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Politics

Holding Political Actors Accountable

456 stories published since 2016

How Mike Pence’s Office Meddled in Foreign Aid to Reroute Money to Favored Christian Groups

by Yeganeh Torbati,

Trump Town

by Derek Kravitz, Al Shaw, Claire Perlman and Alex Mierjeski, ProPublica, and David Mora, Columbia Journalism Investigations,

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

by Jake Pearson,

Where Do Illinois Lawmakers Stand on Impeachment?

by Logan Jaffe,

Inside the Trump Administration’s Chaotic Dismantling of the Federal Land Agency

by Mike Spies and J. David McSwane,

Report on Election Security Gains Attention, and a Sharp Rebuke

by Jessica Huseman,

State Tax Breaks Rewarded Companies Connected to One Powerful Man. The Governor Just Killed Them — for Now.

by Nancy Solomon and Jeff Pillets, WNYC,

Lawmakers Call for Ethics Reform to Deal With Billionaire Resort-Owning Governor

by Ken Ward Jr., The Charleston Gazette-Mail,

How a Video Gambling Company Helped Bankroll Local Politicians

by Logan Jaffe,

Welcome to the Greenbrier, the Governor-Owned Luxury Resort Filled With Conflicts of Interest

by Ken Ward Jr., The Charleston Gazette-Mail,

You Can Now See Who’s Contributing to 2020 Presidential Campaigns by State

by Derek Willis,

How Fundraisers Convinced Conservatives to Donate $10 Million — Then Kept Almost All of It.

by Derek Willis, ProPublica, and Maggie Severns, Politico,

Political Operatives Got Donors to Give Millions. The Money Wasn’t Used As Promised. Here’s How They Did It.

by Derek Willis and Moiz Syed,

The Questions Mueller Didn’t Ask

by Eric Umansky,

Federal Election Agency, Hungry for Funds, Now Pays for Officials to Get to Office

by Jessica Huseman,

Follow the 2020 Money Trail

by Derek Willis,

Meet the Congressman Defending Questionable Tax Breaks for a Company Connected to His Rich Brother

by Susan Schmidt, special to ProPublica,

A Huge Tax Break Went to a Politically Connected Company in New Jersey Despite Red Flags

by Jeff Pillets and Nancy Solomon, WNYC, and Alex Mierjeski, ProPublica,

More Instances of Fraud and Mismanagement Over New Jersey Tax Incentives Surface in New Report

by Jeff Pillets and Nancy Solomon, WNYC,

The Tax Break Application Had a False Answer. Now the State Has Put the Break on Hold.

by Nancy Solomon, WNYC, and Jeff Pillets,

Illinois Video Gambling Tax Hike Will Be Decided by Lawmakers With Financial Ties to the Industry

by Jason Grotto, ProPublica Illinois, and Dan Mihalopoulos, WBEZ Chicago,

Emails Show How Much Pull Political Bosses Had Over State Tax Breaks

by Nancy Solomon and Jeff Pillets, WNYC,

New York City’s Early Voting Plan Will Favor White, Affluent Voters, Advocacy Groups Say

by Jessica Huseman,

Three Ways Chicago’s City Council Keeps Its Committees Out of the Public Eye

by Logan Jaffe,

At Chicago’s City Council, Committees Are Used to Reward Political Favors and Fund Patronage

by Mick Dumke,

New Jersey Task Force Examines Tax Breaks for George Norcross Projects

by Nancy Solomon, WNYC, and Jeff Pillets,

How Companies and Allies of One Powerful Democrat Got $1.1 Billion in Tax Breaks

by Nancy Solomon, WNYC, and Jeff Pillets,

Have a Complaint About a South Carolina Judge? Help Us Investigate.

by Joseph Cranney, The Post and Courier, and Karim Doumar, ProPublica,

South Carolina: The State Where Judges Rule Themselves in Secret

by Joseph Cranney, The Post and Courier,

Kentucky’s Secretary of State Turns Up Heat in Fight With Elections Board

by Jessica Huseman, ProPublica, and Daniel Desrochers, Lexington Herald-Leader,

Chicago in a Single Tweet, and News From Elections Around the State

by Logan Jaffe,

Trump, All About Winning, Sees Losses in Court Pile Up

by Joe Sexton,

Promises, Tamales and Even Truth-Telling: Chicago’s Mayoral Race Hits the Final Stretch

by Mick Dumke,

VA’s Private Care Program Headed for Tech Trouble, Review Finds

by Isaac Arnsdorf,

Kentucky Legislature Passes Bill Stripping Grimes of Authority Over State Board of Elections

by Jessica Huseman,

Senators Urge IRS to Focus on Big-Time Tax Cheats, Citing ProPublica Stories

by Paul Kiel and Jesse Eisinger,

Chicago’s Election Signals Break from the Past — in Wards and at City Hall

by Mick Dumke,

At Chicago City Hall, the Legislative Branch Rarely Does Much Legislating

by Mick Dumke,

Cook County Takes Steps to Erase Its Regional Gang Database

by Mick Dumke,

How Has the “Crack Cocaine of Gambling” Affected Illinois? The State Hasn’t Bothered to Check.

by Jason Grotto and Sandhya Kambhampati, ProPublica Illinois, and Dan Mihalopoulos, WBEZ Chicago,

Trump Inauguration Chief Tom Barrack’s “Rules for Success” — “Trump, Inc.” Podcast

by Justin Elliott, ProPublica, and Ilya Marritz, WNYC,

The VA Is Paying for a Top Official’s Cross-Country Commute

by Isaac Arnsdorf,

Former Trump Officials Are Supposed to Avoid Lobbying. Except 33 Haven’t.

by Derek Kravitz for ProPublica,

New Evidence Emerges of Possible Wrongdoing by Trump Inaugural Committee

by Justin Elliott, ProPublica, and Ilya Marritz, WNYC,

The Curious Case of a Kentucky Cybersecurity Contract

by Jessica Huseman, ProPublica, and Daniel Desrochers, Lexington Herald-Leader,

A Power Grab in Kentucky Sparks a Revolt

by Jessica Huseman, ProPublica, and Daniel Desrochers, Lexington Herald-Leader,

A Onetime Rising Democratic Star Faces Questions About Voter Privacy

by Jessica Huseman, ProPublica, and Daniel Desrochers, Lexington Herald-Leader,

How Illinois Bet on Video Gambling and Lost

by Jason Grotto and Sandhya Kambhampati, ProPublica, and Dan Mihalopoulos, WBEZ Chicago,

Will Pelosi Open the Floor to Bipartisan Ideas?

by Derek Willis,

What We Learned From Collecting 100,000 Targeted Facebook Ads

by Jeremy B. Merrill,

What We’re Watching

During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.

Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.

Photo of Sharon Lerner
Sharon Lerner

I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

Photo of Andy Kroll
Andy Kroll

I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.

Photo of Melissa Sanchez
Melissa Sanchez

I report on immigration and labor, and I am based in Chicago.

Photo of Jesse Coburn
Jesse Coburn

I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.

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Most Read

    The Trump Administration Leaned on African Countries. The Goal: Get Business for Elon Musk.

    The State Department has intervened on behalf of Musk’s satellite internet company in five developing nations. In Gambia, U.S. diplomats have lobbied and browbeat at least seven government ministers as part of a “maximum pressure” campaign.

    by Joshua Kaplan, Brett Murphy, Justin Elliott and Alex Mierjeski,

    U.S. AG Pam Bondi Sold More than $1 Million in Trump Media Stock the Day Trump Announced Sweeping Tariffs

    Disclosure forms show that Bondi sold between $1 million and $5 million worth of shares on April 2. That day, after the market closed, Trump’s “Liberation Day” press conference sent the market tumbling.

    by Robert Faturechi and Brandon Roberts,

    Trump Administration Moves to Block the U.S. Travel of Mexican Politicians Who It Says Are Linked to the Drug Trade

    The list of Mexicans who could be targeted for U.S. visa restrictions includes leaders of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s party, state governors and former Cabinet ministers.

    by Tim Golden,

    Musk Adviser May Make as Much as $1 Million a Year While Helping to Dismantle Agency that Regulates Tesla and X

    Records show that Chris Young is simultaneously working as a political adviser to Musk while serving in the Department of Government Efficiency, helping to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

    by Jake Pearson,

    The Ugly Truth

    “Incalculable” Damage: How a “We Buy Ugly Houses” Franchise Left a Trail of Financial Wreckage Across Texas

    Charles Carrier is accused of orchestrating a yearslong Ponzi scheme, bilking tens of millions of dollars from both wealthy investors and older people with modest incomes. Despite signs of trouble, HomeVestors didn’t intervene.

    by Anjeanette Damon and Mollie Simon,