Jake Pearson
I’m an investigative reporter covering the intersection of business and government.
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What I Cover
I cover the intersection of business and government.
My Background
I’ve conducted metro, campaign finance and national political investigations for ProPublica since 2018. Last year, I investigated New York’s troubled guardianship system and found that it was failing thousands of elderly and infirm people who could not care for themselves. My stories prompted the state attorney general to launch an investigation and the courts to appoint a special counsel to oversee changes. Other work has spurred criminal prosecutions and oversight hearings and has been recognized with various journalism awards.
Previously, I worked for The Associated Press, NBC News and the New York Daily News.
Ohio Election Officials Secretly Consulted Promoter of Debunked Voting Fraud Fears
After Black union workers petitioned the state for more secure ballot drop boxes, top election officials called Hans von Spakovsky, a leading purveyor of discredited voting fraud claims, and then put a strict limit on the boxes instead.
No Democrats Allowed: A Conservative Lawyer Holds Secret Voter Fraud Meetings With State Election Officials
Heritage Foundation’s Hans von Spakovsky, whose work about voting fraud has been discredited, has been conducting private meetings for Republicans only.
At This Trump-Favored Charity, Financial Reporting Is Questionable and Insiders Are Cashing In
Charlie Kirk’s nonprofit Turning Point USA has made misleading financial claims and gets its “independent” audits from its co-founder Bill Montgomery’s former business associate. It has enriched several of its top leaders as it pushes Trump’s message.
Trump Friends and Family Cleared for Millions in Small Business Bailout
Beneficiaries of the PPP included a lettuce farming venture backed by Trump’s son, Kushner companies, and a dentist who golfs with the president. The figures were released after a lawsuit by several news organizations, including ProPublica.
Hidden in the New House Coronavirus Relief Bill: Billions for Defense Contractors
A section of the HEROES Act championed by Virginia Democrat Gerry Connolly would cover executive compensation and other perks for defense and intel contractors. The legislation’s wording mirrors what an industry group proposed.
Another Private Jet Company Owned by a Trump Donor Got a Bailout — This One for $20 Million
The two private jet companies are among the first 96 airline companies disclosed as recipients of taxpayer funds under the CARES Act.
Without Federal Help, New York Doctors Had to Ask Medical Supply Execs for Dialysis Supplies
The novel coronavirus, a respiratory illness, is damaging kidneys at an unexpectedly high rate, according to experts. A shortage of dialysis materials has forced New York doctors to directly lobby corporate executives for help.
Republican Billionaire’s Group Pushes Unproven COVID-19 Treatment Trump Promoted
A nonprofit started by the billionaire co-founder of Home Depot says plants are ready to produce the drug but for “red tape.” Experts caution it’s unproven and possibly dangerous.
The RNC Gave Big Contracts to Companies Linked to Its Chairwoman’s Husband and Political Backers
The Republican National Committee’s conflict-of-interest policy says party contracts shouldn’t go to its employees’ family or financial associates. After Ronna McDaniel became chair, the RNC made questionable payments.
The RNC Stopped Paying a Data Firm After A Serious Breach. Then It Paid A Mysterious LLC With the Same Address.
Three years after the Republican National Committee publicly sidelined the sullied firm, it paid an LLC with the same address $900,000 for “data services.” The RNC said it wouldn’t “waste any more breath explaining these innocuous issues.”