J. David McSwane
I write about national issues, including everything from health care to business to civil rights issues.
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I want to hear from current and former federal workers, lawyers and advocates — really anyone who sees an injustice worth investigating.
What I Cover
I’m following the Trump administration’s effect on average Americans in the context of civil rights protections. This intersects with many federal agencies that oversee issues including the environment, health care, business, housing and more.
My Background
I’m an investigative reporter and author with 20 years of experience in holding powerful figures to account while exposing corruption and injustice. I joined ProPublica in 2019 and became one of the lead reporters on COVID-19, focused on federal failures and rampant fraud. That reporting culminated in the 2022 book “Pandemic, Inc.”
While I’m based in Washington, D.C., I’m looking for stories that reach far into this nation, connecting policies and executive actions to their real human impacts. As the Trump administration signals a broad challenge to civil rights and other protections, I believe it is crucial to document and understand how citizens are affected.
Before ProPublica, I was an investigative reporter for the Dallas Morning News, where my reporting on the state’s outsourced Medicaid system, which benefited companies that systematically denied care to sick children and disabled adults, spurred legislative reforms. My work has resulted in courts-martial, criminal convictions and state and federal criminal investigations, and it has forced lawmakers to invest in social programs. I’ve won some trinkets along the way, too, including a Peabody, Harvard’s Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting, the Worth Bingham Prize and two IRE awards.
“Eat What You Kill”
Hailed as a savior upon his arrival in Helena, Dr. Thomas C. Weiner became a favorite of patients and his hospital’s highest earner. As the myth surrounding the high-profile oncologist grew, so did the trail of patient harm and suspicious deaths.
“I Thought He Was Helping Me”: Patient Endured 9 Years of Chemotherapy for Cancer He Never Had
Anthony Olson was told that he’d die without the treatment and to ignore a negative biopsy. He’s one of many patients who may have received harmful or unnecessary treatments from Montana oncologist Dr. Thomas C. Weiner, according to court records.
A Christian Health Nonprofit Saddled Thousands With Debt as It Built a Family Empire
Despite a history of fraud, one family has thrived in the regulatory no man’s land of health care sharing ministries, where insurance commissioners can’t investigate, federal agencies turn a blind eye and prosecutors reach paltry settlements.
How Profit and Incompetence Delayed N95 Masks While People Died at the VA
Federal agencies have hired contractors with no experience to find respirators and masks, fueling a black market filled with price gouging and multiple layers of profiteering brokers. One contractor called them “buccaneers and pirates.”
Montana Renews Accused Cancer Doctor’s License Despite Criminal, Civil Inquiries
Questions about whether oncologist Dr. Thomas Weiner would be permitted to continue practicing medicine intensified after a ProPublica investigation exposed a trail of patient harm tied to his practice.
The Shadowy Financial Empire Built Around Liberty HealthShare Is Showing Signs of Strain
Beers family members built a “conglomerate” by selling a Christian alternative to traditional health insurance. They’re now scrambling for cash, even though they received millions in PPP loans that were later forgiven.
How Obamacare Enabled a Multibillion-Dollar Christian Health Care Cash Grab
Capitalizing on the pressure to pass the Affordable Care Act, a conservative lobbyist created an exception for faith-based health coverage, opening the door for “bad actors.”
They Tried to Get PPE When We Needed It Most. Instead, They Got Ripped Off.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, legitimate importers were scammed out of millions trying to supply American hospitals and businesses with vital protective equipment.
Documents Show Trump Officials Skirted Rules to Reward Politically Connected and Untested Firms With Huge Pandemic Contracts
House Democrats investigating the COVID-19 response say Trump adviser Peter Navarro pressured agencies to award deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Contractor Who Was Awarded $34.5 Million in Government Money and Provided Zero Masks Pleads Guilty to Fraud
The VA and FEMA agreed to pay a first-time vendor in a desperate search for protective equipment. Now Robert Stewart admits he defrauded three federal agencies and lied about being in the Marine Corps.
“This Political Climate Got My Brother Killed”
Brian David Sicknick, 42, died of injuries sustained while trying to protect the Capitol. Family members say they don’t want his death politicized. But they do want to understand what happened.
Capitol Rioters Planned for Weeks in Plain Sight. The Police Weren’t Ready.
Insurrectionists made no effort to hide their intentions, but law enforcement protecting Congress was caught flat-footed.
“Those of Us Who Don’t Die Are Going to Quit”
Almost a year into the pandemic, supply shortages remain so severe that nurse Kristen Cline reuses her N95 for several shifts while her hospital buckles and patients suffer.
Foreign Masks, Fear and a Fake Certification: Staff at CSL Plasma Say Conditions at Donation Centers Aren’t Safe
Staff raised alarms about faulty masks as donors flooded in, but the FDA and OSHA were slow to act.