Editorial Standards

Accuracy

Every claim is sourced to a public record. We link to primary sources wherever possible and archive source pages via the Wayback Machine for permanence. When a finding depends on data matching or analysis, we describe the methodology used.

Fairness

We present financial relationships as documented in public records. We do not speculate about motives or intentions. All individuals and entities referenced are presumed to be engaged in lawful activity unless otherwise established by a court of law.

When our analysis identifies a pattern involving a named individual or organization, we seek comment before publication where the finding could be perceived as negative.

Independence

The Public Ledgers is editorially independent. No funder, sponsor, advertiser, or political entity has influence over what we publish or how we present it.

Conflict of interest disclosure: The editor and founder, Zach Beaudoin, is a candidate for Erie County Legislature, District 11. This candidacy is disclosed on the About page and in any article where Erie County governance is a subject. The research and data analysis that form the basis of this project predate the campaign.

Corrections policy

We correct errors promptly and transparently. Corrections are noted at the top of the affected article with:

• The date of the correction
• What was incorrect
• What the correct information is

Requests for corrections should be sent to editor@thepublicledgers.org with supporting documentation.

Data standards

• We report conservative figures by default (exact matches only, excluding ambiguous cases)
• When estimates or ranges are used, they are labeled as such
• Per-household and per-pupil calculations use the most recent Census data available and are documented in the methodology
• Downloadable source data is provided where possible so readers can verify our analysis