James Bandler
I am a reporter for ProPublica.
Have a Tip for a Story?
I am interested in hearing from insiders, whistleblowers and formers. I’m grateful to people who can share concrete information to help us understand what’s really going on — documents, journals, emails, memos, logs, etc.
What I Cover
I write about the collision of government and business, as well as corporate and government debacles. I’m interested in national defense, the rule of law and political violence.
My Background
I’m a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter. In nearly a quarter-century as a journalist, I have covered business, finance, government, higher education and health care.
At ProPublica, I have written in-depth stories about the clash between old-line contractors and Big Tech at the Pentagon. I chronicled a quest by Google to gain access to the biggest trove of human tissue on the planet at an obscure Defense Department facility in Maryland.
I worked on an award-winning investigation covering the CDC’s catastrophic response to the COVID-19 pandemic and helped document how the rich avoid taxes. I co-wrote a story revealing how tech mogul Peter Thiel turned a Roth IRA into a multibillion-dollar tax haven and helped chronicle how three ultrawealthy families shielded their fortunes for generations.
I have worked at Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, The Rutland Herald and the Barre Times Argus. I began my journalism career writing restaurant reviews for the Mexico City Daily Bulletin, a now-defunct free publication distributed in the Zona Rosa.
Inside the Fall of the CDC
How the world’s greatest public health organization was brought to its knees by a virus, the president and the capitulation of its own leaders, causing damage that could last much longer than the coronavirus.
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.
How Amazon and Silicon Valley Seduced the Pentagon
Tech moguls like Jeff Bezos and Eric Schmidt have gotten unprecedented access to the Pentagon. And one whistleblower who raised flags has paid the price.
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.
A “Goofy” DJ’s Secret Life at the Center of an Online Terrorism Network
To friends, Matthew Allison was a likeable part of Boise, Idaho’s electronic music scene. But behind his computer screen, authorities say, he helped lead the Terrorgram Collective, an online network that inspired white supremacist violence.
The Rise and Fall of Terrorgram: Inside a Global Online Hate Network
How a cadre of white supremacists used the loosely moderated social media platform Telegram to inspire lethal violence — until authorities took them down.
How a Global Online Network of White Supremacists Groomed a Teen to Kill
The murders of two people outside an LGBTQ+ bar at first looked like the act of a lone shooter. A ProPublica and FRONTLINE investigation shows they were, in fact, the culmination of a coordinated, international recruiting effort by online extremists.
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.
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.