Paul Kiel
Paul Kiel covers business and consumer finance for ProPublica.
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Paul Kiel covers business and consumer finance for ProPublica.
In recent years, he’s focused on the U.S. tax system. The Secret IRS Files, which involved a team of ProPublica reporters, revealed key ways the ultrawealthy avoid taxes. Before that, he worked on The TurboTax Trap and Gutting the IRS investigations.
Past areas of focus included the foreclosure crisis, high-cost lending, the use of lawsuits to collect consumer debts, and the consumer bankruptcy system.
He has won numerous awards, including the Selden Ring Award, a Gerald Loeb Award, a Barlett & Steele Award, a Scripps Howard Award twice, a Hillman Prize, and a Philip Meyer Award from Investigative Reporters and Editors.
His work has appeared in several newspapers, including The Washington Post and The New York Times. He has also produced stories for National Public Radio and American Public Media’s Marketplace, as well as appeared on This American Life.
Company That Sued Soldiers Settles Colorado Lawsuit
The Virginia-based company was the focus of a 2014 ProPublica investigation of its lending and collection practices.
In Bill, Lawmakers Propose New Limits for Seizing Workers’ Pay Over Old Debts
Last week, two lawmakers introduced a bill to put new limits on what debt collectors can take from debtors’ paychecks and bank accounts. It is the first legislation to address the issue in decades and follows a series of ProPublica stories about the widespread practice of garnishment.
Nonprofit Hospital Stops Suing So Many Poor Patients: Will Others Follow?
A story by ProPublica and NPR and a Senate investigation prompt a Missouri nonprofit hospital to change its policies and forgive thousands of patients’ debts. But without similar scrutiny, it’s unclear if other hospitals that sue the poor will change.
So Sue Them: What We’ve Learned About the Debt Collection Lawsuit Machine
ProPublica spent years gathering data to shed light on how debt collectors use the courts. Today, we run through the most important lessons we learned about a tactic that affects millions.
For Nebraska’s Poor, Get Sick and Get Sued
Cheap court fees and looser rules make suing over medical debts as small as $60 easy. Every year Nebraska collection agencies file lawsuits by the tens of thousands.
Why Small Debts Matter So Much To Black Lives
Due to the racial wealth gap, black families have far less in savings than whites. The consequences can be far-reaching and often severe.
At Capital One, Easy Credit and Abundant Lawsuits
A ProPublica analysis of state court filings reveals that Capital One sues its customers far more than any other bank.
To Address Race Gap, Missouri AG Pushes Debt Collection Fixes
Citing ProPublica’s reporting, Missouri’s attorney general proposed reforms to the state court rules to address the prevalence of debt collection suits in black neighborhoods.
What Can Be Done Right Now to Fix the Legal System for Debt Collection
America’s out-of-date, unfair laws for collecting debts could be dramatically improved by these simple steps.