Justin Elliott
I am a ProPublica reporter covering business and politics.
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What I Cover
I report on money and power. I’m currently focused on the second Trump administration, but I’m always looking for under-covered business and politics stories.
My Background
I’ve been a reporter with ProPublica for more than a decade. In 2023, my colleagues and I revealed how a set of politically connected billionaires provided lavish gifts and travel to Supreme Court justices over many years. Those stories won the Pulitzer Prize for public service.
I was previously on a team of reporters documenting how the rich avoid taxes for “The Secret IRS Files” series. I co-wrote a story revealing how tech mogul Peter Thiel turned a Roth IRA into a multibillion-dollar tax haven.
My work has spurred congressional investigations and changes to federal law. My coverage of TurboTax-maker Intuit’s misleading marketing tactics led to a settlement delivering $141 million back to consumers.
In addition to the Pulitzer Prize, I have won a George Polk Award, the Selden Ring Award and a Gerald Loeb Award for business journalism. I earned a bachelor’s degree from Brown University.
You can send me feedback, story tips and documents via email at [email protected], or by Signal or WhatsApp at 774-826-6240.
If you want to better understand how I handle tips and story ideas, read my piece on the important role of reader tips in the Supreme Court series.
World of Spycraft: NSA and CIA Spied in Online Games
Snowden documents show intelligence agencies conducting surveillance and grabbing data in virtual worlds.
Who Are State Dept’s 100 “Special Government Employees"? It Won’t Say
Earlier this year Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin drew scrutiny for working at the State Department and a consulting firm at the same time. The agency is mum on who else had such an arrangement.
Claim on “Attacks Thwarted” by NSA Spreads Despite Lack of Evidence
The agency, President Obama, and members of Congress have all said NSA spying programs have thwarted more than 50 terrorist plots. But there’s no evidence the claim is true.
How the NSA’s Claim on Thwarted Terrorist Plots Has Spread
In the months since revelations about NSA surveillance began, intelligence officials and members of Congress have claimed that the agency's efforts have thwarted 54 terrorist attacks. But a review of official statements shows the NSA has been inconsistent about how many plots have actually been thwarted and what the role the spying programs played. Despite a lack of evidence, Congress and the media have rushed to repeat the most extreme version of the NSA’s claims.
Government Standards Agency “Strongly” Suggests Dropping its Own Encryption Standard
The decision follows revelations about the NSA’s covert influence on computer security standards.
From Russia With PR
Commentaries published on CNBC.com and the Huffington Post were written by seemingly independent professionals but placed on behalf of the Russian government by its PR firm, Ketchum.
Johns Hopkins and the Case of the Missing NSA Blog Post
The university, which works closely with the NSA, apologizes to a professor after he was asked to remove his post.
What NSA Transparency Looks Like
Disclosures by the spy agency about violations of privacy rules have been almost entirely redacted.
NSA Says It Can't Search Its Own Emails
In response to a public records request, the super-snooping spy agency says it doesn’t have the technology.