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William Turton

@williamturton.bsky.social
4.6K followers 376 following 126 posts

Reporter, ProPublica. Focused on federal law enforcement Contact me on Signal: 804-295-7201 william.turton@propublica.org

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William Turton @williamturton.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Portland Press Herald Editorial Board: "It is extremely disappointing to watch Collins and members of her staff move to immediately discredit a thorough and fair piece of investigative journalism on political and personal grounds." www.pressherald.com/2026/09/27/i...
pressherald.com
It’s Maine’s turn to be concerned about Susan Collins | Editorial
The senator's complacent response to open allegations of bribery sends voters a very clear and disrespectful message.
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William Turton @williamturton.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Thanks to @chrislhayes.bsky.social for having me on last night to talk about our investigation into Susan Collins and the falsehoods her campaign has offered in response to our reporting.
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William Turton @williamturton.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Susan Collins' deputy chief of staff Annie Clark said that the FBI didn't believe former Navatek CEO Martin Kao. Our reporting shows that's not true. www.propublica.org/article/debu...
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William Turton @williamturton.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
NEW STORY: Susan Collins Dismissed Our Reporting as Old News. Some of Her Claims Aren’t True. www.propublica.org/article/debu...
propublica.org
ProPublica Debunks Susan Collins’ Claims About FBI Anti-Corruption Probe
ProPublica revealed that the FBI was circling Sen. Collins over a defense contractor’s donations — until President Trump gutted the unit in charge. Collins has since mustered a defense with a series o...
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William Turton @williamturton.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
NEW STORY: Susan Collins Dismissed Our Reporting as Old News. Some of Her Claims Aren’t True. www.propublica.org/article/debu...
propublica.org
ProPublica Debunks Susan Collins’ Claims About FBI Anti-Corruption Probe
ProPublica revealed that the FBI was circling Sen. Collins over a defense contractor’s donations — until President Trump gutted the unit in charge. Collins has since mustered a defense with a series o...
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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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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
This interaction between White House election security official Kurt Olsen and Paul Brown, the head of the FBI’s Atlanta field office, is eye-popping. Brown was pressured to retire for not going along with the plan to seize 2020 ballots from Fulton County. www.propublica.org/article/trum...
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Andy Kroll @andykroll.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
What's angered Trump re Noem? Her testimony about a $200 million self-promotional ad campaign at DHS — about which @propublica.org broke the critical details last year: www.propublica.org/article/kris...
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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William Turton @williamturton.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
"But at a certain point, this childish indulgence in an unchecked id and a bottomless compulsion to be the center of attention takes a toll on the FBI’s actual work; what the world saw in a locker room Sunday evening marks such an inflection point."
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William Turton @williamturton.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
So thrilled to join the staff of ProPublica. Please reach out if you know about an important story involving the Department of Justice or the FBI. www.propublica.org/atpropublica...
propublica.org
William Turton Joins ProPublica as National Reporter
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Ken Schwencke @schwanksta.com · 10/02/2026
Habeas cases filed by immigrants claiming their detention is illegal have taken off to levels we have never seen before. Just look at that chart. www.propublica.org/article/habe...
A line chart going from Jan 2009 to Jan 2026 showing very few cases until Trump’s second term, where the line takes off nearly vertically, showing more than 6,600 cases in Jan 2026 alone.
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William Turton @williamturton.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
www.propublica.org/article/bitc...
propublica.org
How “Bitcoin Jesus” Avoided Prison, Thanks to One of the “Friends of Trump”
Billionaire fugitive Roger Ver was facing federal criminal charges until he sought the services of a select club of President Donald Trump’s former personal attorneys who have easy access to top Justi...
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Mica Rosenberg @micarosenberg.bsky.social · 23/12/2025
We at ProPublica obtained internal government data in May that showed the Trump administration knew the vast majority of Venezuelans sent to El Salvador had not been convicted of violent crimes. Our reporting is featured in Frontline. Read our full coverage: www.propublica.org/series/depor...
propublica.org
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gingerthompson.bsky.social @gingerthompson.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
I went to Albany, Ga., 5 years ago to write about Covid-19, but I realized there was a bigger story to be told about the unchecked power of our health care system and who benefits from its growth. Spoiler: Far too few of us. @propublica.org projects.propublica.org/albany-georg...
projects.propublica.org
Sick in a Hospital Town, Part 1: The Business of Care
Welcome to Albany, Georgia, where one hospital dominates the political and economic landscape. The story of Phoebe Putney Memorial is the story of American health care.
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Peter Elkind @peterelkind.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
NEW! The Shakedown: How Trump's DOJ pressured lawyers to 'find' evidence that UCLA had illegally tolerated antisemitism. by me and @KatherineMangan w/ @chronicle.com www.propublica.org/article/ucla...
propublica.org
Trump’s DOJ Pressured Lawyers to “Find” Evidence that UCLA Had Illegally Tolerated Antisemitism
An investigation by ProPublica and The Chronicle of Higher Education reveals how the U.S. government ignored due process to gin up its attack on the University of California.
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Nicole Foy @nicolefoy.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
Hey folks 👋 I'm the reporter who revealed immigration agents detained 170+ citizens this year My fellowship w/ProPublica has been incredible, but it wraps January. I'm looking for my next gig. Please reach out to share leads & opportunities! nicolemfoy@gmail.com www.propublica.org/people/nicol...
propublica.org
Nicole Foy
ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.
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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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ProPublica @propublica.org · 08/12/2025
Welcome to Albany, Georgia, where one hospital dominates the political and economic landscape. The story of Phoebe Putney Memorial is the story of American health care. By @gingerthompson.bsky.social, with research by Doris Burke
projects.propublica.org
Sick in a Hospital Town: As Phoebe Memorial Grew, the Health of Albany, Georgia, Declined
The five-part series, “Sick in a Hospital Town,” pursues one question: Why are people in Albany so sick when its most powerful institution is a hospital?
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William Turton @williamturton.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
Happening now in NYC: The names of journalists, artists, writers, scholars, and media workers killed in Gaza are being projected onto 33 Thomas Street.
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
The FBI has recently used polygraph tests to ask senior employees if they have said anything negative about FBI Director Kash Patel or had spoken to the media. Separately, Patel granted waivers to Deputy Director Dan Bongino and two other staffers, exempting them from passing polygraph exams.
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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National Security Counselors 🕵 @nationalsecuritylaw.org · 14/11/2025
Doesn't surprise me in the least. Full disclosure: I was one of the lawyers interviewed about this, and everything they say is accurate about how unprecedented this is. If I were to ask for a waiver for a client after they didn't pass a poly, I'd be laughed out of the room.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 14/11/2025
NEW: FBI Director Kash Patel granted waivers to Deputy Director Dan Bongino and two newly hired senior FBI staff, exempting them from polygraph exams normally required to gain access to America’s most sensitive classified information, officials said.
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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Eric Geller @ericjgeller.com · 14/11/2025
"Former FBI officials said they could not recall a single instance in which a senior official like Bongino received a waiver and was then given a top secret clearance."
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…
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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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Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
NEW: DHS launched a $200mln+ ad campaign, featuring, Kristi Noem, aimed at stemming illegal immigration. We found the firm secretly hired for the work has ties to Noem. @justinelliott.bsky.social, @josh-kaplan.bsky.social & @amierjeski.bsky.social: www.propublica.org/article/kris...
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Doug Bock Clark @dougbockclark.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
Few people outside North Carolina have heard of Paul Newby, the chief justice of the state’s Supreme Court. But Newby has had a huge impact on America and his state. He’s done this with the goal of delivering what he’s called “biblical justice, equal justice, for all.” THREAD 👇
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Annie Waldman @anniewaldman.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
Justice Brett Kavanaugh: “If the officers learn that the individual they stopped is a U.S. citizen...they promptly let the individual go." The reality: Americans have been dragged, tackled, beaten, tased and shot by immigration agents. A must read from the very talented @nicolefoy.bsky.social:
propublica.org
More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days.
The government does not track how often immigration agents grab citizens. So ProPublica did. Our tally — almost certainly incomplete — includes people who were held for days without a lawyer. And near...
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
BREAKING from PP We found immigration agents have held more than 170 *citizens* The govt doesn't track citizens held. So we did. We tallied: Nearly 20 kids, two w/ cancer More than 20 citizens held for day or more, incommunicado www.propublica.org/article/immi... by @nicolefoy.bsky.social
propublica.org
More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days.
The government does not track how often immigration agents grab citizens. So ProPublica did. Our tally — almost certainly incomplete — includes people who were held for days without a lawyer. And near...
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William Turton @williamturton.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
I’m speaking on this panel alongside Matthew
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 25/07/2025
NEW: Nathan Albers once co-owned a company that schemed to hire and conceal undocumented workers. Now his company could make hundreds of millions from work on the nation's largest detention camp. “The irony is thick,” said a former DHS official.
propublica.org
His Former Company Got Caught Employing Undocumented Workers. Now He’s Profiting Off an Immigrant Detention Camp.
Disaster Management Group is one contractor behind the nation’s largest detention camp, to be built at Fort Bliss. It’s run by Nathan Albers, who previously co-owned a company that pleaded guilty to a...
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Mica Rosenberg @micarosenberg.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
You may have seen reports about the release of Venezuelans the Trump administration sent to a Salvadoran prison and called "the worst of the worst." But when we set out to learn more about them, that's not what we found. 🧵
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
The former *police commisioner* said a “rogue” NYPD unit was run by Adams cronies and reported directly to direct City Hall — exactly as we reported. Adams was so tight with the unit, sources told us, he had secret access to live body-cam footage. www.propublica.org/article/eric...
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Renee Dudley @reneedudley.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
www.propublica.org/article/micr...
propublica.org
A Little-Known Microsoft Program Could Expose the Defense Department to Chinese Hackers
The Pentagon bans foreign citizens from accessing highly sensitive data, but Microsoft bypasses this by using engineers in China and elsewhere to remotely instruct American “escorts” who may lack expe...
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
“If this program is implemented in its current form, it’s extremely likely that incorrect addresses will be given to DHS and individuals will be wrongly targeted.”
propublica.org
The IRS Is Building a Vast System to Share Millions of Taxpayers’ Data With ICE
ProPublica has obtained the blueprint for the Trump administration’s unprecedented plan to turn over IRS records to Homeland Security in order to speed up the agency’s mass deportation efforts.
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Eric Geller @ericjgeller.com · 15/07/2025
The IRS is building a database that would let ICE access people's home addresses to speed up mass deportations. It could make dangerous mistakes. Great scoop from @williamturton.bsky.social, @chrisbing.bsky.social, and Avi Asher-Schapiro. www.propublica.org/article/trum...
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Michael Learmonth @learmonth.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
They were “pushing the boundaries of the law,” one official said. “Everyone at IRS felt the same way.” @williamturton.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/trum...
propublica.org
The IRS Is Building a Vast System to Share Millions of Taxpayers’ Data With ICE
ProPublica has obtained the blueprint for the Trump administration’s unprecedented plan to turn over IRS records to Homeland Security in order to speed up the agency’s mass deportation efforts.
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Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
NEW: The IRS is building a vast effort to help the Trump Admin deportation apparatus. A Trump-appointed IRS official objected. Now he’s out. & the effort is going forward. @williamturton.bsky.social, @chrisbing.bsky.social & Avi Shapiro: www.propublica.org/article/trum...
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William Turton @williamturton.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
SCOOP: The IRS Is Building a Vast System to Share Millions of Taxpayers’ Data With ICE www.propublica.org/article/trum...
propublica.org
The IRS Is Building a Vast System to Share Millions of Taxpayers’ Data With ICE
ProPublica has obtained the blueprint for the Trump administration’s unprecedented plan to turn over IRS records to Homeland Security in order to speed up the agency’s mass deportation efforts.
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Melody Joy Kramer @mkramer.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
Did You Work on a Terminated NIH Grant? ProPublica Wants to Hear From You. www.propublica.org/getinvolved/...
propublica.org
Did You Work on a Terminated NIH Grant? ProPublica Wants to Hear From You.
The National Institutes of Health is canceling grants that are seen as conflicting with the Trump administration’s priorities. We want to hear from researchers who have been affected.
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William Turton @williamturton.bsky.social · 22/06/2025
Just saw this movie at Film Forum. Did anything happen while I was gone
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 10/06/2025
NEW: At least 38 DOGE members work, or have worked, for one of Elon Musk’s companies. Meanwhile, nearly two dozen DOGE officials are making cuts to the same federal agencies that regulate the industries that employed them.
propublica.org
The DOGE 100: Musk Is Out, but More Than 100 of His Followers Remain to Implement Trump’s Blueprint
At least 38 DOGE members work, or have worked, for one of Elon Musk’s companies. Meanwhile, nearly two dozen DOGE officials are making cuts to the same federal agencies that regulate the industries th...
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Brandon Roberts @bxroberts.org · 06/06/2025
THREAD: An ex-DOGE engineer with no government or medical experience used AI to identify which Veterans Affairs contracts to kill, labeling them as “MUNCHABLE.” @vernalcoleman.bsky.social @ericumansky.bsky.social and I got the code. Here’s what it tells us 1/
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William Turton @williamturton.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
Have y'all ever experienced the signal bug where it asks you to do a capatcha but never actually verifies you, making you unable to send new messages? Any solution to fix?
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William Turton @williamturton.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
"One of Elon Musk’s employees is earning between $100,001 and $1 million annually as a political adviser to his billionaire boss while simultaneously helping to dismantle the federal agency that regulates two of Musk’s biggest companies." www.propublica.org/article/doge...
propublica.org
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...
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 07/05/2025
UPDATE: We've confirmed the identities and roles of 9 more key figures affiliated with Musk, bringing our DOGE tracker to a total of 86 staffers.
projects.propublica.org
Elon Musk’s Demolition Crew
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has been unleashed on federal agencies. ProPublica is attempting to document who is working with him and what they are doing.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 05/05/2025
JUST IN: ProPublica’s “Life of the Mother” series, which exposes the fatal consequences of abortion bans, has won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. This is the second consecutive year we’ve been awarded this distinction and our eighth Pulitzer: www.propublica.org/series/life-...
Pulitzer Prizes Public Service Winner: ProPublica. Image (right) displays headline that reads: Their States Banned Abortion. Doctors Now Say They Can't Give Women Potentially Lifesaving Care.
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Micah Lee @micahflee.com · 04/05/2025
TeleMessage has taken everything down from their website www.telemessage.com
telemessage.com
TeleMessage
Ensure compliance, protect data, and streamline communication across all your channels.
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Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
NEW from us: The IRS inspector general is probing whether Trump and his office improperly accessed taxpayer data. www.propublica.org/article/trum...
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Chris Morran @themorrancave.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
New: A former senior Treasury official told @propublica.org the probe could lead to a criminal investigation if reviewers find evidence of lawbreaking. But That same official said it’s possible those leading the review could face political repercussions.
propublica.org
Inspector General Probes Whether Trump, DOGE Sought Private Taxpayer Information or Sensitive IRS Material
The request, spelled out in an email obtained by ProPublica, comes amid concerns that DOGE has overstepped its bounds in seeking highly restricted private information about taxpayers, public employees...
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 25/04/2025
NEW: A Treasury Department inspector general is probing efforts by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE to obtain private taxpayer data and other sensitive information, internal communications reviewed by ProPublica show.
propublica.org
Inspector General Probes Whether Trump, DOGE Sought Private Taxpayer Information or Sensitive IRS Material
The request, spelled out in an email obtained by ProPublica, comes amid concerns that DOGE has overstepped its bounds in seeking highly restricted private information about taxpayers, public employees...
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