Category: Investigations
Documentary by Frontline and ProPublica reveals origins of the stolen election myth
A group of people working from a plantation in South Carolina spread misinformation about the November 2020 election. These falsehoods have since become articles of faith for many Republicans. by ProPublica “Plot to…
Jan. 6 Logs Show 457-Minute Gap in Trump Calls
‘Coverup?’ “Nixon had an 18.5-minute gap in his White House tapes,” noted one watchdog group. “Trump has a 7.5-hour gap in phone logs from January 6th.” by Jake Johnson, Common Dreams March 29, 2022 Internal White…
Supreme Court denies Trump bid to conceal records from Jan. 6 panel
One government watchdog group welcomed the decision as “a huge win for transparency.” by Jessica Corbett, Common Dreams Wednesday, January 19, 10:30 PM The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday denied former President Donald Trump’s attempt to…
Eric Trump invoked 5th Amendment 500 times during 6-hour deposition
Longtime Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg refused a similar number of questions, citing his right to not self-incriminate. by Jake Johnson, Common Dreams Wednesday, January 19, 2022 Former President Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump invoked the…
America’s food safety system failed to stop a Salmonella epidemic. It’s still making people sick.
For years, a dangerous salmonella strain has sickened thousands and continues to spread through the chicken industry. The USDA knows about it. So do the companies. And yet, contaminated meat continues to be sold to consumers….
The Trump Administration used its Food Aid program for political gain: Congressional investigation
The Food to Families program, touted by Ivanka Trump, gave tens of millions of dollars to unqualified firms and was also used to promote then-President Trump. by Bianca Fortis, ProPublica October 25, 2021 A $6 billion…
A secretive counterterrorism team interrogated dozens of citizens at the border
Government Report A report by a federal watchdog shows how the Trump administration flagged at least 51 citizens for interrogation at the border based on evidence as flimsy as once having ridden in a car with…
6 Questions officials still haven’t answered after weeks of hearings on the Capitol attack
More than 15 hours of testimony failed to answer fundamental questions about the Capitol attack. Among them: Why national security officials responded differently to BLM protesters than to Trump supporters. by Joaquin Sapien and Joshua…
After a wave of violent threats against election workers, Georgia sees few arrests
For nearly a year, election administrators across the country weathered the pandemic while facing attacks and threats — leading many officials to resign or retire. In Georgia, little was done to prevent it from happening again….
The IRS cashed her check. Then the late notices started coming.
A mountainous backlog of paperwork at the IRS continues to wreak havoc on America’s tax collection system — which especially hurts lower-income filers. by Lydia DePillis, ProPublica Kathy Brenneman hears plenty of taxpayer horror stories in…
Congressional report reveals manufacturers ‘knowingly’ sold toxin-tainted baby food
“This is what happens when you let the food and chemical companies, not the FDA, decide whether our food is safe to eat.” by Kenny Stancil, staff writer Friday, February 5, 2021 Leading baby food manufacturers…
Inspector General launches probe into whether DOJ officials tried to overturn Presidential Election
“Unconscionable a Trump Justice Department leader would conspire to subvert the people’s will,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in response to allegations against former Acting Assistant AG Jeffrey Clark. by Kenny Stancil, staff writer Monday,…
How Operation Warp Speed created vaccination chaos
States are struggling to plan their vaccination programs with just one week’s notice for how many doses they’ll receive from the federal government. The incoming Biden administration is deciding what to do with this dysfunctional system….
“No One Took Us Seriously”: Black Cops Warned About Racist Capitol Police Officers for Years
“No One Took Us Seriously”: Black Cops Warned About Racist Capitol Police Officers for Years Allegations of racism against the Capitol Police are nothing new: Over 250 Black cops have sued the department since 2001. Some…
A lender sued thousands of lower-income Latinos during the pandemic. Now it wants to be a National Bank.
Oportun, which lends in only a dozen states, applied for a bank charter late last year. Consumer and Latino civil rights groups are pushing back, citing the findings of a joint investigation by ProPublica and The…
House Oversight chair says Trump team trashing White House records
In a letter to the U.S. government archivist, Rep. Carolyn Maloney says her committee “has no visibility into what is happening” in terms of record-keeping for administration documents. by Andrea Germanos, staff writer Monday, December 21,…
House Democrats Subpoena HHS and CDC bosses over alleged political interference in Covid-19 response
“The subpoenas were necessary because… efforts to interfere with scientific work at CDC were far more extensive and dangerous than previously known,” asserted Rep. James Clyburn. by Brett Wilkins, staff writer Monday, December 21, 2020 Accusing…
The government promised to return Ancestral Hawaiian land, then never finished the job
Native Hawaiians are still waiting for state and federal officials to fulfill the promises of land legislation that was signed into law 25 years ago. “Justice delayed is justice denied,” said one former governor. by Rob…
Most profitable US companies fired workers, enriched shareholders during pandemic
“This is a global crisis but the big companies are not treating it as one—they haven’t skipped a beat.” by Kenny Stancil, staff writer Thursday, December 17, 2020 While the Covid-19 pandemic and corresponding economic crisis…
Pollution, poverty and pandemic collide
In a segregated community outside of an Alabama oil refinery, chronic illness tells a story of racial inequality, poverty and disease as U.S. deaths from COVID-19 surpass 300,000. by Sean Reilly, E&E News Wednesday, December 16,…
JPMorgan Chase Bank wrongly charged 170,000 customers overdraft fees. Federal regulators refused to penalize it.
Documents and records show that bank examiners have avoided penalizing at least six banks that incorrectly charged overdraft and related fees to hundreds of thousands of customers. by Patrick Rucker, The Capitol Forum Monday, December 14,…
This system Is supposed to protect people with developmental disabilities. It is falling apart.
Arizona’s Independent Oversight Committees helped make it one of the best places to live as a person with DD. But now they say the state isn’t giving them what they need. by Amy Silverman for Arizona…
Arizona made a revolutionary system to protect people with developmental disabilities. Now it’s falling apart.
Arizona’s Independent Oversight Committees helped it become one of the best places in the country for the care of people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. But now members say the state hasn’t provided necessary resources. by…
Join us for an event about our investigation into Arizona’s Intellectual and Developmental Disability Services
Hear from people featured in our investigation into services for people with developmental disabilities living in Arizona, at a free, virtual event on Dec. 16. The event will also feature people who were instrumental in making…