Joshua Kaplan
I’m a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter at ProPublica, where I write about the government, money and power.
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What I Cover
I cover powerful institutions and the people who are seeking to influence them, with a focus on the federal government. I’m drawn to topics where I believe that in-depth, nuanced reporting has the potential to reshape the public’s understanding and to lead to meaningful change.
In recent years, I’ve reported on issues ranging from ethics questions at the Supreme Court to the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.
My Background
I’ve been a reporter at ProPublica since 2020.
In 2023, my colleagues and I revealed how a set of billionaires secretly provided decades of lavish gifts and luxury travel to Supreme Court justices. Those stories won the Pulitzer Prize for public service and helped prompt the Supreme Court to adopt its first-ever code of conduct. I have also reported on the military and the U.S. State Department, the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and misconduct by undercover police officers, among other subjects.
In addition to the Pulitzer Prize, my work has received national honors including two George Polk Awards, the Selden Ring Award, an Investigative Reporters and Editors medal and an Edward R. Murrow Award. I hold a degree in mathematics from the University of Chicago.
You can reach me via email at [email protected] or by phone, Signal or WhatsApp at 734-834-9383.
Suicide Bomber Who Killed U.S. Troops and Afghans “Likely” Used Unguarded Route to Kabul Airport Gate
Paths left unsecured by U.S. military sped the evacuation of American citizens and Afghan allies. The attack killed 13 U.S. service members and scores of civilians.
Report: U.S. Marines Returned Fire After Suicide Bombing, but No Enemies Were Shooting at Them
A declassified report concludes that U.S. Marines who began shooting after a Kabul airport suicide bombing were not under fire, contradicting previous accounts. And they did not hit any Afghan civilians.
Top Trump Fundraiser Boasted of Raising $3 Million to Support Jan. 6 “Save America” Rally
Caroline Wren, who had worked on the Trump campaign, told associates she distributed funds to a number of political organizations backing the rally, including Tea Party Express and Turning Point.
January 6 Select Committee Subpoenas Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Other Top Aides
Citing a June ProPublica report, the committee says there is “credible evidence” of Meadows’ involvement in events leading up to the attack on the Capitol.
New Details Suggest Senior Trump Aides Knew Jan. 6 Rally Could Get Chaotic
Text messages and interviews show that Stop the Steal leaders fooled the Capitol police and welcomed racists to increase their crowd sizes, while White House officials worked to both contain and appease them.
In Exclusive Jailhouse Letter, Capitol Riot Defendant Explains Motives, Remains Boastful
The material obtained by ProPublica sheds light on the radicalization of a Jan. 6 defendant whom prosecutors have characterized as a “serious danger ... not only to his family and Congress, but to the entire system of justice.”
As New York City Moves to Address Racialized Policing of Sex Work, Advocates and Lawyers Say It’s Not Enough
In the wake of a 2020 ProPublica investigation, Mayor Bill de Blasio has called for convening a task force to address problems with how the city polices the sex trade. “But it feels like planning to make a plan,” one attorney said.
6 Questions Officials Still Haven’t Answered After Weeks of Hearings on the Capitol Attack
More than 15 hours of testimony failed to answer fundamental questions about the Capitol attack. Among them: Why national security officials responded differently to BLM protesters than to Trump supporters.
“I Don’t Trust the People Above Me”: Riot Squad Cops Open Up About Disastrous Response to Capitol Insurrection
Interviews with 19 current and former officers show how failures of leadership and communication put hundreds of Capitol cops at risk and allowed rioters to get dangerously close to members of Congress.
“No One Took Us Seriously”: Black Cops Warned About Racist Capitol Police Officers for Years
Allegations of racism against the Capitol Police are nothing new: Over 250 Black cops have sued the department since 2001. Some of those former officers now say it’s no surprise white nationalists were able to storm the building.