Cezary Podkul

Reporter

Photo of Cezary Podkul

Cezary Podkul is a reporter for ProPublica who writes about finance. Previously, he worked as a reporter at The Wall Street Journal and Reuters where he specialized in data-driven news stories. His work with Carrick Mollenkamp for Reuters’ Uneasy Money series was a finalist for the Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism. He has covered energy and commodities and the private equity industry, among other beats, after leaving investment banking in 2008 to pursue journalism.

Cezary earned a B.S. in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 and is a 2011 alumnus of the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia Journalism School, where he won the Melvin Mencher Prize for Superior Reporting. He is fluent in Polish.

NYC Bill Targets Landlords Who Get Tax Breaks, Duck Rent Limits

City Council members propose inventory system and fines for landlords after ProPublica reports that 50,000 apartments aren’t registered for rent regulation as required.

Tenants Take the Hit as New York Fails to Police Huge Housing Tax Break

Top developer Two Trees Management overcharged renters for years – but still cashed in on $10 million in tax cuts the city never officially approved.

Landlords to Pay $5 Million for Dodging Rent Laws

State, city officials target buildings receiving lucrative property tax breaks in return for limiting rents.

Landlords Fail To List 50,000 N.Y.C. Apartments for Rent Limits

Owners are getting $100 million in property tax breaks while violating the law requiring them to officially register, and city and state officials are unable to explain why.

Are You Paying Too Much Rent? What You Need to Know About Rent Limits

Tens of thousands of New Yorkers are moving into newer rent-stabilized apartments. Many are paying ‘preferential’ rents that tenant advocates say invite abuse by landlords.

Help Us Investigate New York City Rents

N.Y.C. Landlords Flout Rent Limits — But Still Rake In Lucrative Tax Breaks

Help ProPublica and WNYC investigate how renters are being exploited under a housing program that will save developers $1 billion in property taxes this year.

Top Tobacco Bond Banker Departs Barclays

Kym Arnone handled more than $40 billion in deals in which states and other governments borrowed against income from the landmark tobacco legal settlement of 1998.

Chris Christie’s Tunnel Tango

What happened to the money after the New Jersey governor killed a new commuter rail tunnel five years ago?

When Wall Street Offers Free Money, Watch Out

Bankers and new accounting rules are emboldening governments to borrow-and-bet their way out of pension problems, a strategy that’s backfired in the past.

Bet Big, Then Go Short

Governments that borrow money to fund their pensions often pay less into their pension funds in future years than they're supposed to. Here’s how the 20 biggest pension bonds deals since 1996 have worked out.

What Chris Christie Didn’t Say at His Campaign Kickoff

The New Jersey governor pledges to “tell it like it is,” but his fiscal record and rhetoric don’t line up.

How Illinois’ Pension Debt Blew Up Chicago’s Credit

After a court ruling, the state’s legacy of borrowing to cover public employee pensions landed a $2.2 billion problem in the city’s lap.

Another Big Tobacco Bond Deal, Cajun Style

Facing a giant budget deficit, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal plans to borrow $750 million against future income from a landmark legal settlement with cigarette makers.

Parsing Chris Christie’s Pension Math

The New Jersey governor counts past pension borrowing as “school aid” in his budget – but not when it undercuts his claim of spending more on pensions than prior governors.

Chris Christie’s Budget ‘Sins’

In pledging to fix New Jersey’s ailing finances, Gov. Chris Christie promised to avoid one-time budget fixes he called “sins of the past.” A review by ProPublica and The Washington Post shows he’s committed some of the same sins – and some new ones.

Behind Christie’s Budget Claims, a More Controversial Legacy

N.J. governor closed budget gaps by borrowing, shifting money from trust funds and paring back tax credits

Years After Tobacco Deals Sold, SEC Says Rating Agencies Still Conflicted

The latest Securities and Exchange Commission examination of credit rating firms found problems similar to those documented in ProPublica's investigation of tobacco bonds.

Behind New Jersey's Tobacco Bond Bailout, A Hedge Fund's $100 Million Payday

When New Jersey decided to bail out some of its tobacco bonds, the state gave up $400 million in future revenues to pocket $92 million immediately, an arrangement that also helped one savvy investor cash in on a big bet.

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