Commissioner of Political Practices outlines 'glass‑box' AI project and an expanded lobbying audit

The Commissioner of Political Practices, Chris Gallus, briefed the committee on Jan. 29 about COPP’s plans to deploy an AI‑driven, transparent system designed to help candidates, committees and the public query campaign finance and lobbying data. Gallus described the approach as a "glass‑box" system intended to tie generated answers directly to statutes, decisions, and source documents so users can see how responses were derived, rather than relying on closed‑box models.

Gallus said COPP has moved historic data into a system that will enable more flexible, period‑by‑period queries and that the agency contracted with an external partner (named in committee as 3M Data) but designed the architecture to maintain state control of the data and avoid third‑party transfer for training. "We maintain control of the data, and we don't turn that over to third‑party vendors," Gallus said, adding that staff will continue to exercise discretion in applying laws and rules.

On auditing and compliance, COPP introduced Stacy Wallace, the agency’s compliance auditor. Wallace outlined a program to examine approximately 20% of registered principals (about 105 of 510 principals) using a random, documented process focused on statutory compliance: timely filings, accurate reporting of lobbying expenditures, and threshold application. She said the review is not intended to be punitive but to promote transparency and consistent interpretation of disclosure laws; principals will receive draft findings and an opportunity to respond before reports are finalized.

Gallus also reviewed COPP’s response to legislative audit recommendations, including a move to all‑electronic reporting (implemented in HB 804) and improvements to inspection and program guides. He signaled the need for a future IT investment to replace aging campaign reporting systems and estimated potential costs in the $2–2.5 million range, saying COPP will likely seek funding during the next budget cycle.

Next steps: COPP will continue internal testing of the new system, produce audit results and potential policy recommendations after the compliance reviews are complete, and return to the committee with progress updates as the tools and audit program roll out.