in your deliverable is cited. If I can't source it, it doesn't go in — or it goes in clearly marked as unverified.

Is my commission confidential?
Yes. I don't disclose who hired me, what I researched, or what I found — unless you give me written permission. The only exception: if a court orders me to, and I'll tell you first if that ever happens.

How fast can you turn something around?
A short brief takes one week from deposit. A full dossier takes two to three weeks depending on scope. Retainer clients get priority on rush requests. If you have a hard deadline, tell me up front — I'll tell you honestly whether it's doable.

What if I disagree with a finding, or want changes?
One round of revisions is included: corrections, clarifications, and reframing. If new research is needed to address your feedback, I'll quote it before doing the work. I don't change findings to fit a narrative — if the record contradicts what you hoped, I'll show you exactly where and why.

What won't you do?
I don't write unsourced hit pieces. I don't hack, phish, pretext, or access anything illegally. I don't fabricate documents or "fill in" what the record doesn't say. I don't dox private individuals — my work covers public figures and matters of public concern. If your request crosses any of these lines, I'll decline it plainly.

How do I pay?
50% deposit to start, balance on delivery. I accept bank transfer, check, and major payment platforms — details on the invoice. Late payments (over 14 days) pause any ongoing work until settled.

Who owns the research?
You do. Once paid in full, the deliverable is yours to use, publish, or sit on. I keep a private copy for my records and won't reuse or publish your commissioned work without your written permission.

Can you testify about your research?
Possibly, under a separate agreement. Ask me about it if it's relevant to your matter.

Before you hire me — what I'll ask

To quote your project accurately, I'll need:

  1. What is the specific question you need answered?
  2. Who or what is the subject?
  3. What will you use the research for? (Publication, litigation, internal strategy, something else?)
  4. Is there a deadline? What happens if it's missed?
  5. What do you already know — and what are you hoping to find?
  6. Are there specific claims you need verified or debunked?
  7. What time period should I cover?
  8. Are there jurisdictions, organizations, or record sets I should prioritize — or avoid?
  9. Do you need the full source documents, or are citations enough?
  10. Will this be published under your name, mine, or anonymously?
  11. Is there anything about this subject that's legally sensitive that I should know about?
  12. What's your budget range? (This helps me scope the work honestly.)

You don't need polished answers. Rough ones are fine — part of my job is turning a vague question into a researchable one.

Why me

Most research-for-hire is either expensive lawyers billing paralegal hours, or cheap freelancers Googling things. I'm neither. I'm a trained archival researcher — I work in primary sources the way historians do, because that's what I am. My standards are simple: if it's not documented, it's not in the dossier. If it's documented, you'll see the document.

You've seen my public work. The trackers are free, and they're the proof. Commissioned work gets the same treatment, aimed at your question, with your deadline, under your confidentiality.

Ready? Send your question through the contact form and I'll reply with a quote within two business days.