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Justin Elliott

@justinelliott.bsky.social
50K followers 979 following 66 posts

ProPublica reporter. Email tips/comments/complaints: justin@propublica.org Signal: www.propublica.org/people/justin-el… More: justinelliott.co

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Reposted by Justin Elliott
Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
"The federal government is lying to you." "The government has said that ICE does not zip tie or handcuff children." "They’ve denied engaging in racial profiling" "They’ve said the government is not wrongly arresting U.S. citizens." *We found the truth* projects.propublica.org/american-cit....
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
William Turton @williamturton.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
In 2024 the former CEO of a defense contractor made a stunning confession to two FBI agents. He alleged that was the ringleader of a massive pay-to-play operation, bribing senators with campaign contributions in exchange for govt contracts. www.propublica.org/article/fbi-...
propublica.org
The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way
After the FBI caught a defense contractor’s CEO making illegal campaign contributions, it sought to launch a sweeping political bribery probe involving Collins and others. Then the second Trump admini...
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
ProPublica @propublica.org · 17/09/2026
This week, ProPublica revealed that a Russian oligarch close to President Vladimir Putin bankrolled Donald Trump Jr.’s Bahamas wedding festivities. Join our reporters on Sept. 23 for a behind-the-scenes conversation. 🗓️ RSVP: events.propublica.org/don-jr-weddi...
Graphic titled "Bankrolled: How a Russian Oligarch Funded Donald Trump Jr.'s Wedding Weekend." Text below reads: The inside story of how ProPublica traced the lavish three-day party back to a secret benefactor. Wednesday, Sept. 23. 4 p.m. EST. An image shows dozens of people in a group wedding photo on a beach, including Donald Trump Jr.; his wife, Bettina; and Tiffany Trump. An arrow points to Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev, labeled as "Don Jr.'s secret benefactor," in the back row.
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
Jessica Lussenhop @jlussenhop.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
🎧It's ALIVE!🎧 Hear a little bit of BTS on the jaw-dropping reporting on Donald Trump Jr.'s secret wedding guest from the reporters themselves, @justinelliott.bsky.social and Brett Murphy www.propublica.org/podcast/dona...
propublica.org
The Russian Benefactor Who Funded Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
New: Donald Trump Jr.’s Bahamas Wedding Was Secretly Bankrolled by Russian Oligarch Close to Putin www.propublica.org/article/dona... w/ @josh-kaplan.bsky.social @amierjeski.bsky.social
propublica.org
Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding Bankrolled by Putin-Linked Russian Oligarch
The oligarch, Umar Kremlev, spent hundreds of thousands on expenses like renting out a private island. He appears to have met Trump Jr. only recently, but he attended the intimate wedding with a large...
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
ProPublica @propublica.org · 19/08/2026
NEW: Congress appropriated $1 trillion for defense this year, more than twice as much as the combined budget for agencies overseeing health, veterans affairs, education, housing, agriculture and justice. We’re setting out to report on how this public money is being spent.
propublica.org
The $1 Trillion Black Box
The U.S. military budget is vast and opaque. Projects touted as engineering marvels end up facing years of delays and ballooning costs. ProPublica has launched a series to report on the Pentagon’s spe...
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
Jesse Coburn @jessecoburn.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
NEW: Flaming robots. Haywire Turkish machines. An actual dumpster fire. General Dynamics received $533 million from the Army to produce artillery but hasn’t made a single usable shell. ProPublica got the inside story of what went wrong. It’s a wild ride: www.propublica.org/article/gene...
propublica.org
Fiasco in the Factory: Taxpayers Funded a $533 Million Artillery Plant That Made Nothing
General Dynamics opened a Texas factory to churn out artillery shells for Ukraine, but the machines kept breaking. Robot arms smashed into things. Hunks of metal crashed to the floor. There was even a...
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
kalibomeli.bsky.social @kalibomeli.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
1/ This is Nick Adams. He’s a big deal in MAGA world. He’s got 638K followers on X and 2.1M on Facebook. President Trump even appointed him to a role at the State Dept. But when I started digging into Adams' nonprofit for "civics" education, something didn't look right ... 🧵
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
Joaquin Sapien @jbsapien.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
A few weeks ago, after two years of work, I published a story unlike any I’d encountered in my 18 years at ProPublica. I’ve been off social media for a while, but I felt compelled to share some of my reporting journey here. 🧵
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild.org · 25/06/2026
As ProPublica’s IT support specialist Penny Serrano puts it: “We're just simply asking for a contract that reflects those values — and not just in words but also in wages.” Help us ensure fair pay for all our workers: www.propublicaguild.org
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
NEW: Before SpaceX IPO, Investors in China Secretly Acquired Stakes, by @justinelliott.bsky.social @josh-kaplan.bsky.social
propublica.org
Before SpaceX IPO, Investors in China Secretly Acquired Stakes
One previously unreported SpaceX investor has ties to Chinese military contractors. The information was revealed only after ProPublica went to court to obtain it.
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
NEW: For its IPO, SpaceX banned Chinese investors because of the nat’l security risks. As a private company, it took China-based investment. @justinelliott.bsky.social, @josh-kaplan.bsky.social: www.propublica.org/article/spac...
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
Annie Waldman @anniewaldman.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
NEW: In February, I visited Raw Farm. You may have heard of it. RFK Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow are customers. It supplies raw dairy products to 500 stores nationwide. And regulators have linked it to over a dozen recalls and outbreaks that have made hundreds sick. 🧵👇
propublica.org
He Profits Off Raw Milk That’s Making People Sick. The Government Isn’t Stopping Him.
With Raw Farm, the largest raw-milk dairy in the country, Mark McAfee has capitalized on a once-fringe product that’s been thrust into the mainstream in recent years and backed by Health Secretary Rob...
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
Josh Kaplan @josh-kaplan.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
NEW: Earlier this year, an obscure startup in Texas announced that it had received at least $100 mil from one of the richest men in Asia. We dug into the backstory. We discovered a saga involving Donald Trump Jr., Russian oil, and an Indian billionaire family’s private zoo.
Donald Trump Jr and Anant Ambani talking to each other in front of an elephant
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
New: An Indian Billionaire was targeted by the Trump administration. Then he poured millions of dollars into a startup secretly backed by Donald Trump Jr. www.propublica.org/article/trum... w/ @josh-kaplan.bsky.social @amierjeski.bsky.social
propublica.org
An Indian Billionaire Was Targeted by Trump. Then He Poured Money Into a Startup Secretly Backed by Donald Trump Jr.
An obscure Texas firm secretly connected to the president’s son said it received at least $100 million from Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries. At the same time, the Ambani family secured major polic...
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
Molly Redden @mtredden.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
After a decade+ of nonstop pollution offenses, GOP Sen. Jim Justice's coal empire learned earlier this year that it was under federal criminal investigation. But before prosecutors could gather crucial evidence, Todd Blanche's office told them "pencils down."
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
Annie Waldman @anniewaldman.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
I'm impressed by my @propublica.org colleagues every day, but omg the new Paper Trail podcast is so good. Amazing work from @jlussenhop.bsky.social + team. Take a listen: www.propublica.org/podcast/what...
propublica.org
What the FDA Won’t Tell You About Your Medications
For years, the FDA said generics are just as safe as brand-name medications. ProPublica found that this isn’t always true.
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
House Dems' letter to DHS on Corey Lewandowski: preserve your documents oversightdemocrats.house.gov/imo/media/do...
Letter to DHS re: Corey Lewandowski
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
Al Shaw @shaw.al · 05/03/2026
NEW: Over the past year, we've been collecting thousands of financial disclosure documents from across the Trump administration. Now we're making them searchable. Look up names, assets, former employers across 1,500+ Trump appointees and 3,000+ ethics documents.
projects.propublica.org
Explore Financial Disclosures From President Trump and 1,500 of His Appointees - ProPublica
Use this database to explore potential conflicts of interest for President Donald Trump and his team. The documents disclose positions officials have held outside government, their assets and their de...
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Sen. Blumenthal has written a letter to Kristi Noem about her denial that Corey Lewandowski has a role in approving contracts at DHS. "I demand that you amend your testimony" and "provide the basis for your apparent false statement on the record." www.blumenthal.senate.gov/imo/media/do...
A letter from Sen. Blumenthal to Kristi Noem dated March 4, 2026
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
New: Kristi Noem claimed to the Senate yesterday that Corey Lewandowski has no role approving contracts at DHS. But internal DHS records and interviews with current and former agency officials contradict her testimony: www.propublica.org/article/kris... w/ @josh-kaplan.bsky.social
propublica.org
Kristi Noem Misled Congress About Top Aide’s Role in DHS Contracts
Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Noem denied that Corey Lewandowski had any role in approving contracts. But internal DHS records and interviews with current and former agency staffer...
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
Jesse Coburn @jessecoburn.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
NEW: The Trump administration is planning to use AI to write federal regulations despite the risk of hallucinations. “We don't even need a very good rule,” the Transportation Department’s top lawyer said of the plan, per meeting notes reviewed by ProPublica. “We want good enough.”🧵
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
Molly Redden @mtredden.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
A billionaire known as “Bitcoin Jesus” was under indictment for massive criminal tax fraud and very likely going to prison. Then, he hired a “Friend of Trump” and the criminal charges disappeared. How did they do it? Avi Asher-Schapiro and I spent months getting the inside story.
A man's suit lapel with two pins on it. One is the DOJ seal, the other is in the shape of a thumbs-up and says "Trump" on it.
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
BREAKING: We've found 40+ cases of agents using banned chokeholds & other moves that can cut off breathing People have had seizures. They passed out. “I felt like I was going to die” said 16-yr-old citizen Admin won't say whether any agents have been punished www.propublica.org/article/vide...
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
NEW: Here's the searing tale of one woman's struggle to feed her family after the Trump Administration imposed a man-made food crisis. Beautifully written by Brett Murphy & @annamaria.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/trum...
propublica.org
The Summer of Starvation: Amid Trump’s Foreign Aid Cuts, a Mother Struggles to Keep Her Sons Alive
After the Trump administration cut off food from the third-largest refugee camp in the world, thousands of families faced impossible choices as their children starved.
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
Ellis Simani @emsimani.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Amidst the Trump administration's attacks on "illegal" DEI, @propublica.org has found more than 1,000 nonprofits that revised the mission statements on their tax forms to remove terms like "racism" and "marginalized." Half who made changes reported no govt funding. www.propublica.org/article/dele...
propublica.org
Under Trump, More Than 1,000 Nonprofits Strip DEI Language From Tax Forms
As the Trump administration ordered agencies to eradicate “illegal” diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, we identified more than 1,000 nonprofits that removed such language from the mission statem...
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
NEW: One of the most significant accomplishments of the Trump Admin: Decimating the US's humanitarian aid. We went to S. Sudan to see the effects. Rubio says no one has died from the cuts. Spoiler: That's not true. @annamaria.bsky.social & Brett Murphy: www.propublica.org/article/usai...
propublica.org
Trump Officials Celebrated With Cake After Slashing Aid. Then People Died of Cholera.
Behind closed doors in Washington, top advisers made a series of decisions that had devastating repercussions for the poorest country on earth. We went to South Sudan and found people who died as a re...
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
Have information we should know about this or something else? Get in touch:
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
The White House said in a statement there was “no defraudation” because Trump used the same lender for each mortgage.
In response to questions, a White House spokesperson told ProPublica: “President Trump’s two mortgages you are referencing are from the same lender. There was no defraudation. It is illogical to believe that the same lender would agree to defraud itself.”

The spokesperson added, “this is yet another desperate attempt by the Left wing media to disparage President Trump with false allegations,” and said, “President Trump has never, or will ever, break the law.”
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
But Trump’s two mortgages clearly exceed his own standard for “mortgage fraud.” We found numerous rental listings for the properties. The listing agent from the ‘90s told us in an interview: “They were rentals from the beginning.” “President Trump never lived there.”
Rental listing for Woodbridge Rd home
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
For months Trump has accused political enemies of mortgage fraud for just this: claiming more than one primary residence. Trump called one who did so “deceitful” and “CROOKED.” (Experts say having two such mortgages can be valid and even when wrong is rarely prosecuted.)
Trump letter firing Lisa Cook
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
But there’s no evidence Trump moved in. The homes were used as investments and rented out, according to news accounts and an interview with his longtime realtor. Trump “hired an expensive New York design firm” to “dress them up to the nines and lease them out annually.”
Newspaper clip: Trump seeks more holdings in Palm Beach
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
He got two mortgages just seven weeks apart. The two documents Trump personally signed said he would make each home his principal residence for a year, unless the lender agreed otherwise. www.documentcloud.org/documents/26... www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
documentcloud.org
Trump mortgage 1993
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
The year was 1993. Trump was dealing with the business wreckage from a series of high profile bankruptcies and he had just married Marla Maples. In Palm Beach, he was pushing to turn Mar-a-Lago into a private club, and he decided to acquire two properties next door on Woodbridge Road.
Newspaper clip: Trump seeks more holdings in Palm Beach
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
NEW: Trump’s Own Mortgages Match His Description of Mortgage Fraud, Records Reveal www.propublica.org/article/trum... w/ @robert-faturechi.bsky.social @amierjeski.bsky.social
propublica.org
Trump’s Own Mortgages Match His Description of Mortgage Fraud, Records Reveal
The Trump administration has argued that Fed board member Lisa Cook may have committed mortgage fraud by declaring more than one primary residence on her loans. We found Trump once did the very thing ...
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Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
So Jim Justice is one of the wealthiest people in the country. And in 2021, we wrote a story about how almost never paid taxes www.propublica.org/article/how-...
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
New: Lawmakers Call for Probe of How Firm Tied to Kristi Noem Got Piece of $220 Million DHS Ad Contracts www.propublica.org/article/kris... w/ @josh-kaplan.bsky.social @amierjeski.bsky.social
propublica.org
Lawmakers Call for Probe of How Firm Tied to Kristi Noem Got Piece of $220 Million DHS Ad Contracts
The demands for an investigation come after a ProPublica story revealed that the Noem-connected Strategy Group was secretly a subcontractor on the ad campaign.
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Chris Morran @themorrancave.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
NEW: When Andrew Tate landed in the US, Customs & Border Protection seized his electronic devices. But @propublica.org found that a White House official told DHS to return the devices, emphasizing that the request came from the White House. By @robert-faturechi.bsky.social & Avi Asher-Schapiro
propublica.org
The White House Intervened on Behalf of Accused Sex Trafficker Andrew Tate During a Federal Investigation
Federal authorities were chided for seizing electronic devices from Tate and his brother, and told to return them, records and interviews show. Experts said the intervention was highly inappropriate.
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William Turton @williamturton.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
New: FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff www.propublica.org/article/fbi-...
propublica.org
FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff
As the FBI’s deputy director, Bongino receives some of the country’s most sensitive secrets, including the President’s Daily Brief. His ascent to that position without passing a standard bureau backgr...
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
Josh Kaplan @josh-kaplan.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
NEW: We’ve uncovered the first known example of taxpayer money flowing from DHS to businesses controlled by Kristi Noem’s allies and friends. It’s part of a money trail that’s been shrouded in secrecy—and involves $220 million, a mysterious Delaware LLC & a horse named Gill.
Kristi Noem sits on a horse wearing a cowboy hat. In the background is Mount Rushmore.
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
We're still reporting; if you have information we should have, get in touch
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
NEW: Firm Tied to Kristi Noem Secretly Got Money From $220 Million DHS Ad Contracts www.propublica.org/article/kris... w @josh-kaplan.bsky.social @amierjeski.bsky.social
propublica.org
Firm Tied to Kristi Noem Secretly Got Money From $220 Million DHS Ad Contracts
The company is run by the husband of Noem’s chief DHS spokesperson and has personal and business ties to Noem and her aides. DHS invoked the “emergency” at the border to skirt competitive bidding rule...
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Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
JOB ALERT! We are hiring a business editor. You have an unerring instinct for the jugular of the wealthy & powerful? Build a team with me and we’ll get after it! job-boards.greenhouse.io/propublica/j... You can email me or on Signal at 718-496-5233
job-boards.greenhouse.io
Senior Editor, Business
New York City, United States
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Reposted by Justin Elliott
Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
SCOOP The admin is making it harder for male vets w/ breast cancer to get their care covered The admin cites Trump order: “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” I got the memo laying it all out www.propublica.org/article/vete...
propublica.org
Citing Trump Order on “Biological Truth,” VA Makes It Harder for Male Veterans With Breast Cancer to Get Coverage
A Department of Veterans Affairs memo obtained by ProPublica erects new roadblocks to care for veterans with the rare but deadly cancer. The agency cites no new science but relies on an executive orde...
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 12/10/2025
Here is our full story that Vance is dismissing, with primary source documents showing Trump cabinet members with multiple primary-residence mortgages www.propublica.org/article/trum... www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
propublica.org
Trump Is Accusing Foes With Multiple Mortgages of Fraud. Records Show 3 of His Cabinet Members Have Them.
The White House has targeted opponents, including a Fed governor, for having more than one primary residence on their loan papers. ProPublica found that, in one case, a Trump cabinet secretary got two...
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
New: Elon Musk’s SpaceX Took Money Directly From Chinese Investors, Company Insider Testifies www.propublica.org/article/elon...
propublica.org
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Took Money Directly From Chinese Investors, Company Insider Testifies
The newly unsealed testimony marks the first time direct Chinese investment in the company has been disclosed, raising new questions about foreign ownership interests in one of America’s most importan...
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
New: Kristi Noem fast-tracked millions in disaster aid to Naples, Florida tourist attraction after campaign donor intervened www.propublica.org/article/kris... w/ @josh-kaplan.bsky.social @amierjeski.bsky.social
propublica.org
Kristi Noem Fast-Tracked Millions in Disaster Aid to Florida Tourist Attraction After Campaign Donor Intervened
The DHS chief has been widely criticized for slowing down FEMA’s response after natural disasters. Texts and emails obtained by ProPublica point to an effective way to get help faster: have one of Noe...
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Jesse Drucker @jessedrucker.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
My latest story - Trump administration rolls back tax shelter crackdown: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/09/b...
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Halts I.R.S. Crackdown on Major Tax Shelters
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 05/09/2025
1/ The documents are clear: Lee Zeldin and his wife have two principal-residence mortgages, for properties in Long Island and Washington, D.C. We’ve got the records 👇 Long Island: legacy.www.documentcloud.org/documents/26... D.C.: legacy.www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
Post on X from EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. The text says: "ProPublica's headline is the definition of fake news. I have NEVER claimed more than one primary residence! In 2007, I acquired a primary residence in NY upon leaving active duty. That was my primary residence for the next 17.5 years. My primary residence then changed to DC this past year when I become EPA Administrator. I completed the process by the book, notifying my mortgage companies, insurance company, and local government that my primary residence was changing. These fake news hacks knew this BEFORE posting their bogus claim, but they just couldn't help themselves." Below the post text is a screenshot of a ProPublica post that reads: "Trump has targeted political foes for claiming more than one primary residence on their loan papers. But ProPublica found that at least three of the president's Cabinet members have done the same thing."
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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
New: Trump Is Accusing Foes With Multiple Mortgages of Fraud. Records Show 3 of His Cabinet Members Have Them. www.propublica.org/article/trum... w/ @robert-faturechi.bsky.social @amierjeski.bsky.social
propublica.org
Trump Is Accusing Foes With Multiple Mortgages of Fraud. Records Show 3 of His Cabinet Members Have Them.
The White House has targeted opponents, including a Fed governor, for having more than one primary residence on their loan papers. ProPublica found that, in one case, a Trump cabinet secretary got two...
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