Ellis Simani
I am a data reporter at ProPublica.
Have a Tip for a Story?
Contact me on Signal with tips or if you have documents to share. I have experience working with large, complex and sensitive datasets.
What I Cover
My work pairs quantitative analysis with traditional investigative reporting techniques. I often cover stories at the intersection of money and power. I am interested in data and documents that reveal abuse or fraud.
My Background
My recent work has interrogated the ways that nonprofit organizations raise and spend their money. I’ve also investigated the stock trading of the wealthiest Americans. In “The Inside Edge,” my colleagues and I revealed several investment advantages that enable top executives and other well-connected investors to make trades with remarkable timing.
I worked with a team of reporters on “The Secret IRS Files,” which investigated systemic inequities in the U.S. tax system that allow the ultrawealthy to avoid paying federal income taxes. The series won a number of awards, including the Selden Ring and the Barlett & Steele Award.
I’ve also covered issues related to housing and debt for ProPublica, with a particular focus on evictions. Before joining ProPublica in 2019, I worked on the Los Angeles Times’ data visualization desk.
Credibly Accused
Over the last year and a half, U.S. dioceses and religious orders covering most of the Catholics in the country have released lists of what they regard as “credibly accused” abusers who have served in their ranks. You can search these lists in our interactive database.
Con acusaciones creíbles
Durante el pasado año y medio, diócesis y órdenes religiosas en los Estados Unidos, que cubren la mayoría de la población católica del país, emitieron listas de los abusadores "con acusaciones creíbles" que han servido en sus filas. Puede hacer búsquedas en las listas por medio de nuestra base de datos interactiva. Esta sección estará disponible en español próximamente.
We Assembled the Only Nationwide Database of Priests Deemed Credibly Accused of Abuse. Here’s How.
ProPublica’s reporting spanned several months and produced an original database containing each diocesan list as it was originally published online.
Catholic Leaders Promised Transparency About Child Abuse. They Haven’t Delivered.
After decades of shielding the identities of accused child abusers from the public, many Catholic leaders are now releasing lists of their names. But the lists are inconsistent, incomplete and omit key details.