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Justin Elliott

I am a ProPublica reporter covering business and politics.

Have a Tip for a Story?

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.

The Social Machine

Top Facebook Execs Silenced Enemy of Turkey to Prevent Hit to Company’s Business

Amid a 2018 Turkish military campaign, Facebook ultimately sided with Turkey’s demand to block the page of a mostly Kurdish militia. “I am fine with this,” Sandberg wrote.

The New Sweatshop

All a Gig-Economy Pioneer Had to Do Was “Politely Disagree” and the Labor Department Walked Away

An Obama administration Labor Department investigator estimated that Arise Virtual Solutions owed its network of 20,000 customer service agents $14.2 million. The company paid nothing.

Georgia Senator David Perdue Privately Pushed for a Tax Break for Rich Sports Teamowners

It’s unclear why Senator Perdue was interested in tax regulation that would impact only a tiny set of the richest Americans. The effort, which wasn’t successful, could have helped several of his donors, including fellow senator Kelly Loeffler.

Una clave que podría decidir la elección: si el Partido Republicano logra impedir que los votantes subsanen boletas rechazadas

Muchos estados permiten a los votantes corregir y entregar de nuevo las boletas que fueron rechazadas por razones técnicas. Se llama “subsanar” votos, y el partido Republicano está intentado impedir que se cuenten porque podrían ayudar a Biden a ganar.

Whether the GOP Can Stop Voters From Legally Fixing Rejected Mail-In Ballots Could Decide the Election

Many states allow voters to fix and resubmit ballots rejected for technical reasons. It’s called “curing” votes, and the GOP is trying to prevent them from being counted because they could help Biden win.

Philadelphia niega la acusación de la campaña de Trump de que prohíbe a los observadores electorales republicanos

La ciudad dice que un video ampliamente visto de un observador electoral del GOP (Partido Republicano) que fue rechazado en un centro de votación es un incidente aislado que ocurrió por confusión sobre las reglas y fue corregido rápidamente.

Philadelphia Denies Trump Campaign Allegation of Banning Republican Poll Watchers

The city says that a widely viewed video of a GOP poll watcher being turned away was an isolated and quickly corrected incident resulting from confusion over the rules.

Susan Collins Backed Down From a Fight With Private Equity. Now They’re Underwriting Her Reelection.

The Maine Republican senator has become the No. 1 Senate recipient of private equity donations.

The Pandemic Economy

The Trump Administration Allowed Aviation Companies to Take Bailout Funds and Lay Off Workers, Says House Report

Instead of using bailout money to keep workers, at least two companies restored the full pay of their top management.

DOJ Frees Federal Prosecutors to Take Steps That Could Interfere With Elections, Weakening Long-standing Policy

In an internal announcement, the Justice Department created an exception to a decadeslong policy meant to prevent prosecutors from taking overt investigative steps that might affect the outcome of the vote.