Show HN: FederalGifts – What foreign governments give American officials

Every year, foreign governments give gifts to US government officials — everything from jeweled swords to luxury watches to ornate rugs. Federal law requires these to be disclosed (and most go to the National Archives, since officials can't keep gifts worth over ~$480).

I built FederalGifts to make this data browsable and searchable. You can explore by:

- Individual gifts (with descriptions and estimated values)

- Recipients (which officials received the most?)

- Donor countries (which nations give the most lavishly?)

- Agencies

Some interesting finds: Saudi Arabia and UAE consistently give the most expensive gifts. The most common gifts are jewelry, decorative items, and books. The State Department receives the lion's share.

The data comes from the Federal Register and State Department disclosures — public information that's technically available but practically impossible to browse.

Built with Rails and open data. No login required, no tracking.