Jake Pearson

Reporter

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Jake Pearson is a reporter in New York where he has conducted metro, campaign finance and national political investigations for ProPublica since 2018.

He previously worked for the Associated Press, NBC News and the New York Daily News. His work has prompted criminal prosecutions and oversight hearings. He has been recognized with various journalism awards.

Before Limiting Ballot Drop Boxes to One Per County, Top Ohio Election Officials Secretly Consulted Promoter of Debunked Voting Fraud Fears

After Black union workers petitioned the state for more secure ballot drop boxes, top election officials called Hans von Spakovsky, a leading purveyor of discredited voting fraud claims, and then put a strict limit on the boxes instead.

No Democrats Allowed: A Conservative Lawyer Holds Secret Voter Fraud Meetings With State Election Officials

Heritage Foundation’s Hans von Spakovsky, whose work about voting fraud has been discredited, has been conducting private meetings for Republicans only.

At This Trump-Favored Charity, Financial Reporting Is Questionable and Insiders Are Cashing In

Charlie Kirk’s nonprofit Turning Point USA has made misleading financial claims and gets its “independent” audits from its co-founder Bill Montgomery’s former business associate. It has enriched several of its top leaders as it pushes Trump’s message.

Trump Friends and Family Cleared for Millions in Small Business Bailout

Beneficiaries of the PPP included a lettuce farming venture backed by Trump’s son, Kushner companies, and a dentist who golfs with the president. The figures were released after a lawsuit by several news organizations, including ProPublica.

Hidden in the New House Coronavirus Relief Bill: Billions for Defense Contractors

A section of the HEROES Act championed by Virginia Democrat Gerry Connolly would cover executive compensation and other perks for defense and intel contractors. The legislation’s wording mirrors what an industry group proposed.

Another Private Jet Company Owned by a Trump Donor Got a Bailout — This One for $20 Million

The two private jet companies are among the first 96 airline companies disclosed as recipients of taxpayer funds under the CARES Act.

Without Federal Help, New York Doctors Had to Ask Medical Supply Execs for Dialysis Supplies

The novel coronavirus, a respiratory illness, is damaging kidneys at an unexpectedly high rate, according to experts. A shortage of dialysis materials has forced New York doctors to directly lobby corporate executives for help.

Republican Billionaire’s Group Pushes Unproven COVID-19 Treatment Trump Promoted

A nonprofit started by the billionaire co-founder of Home Depot says plants are ready to produce the drug but for “red tape.” Experts caution it’s unproven and possibly dangerous.

The RNC Gave Big Contracts to Companies Linked to Its Chairwoman’s Husband and Political Backers

The Republican National Committee’s conflict-of-interest policy says party contracts shouldn’t go to its employees’ family or financial associates. After Ronna McDaniel became chair, the RNC made questionable payments.

The RNC Stopped Paying a Data Firm After A Serious Breach. Then It Paid A Mysterious LLC With the Same Address.

Three years after the Republican National Committee publicly sidelined the sullied firm, it paid an LLC with the same address $900,000 for “data services.” The RNC said it wouldn’t “waste any more breath explaining these innocuous issues.”

Republican National Committee Obscured How Much It Pays Its Chief of Staff

Amid the record-breaking flows of cash, the RNC is giving lucrative consulting work to a select group of political operatives with Trump campaign ties.

Donald Trump Jr. Went to Mongolia, Got Special Treatment From the Government and Killed an Endangered Sheep

During a summer 2019 hunting trip, Donald Trump Jr. killed a rare argali sheep. The Mongolian government issued him a hunting permit retroactively and he met with the country’s president.

Giuliani Was Close to a Podcast Deal With the News Outlet That Spread His Ukraine Conspiracies

The president’s lawyer was negotiating a possible deal to co-produce a podcast with the publication — and The Hill’s John Solomon helped with the talks even as his articles were used in a disinformation campaign.

How a Veteran Reporter Worked with Giuliani’s Associates to Launch the Ukraine Conspiracy

Lev Parnas, recently indicted for foreign influence in U.S. elections, collaborated closely with The Hill’s John Solomon to fuel spurious allegations involving the Bidens and Ukraine.

While Trump Cracked Down on Immigration, a Republican Megadonor Sued for a Special Visa

Shipping supplies billionaires Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein frequently back “America First” candidates and causes. When it comes to their own company, it’s a different matter.

A Brief Guide to Giuliani’s Questionable Friends in Ukraine — “Trump, Inc.” Podcast

Rudy Giuliani has been looking for “corruption” in Ukraine. It’s easy to find among the very people he’s befriended.

Want to Meet With the Trump Administration? Donald Trump Jr.’s Hunting Buddy Can Help

Tommy Hicks Jr. isn’t in government, but he’s a longtime pal of the president’s son. That has put him in the room when the administration talks China and 5G policy, and it lets him help others — including one friend who had $143 million riding on the outcome.

How We Found Donald Trump Jr.’s Secret Investment in a Fundraiser’s Business

What do an ice rink in Central Park and a golf course in the Bronx have to do with a greenhouse in Texas? Decoding a Trump mystery.

Trump Jr. Invested in a Hydroponic Lettuce Company Whose Chair Was Seeking Trump Administration Funds — “Trump, Inc.” Podcast Extra

The president’s eldest son last year became the most prominent shareholder in an indoor-lettuce farm while the company’s co-chairman, a friend of Donald Trump Jr.’s and presidential fundraiser, sought federal support for his other business interests.

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