
Andy Kroll
I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.
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What I Cover
I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorney’s offices and the courts. I plan to focus on the use and abuse of executive power, wielding government resources to seek retribution against critics and what happens to the civil service during the Trump administration.
My Background
Since joining ProPublica in 2022, I have reported on dark money, Christian nationalism, Project 2025’s plans to remake American society and the conservative movement’s takeover of the U.S. Supreme Court.
I was previously the Washington bureau chief for Rolling Stone, where I wrote about foreign influence campaigns, corporate influence and the judiciary. My reporting there about a series of cyberattacks on congressional campaigns helped lead to the indictment of a California political operative. Before that, I was a senior reporter at Mother Jones, where my work on self-dealing during the Trump presidency sparked congressional investigations.
In 2022, I published my first book, “A Death on W Street: The Murder of Seth Rich and the Age of Conspiracy,” a true-crime investigation about modern politics, media, conspiracy theories and one family’s fight for truth.
Right-Wing Activists Pushed False Claims About Election Fraud. Now They’re Recruiting Poll Workers in Swing States.
Experts say these poll workers could sow distrust in democracy and bolster court cases challenging the election. ProPublica and Wisconsin Watch reviewed dozens of hours of trainings and presentations in which activists discussed their plans.
by Phoebe Petrovic, Wisconsin Watch,
Local Reporting Network
Heritage Foundation Staffers Flood Federal Agencies With Thousands of Information Requests
The conservative think tank’s requests are clogging the pipeline at federal agencies in an apparent attempt to find employees a potential Trump administration would want to purge.
by Sharon Lerner and Andy Kroll,
Ginni Thomas Privately Praised Group Working Against Supreme Court Reform: “Thank You So, So, So Much”
In a call with donors, First Liberty Institute’s Kelly Shackelford read the supportive email he said came from Thomas. The leader of the religious-rights group also labeled Justice Elena Kagan “treasonous” for backing a stronger ethics code.
by Andy Kroll, ProPublica, and Nick Surgey, Documented,
Watch: 14 Hours of Never-Before-Published Videos From Project 2025’s Presidential Administration Academy
The videos are part of an ongoing effort to recruit and train thousands of future conservative appointees. Despite Donald Trump’s efforts to disavow Project 2025, most of the speakers in the videos have previously worked for the former president.
by Andy Kroll, ProPublica, and Nick Surgey, Documented,
In Private Speech, J.D. Vance Said the “Devil Is Real” and Praised Alex Jones as a Truth-Teller
Vance gave the speech to the secretive Teneo Network. The GOP vice presidential nominee has been a member of the Leonard Leo-backed group, which seeks to cultivate conservative influence in business and culture.
by Andy Kroll, ProPublica, and Nick Surgey, Documented,
Scenes From a MAGA Meltdown: Inside the “America First” Movement’s War Over Democracy
Across the country, the Republican Party’s rank-and-file have turned on the GOP establishment. In Michigan, this schism broke the party — and maybe democracy itself.
by Andy Kroll,
Senate Judiciary Committee Has Yet to Subpoena Harlan Crow or Leonard Leo
More than two months after authorizing subpoenas for two key figures in the Supreme Court’s ethics crisis, Senate Democrats have yet to issue them.
by Andy Kroll,
“Disenfranchisement and Chaos”: The Supreme Court Hears Pivotal Case on Whether Trump Is Eligible to Run for President
Scholars say the case could have far-reaching consequences, even if the justices don’t throw Trump off the ballot.
by Andy Kroll,
Senate Committee Authorizes Subpoenas of Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo as Part of Supreme Court Ethics Probe
The subpoenas ask for details on gifts, travel and other perks the two men provided or helped arrange for Supreme Court justices and their relatives, but Senate Democrats will need help from their GOP colleagues if Crow and Leo defy the subpoenas.
by Andy Kroll,
Trump’s Court Whisperer Had a State Judicial Strategy. Its Full Extent Only Became Clear Years Later.
Conservative activist Leonard Leo helped elect a judge in Wisconsin. Without him, the GOP feared their agenda would be “toast,” according to an email.
by Andrea Bernstein and Andy Kroll,