Tom Chester and Associates

To understand some of the analysis posted here (and elsewhere) it's useful to understand the distinction between the weekly detailed data and the quarterly summary data.

Weekly Detail

The candidates are required to report detailed data for individual contributions over $200, including transaction date, and the name, city, zip code and occupation of the contributor. The FEC publishes this data weekly. 

Add 6/11/07: However, the candidates don't report weekly. As of 6/10 there are no individual contributions reported for Q2 by the presidential candidates.

Geographic analysis and analysis of trends over time will be derived from this data set.

Quarterly Summary

At the end of each calendar quarter, the candidates are required to report summary data that includes all contributions. (Here is an example.) There is no date or geographic breakdown.

This is the data set that prompts a rash of press reports each quarter.