Byard Duncan
I work with communities to cover business and consumer protection issues, with a focus on exposing harm done to large groups of people.
Have a Tip for a Story?
If you or someone you know has been harmed by a company or government agency, I want to hear from you.
What I Cover
I cover the ways people get hurt when powerful entities — corporations, banks, government agencies — operate without guardrails. As the Trump administration removes more of these protections, I’ll be interested in the effects on the ground.
My Background
I strongly believe that the clearest picture of a problem comes from the people living through it. In all my reporting, I take a ground-up approach and focus first on the accounts of those in harm’s way.
Before joining ProPublica, I spent seven years at Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting. There, I was part of a team that earned a Pulitzer finalist nod for exposing the high rate of worker injuries at Amazon warehouses.
At ProPublica, I’ve exposed how a prominent house-flipping company trained its franchisees to zero in on homeowners’ desperation. I’ve covered the federal government’s sluggish response to New Mexico’s largest wildfire. And I’ve investigated how a leading auto lender saddled borrowers with unmanageable debt.
An important part of my job is arming consumers with information to protect themselves. That’s why I’ve written about the safest ways to sell your home, the challenges of rebuilding after a natural disaster and the hidden perils of car loan deferments.
Senators, Regulator Call for More Scrutiny of “We Buy Ugly Houses” Company
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s head said the Department of Justice and state attorneys general should be made aware of predatory house-flipping practices, following ProPublica reporting on HomeVestors of America.
Five Stories of Lives Upended After Dealing With the “We Buy Ugly Houses” Company
ProPublica found that HomeVestors franchises often target the homes of people in vulnerable or desperate situations. These are the stories of five people who found themselves in unwanted deals with a cash home buyer.
HomeVestors Praised ProPublica’s Reporting, Then Tried to “Bury It”
The “We Buy Ugly Houses” company held a virtual meeting for its franchises to outline a plan to “minimize visibility” of our investigation.
The Federal Government Accidentally Burned Down Their Houses, Then Made It Hard to Come Home
FEMA told survivors of the largest wildfire in New Mexico history that it aimed to put temporary housing on their land. But because of its strict, slow-moving bureaucracy, that has happened only twice.
Local Reporting Network
Help ProPublica Investigate “We Buy Houses” Practices
If you’ve had experience with a company or buyer promising fast cash for homes, our reporting team wants to hear about it.
Help ProPublica Investigate Threats to U.S. Democracy
We want to hear directly from the people involved in the administration of our elections — local clerks, canvassers, poll workers and more — about new challenges on the job.