James Bandler
James Bandler is a reporter at ProPublica. Since joining the newsroom in September 2018, he has reported on Big Tech companies’ efforts to influence major contracts at the Pentagon, Amazon’s prioritization of speed and growth over safety in building its delivery network, the CDC’s failed response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising popularity of AR-style rifles.
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James Bandler is a reporter at ProPublica. Since joining the newsroom in September 2018, he has reported on Big Tech companies’ efforts to influence major contracts at the Pentagon, Amazon’s prioritization of speed and growth over safety in building its delivery network, the CDC’s failed response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising popularity of AR-style rifles.
James has been a reporter at Fortune, the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe and the Rutland Herald-Barre Times Argus newspapers. At the Journal, Bandler was a co-author of “The Perfect Payday,” a 2006 investigation that exposed the widespread practice of backdating stock options by business executives. The series, produced by a team of reporters, led to the paper’s first Pulitzer Prize for public service, as well as criminal prosecutions, massive fines and disgorgements.
Bandler’s work at the Journal also included stories on a global price-fixing ring in the chemical shipping industry, an exposé on the criminal life of Walmart’s vice chairman and stories on accounting fraud at Xerox. As editor-at-large at Fortune, he produced in-depth pieces on a con artist who swindled Fortune 500 companies, the collapse of AIG, the fall of IBM’s CEO heir-apparent in an insider-trading scandal, the travails of Hewlett-Packard and a Gerald Loeb Award-winning story on Bernie Madoff.
Neo-Nazi Telegram Users Panic Amid Crackdown and Arrest of Alleged Leaders of Online Extremist Group
An analysis by ProPublica and FRONTLINE shows a surge in activity on Telegram channels aligned with the Terrorgram Collective, as allies tried to rally support for their comrades in custody and sought to oust users they believed to be federal agents.
The Accelerationists’ App: How Telegram Became the “Center of Gravity” for a New Breed of Domestic Terrorists
From attempting to incite racially motivated violence to encouraging attacks on critical infrastructure, the alleged crimes planned and advertised by extremists on Telegram go far beyond the charges facing CEO Pavel Durov.
How a Maine Businessman Made the AR-15 Into America’s Best-Selling Rifle
Neither a gun enthusiast nor a right-wing ideologue, Richard Dyke used political connections and lobster giveaways to build Bushmaster, the company that popularized assault-style rifles.
Senator Elizabeth Warren Probes Google’s Quest for Soldiers’ Medical Data
Responding to a ProPublica report, the Massachusetts Democrat has begun investigating Google’s “aggressive” pursuit of a biotechnology archive that could be used to build AI tools. She also faulted the Pentagon for favoring the tech giant.
Inside Google’s Quest to Digitize Troops’ Tissue Samples
The tech giant has long sought access to a priceless trove of veterans’ skin samples, tumor biopsies and slices of organs. DOD staffers have pushed back, raising ethical and legal concerns, but Google might win anyway.
How Three Families Shielded Their Fortunes From Taxes for Generations
In the early 1900s some of the wealthiest Americans claimed their fortunes would never last through the generations. A century of tax avoidance later, the dynasties are going strong.
More Than Half of America’s 100 Richest People Exploit Special Trusts to Avoid Estate Taxes
Secret IRS records show billionaires use trusts that let them pass fortunes to their heirs without paying estate tax. Will Congress end a tax shelter that has cost the Treasury untold billions?
House Bill Would Blow Up the Massive IRAs of the Superwealthy
The proposed reform stems from a ProPublica story that detailed how PayPal founder Peter Thiel had amassed $5 billion, tax-free, in a Roth IRA. If the bill passes, Roth accounts would be capped at $20 million for high-income individuals.
The Number of People With IRAs Worth $5 Million or More Has Tripled, Congress Says
After ProPublica revealed that some wealthy Americans hold Roth IRAs worth hundreds of millions — compared to $39,000 for the average account holder — Democrats requested data. It shows more than 28,000 people with IRAs worth $5 million or more.
Campaign to Rein in Mega IRA Tax Shelters Gains Steam in Congress Following ProPublica Report
One proposal would ban the kinds of transactions that helped Peter Thiel amass $5 billion in his Roth; another would cap how much could be saved tax-free in these retirement accounts. But two unrelated bills could undermine those efforts.
The Ultrawealthy Have Hijacked Roth IRAs. The Senate Finance Chair Is Eyeing a Crackdown.
Sen. Ron Wyden, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, said he planned to rein in tax breaks for gargantuan Roth retirement accounts after ProPublica exposed how the superrich used them to shield their fortunes from taxes