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.
ICE ha fallado constantemente en contener enfermedades contagiosas, según nuestros análisis. Es un peligro para el público.
ProPublica revisó más de 70 reportes que detallan las muertes en las instalaciones de detención de ICE durante la última década y encontró que el personal, con frecuencia, rompe las reglas estrictas para hacer pruebas de detección de enfermedades contagiosas. Por lo menos 10 detenidos se enfrentan a la cuarentena por posible exposición al coronavirus.
ICE Has Repeatedly Failed to Contain Contagious Diseases, Our Analysis Shows. It’s a Danger to the Public.
ProPublica reviewed more than 70 reports detailing deaths in ICE detention over the last decade and found staff often break strict rules for testing contagious diseases. At least 10 detainees face quarantine for potential exposure to coronavirus.
U.S. Hospitals Say They’re Ready for Coronavirus. Their Infection Control Violations Say Otherwise.
An outbreak would demand peak performance from America’s medical professionals — especially in hospitals. But many of the facilities that may be on the front lines have well-documented histories of failing to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Giuliani Was Close to a Podcast Deal With the News Outlet That Spread His Ukraine Conspiracies
The president’s lawyer was negotiating a possible deal to co-produce a podcast with the publication — and The Hill’s John Solomon helped with the talks even as his articles were used in a disinformation campaign.
How a Veteran Reporter Worked with Giuliani’s Associates to Launch the Ukraine Conspiracy
Lev Parnas, recently indicted for foreign influence in U.S. elections, collaborated closely with The Hill’s John Solomon to fuel spurious allegations involving the Bidens and Ukraine.
Pro-Trump Super PAC at Center of Ukraine Scandal Has Faced Multiple Campaign Finance Complaints
Randy Perkins donated $500,000 to America First Action, a pro-Trump super PAC, a day after his company won federal money as part of a contract.
Inside the Trump Administration’s Chaotic Dismantling of the Federal Land Agency
Internal records from the Bureau of Land Management contradict what its chief told Congress about a plan to ship 200 D.C.-based career staff out West. The plan would weaken the agency, which stands between federal lands and oil, gas and mineral companies.
Are Trump’s Top Medicaid Regulators Ignoring Major Problems? Insurance Giant’s Tense Meeting With a Senator Adds to Growing Concern.
The CEO of Centene, a company now entangled in a broader federal inquiry, met with Sen. Bob Casey to allay concerns that patients are being neglected.