Andy Kroll

~Personal news~ Thrilled to announce that I'm writing a book for @grandcentralpub.bsky.social! I cover politics by day, but I'm a true-crime junkie at heart. My new book is a wild journey into one of the great crime epics of the 20th century — and the American kingpin at the heart of it.

Prof. Rebecca Scofield was falsely accused online of orchestrating the U-Idaho murders. She sued—and won. But victims of viral lies, she writes, must also speak up and fight back. As I wrote in "Death on W St," it's a brutal choice—but the best way to defend truth. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/12/o...

NEW: We dive deep into Trump "shadow president" Russ Vought in the new episode of PAPER TRAIL, @propublica.org's podcast. I'm so excited about this. You will hear Vought - on tape! - in a way you haven't before. Pls listen — and subscribe to PAPER TRAIL www.propublica.org/podcast/who-...

This week, ProPublica revealed that a Russian oligarch close to President Vladimir Putin bankrolled Donald Trump Jr.’s Bahamas wedding festivities. Join our reporters on Sept. 23 for a behind-the-scenes conversation. 🗓️ RSVP: events.propublica.org/don-jr-weddi...

1/ Just in: An anonymous federal worker has filed a whistleblower disclosure warning that the U.S. Postal Service's attempt to create a system to regulate mail voting for the midterms has been "rushed, chaotic, and fundamentally flawed." @propublica.org has the details 👇

What makes Jake so annoying is not only is he a good editor, but he's also funnier than most people. You should follow him for upcoming @propublica.org business blockbuster stories and also witty bon mots

We're still tracking Russ Vought, Trump's "shadow president," at @propublica.org. Here's my latest on Vought and what he's done to the CFPB after courts stopped him from killing it. Think less watchdog, more golden retriever: www.propublica.org/article/bilt...

FCC Officials Took Pricey Gifts From Paramount as the Company Needed Approval for Billion-Dollar Deals www.propublica.org/article/para...

SCOOP: Ken Paxton Vowed to Crack Down on “Illegal Voting.” He May Have Violated Texas Election Law. by @zachdespart.bsky.social w/ @texastribune.org

“We have disparities across teams, across regions. No one who works at ProPublica — where we say we hire the best — should be living paycheck to paycheck.” This is why we’re fighting for fair wages: www.propublicaguild.org

Who's really pulling the strings in the White House? Trump and his obvious cronies grab the headlines, but is Russ Vought doing more to subtly reshape America? @andykroll.bsky.social joins @jacobjarvis.bsky.social & @chrisjonesprod.bsky.social to discuss ➡️ linktr.ee/americanfric...

A @propublica.org investigation pinpointed at least 75 people across federal agencies who stood up to protect the integrity of the 2020 election. Today, nearly all of those people are gone, having resigned, been fired, or been reassigned, esp. at DOJ and DHS. www.propublica.org/article/trum...

Vote for our Vought mini-documentary if you have a moment. Last time I’ll ask—promise! vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting...

Did you watch @propublica.org's explainer video about Russ Vought, the "shadow president" of the Trump administration? Find it valuable? If so, please vote for us in this year's Webbys! Every bit of support is much appreciated... vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting...

Nate Cavanaugh has gone viral recently for his taped deposition about DOGE eliminating "DEI" grants. He's also a key figure in our story from last year. We found that he helped expose a sensitive Afghanistan program, leading to a brutal Taliban crackdown.

NEW: Use our database to explore the financial disclosures of President Donald Trump and more than 1,500 of his appointees.

What's angered Trump re Noem? Her testimony about a $200 million self-promotional ad campaign at DHS — about which @propublica.org broke the critical details last year: www.propublica.org/article/kris...

Asked by Congress whether Corey Lewandowski has “a role in approving contracts” at DHS, Sec. Kristi Noem said: “No.” Internal DHS records reviewed by @propublica.org show Lewandowski personally approved a multimillion-dollar equipment contract last summer. www.propublica.org/article/kris...

Excited to have William onboard. Send him your tips…unless they’re really good and then send them to me.

Some fun news…

A conservative researcher — who was once described in a court filing as “a goddamned fraud” and “a known fabricator” — may have fueled the recent seizure of 2020 voting records in Fulton County, Georgia. New from @dougbockclark.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/kevi...

A note from our editors:

BREAKING: The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez.

Brooke Nevils: "I have spent the long years since using my otherwise abandoned skills as a journalist to report and write the book about sexual harassment and assault that I wish had existed for me." Read and share this powerful and important story: www.thecut.com/article/me-t...

With widespread layoffs expected at The Washington Post, reporters are sending letters to Jeff Bezos, urging him to reverse course. The newest letter is from the Post's White House reporters, who are defending the desks that are facing major cuts... www.cnn.com/2026/01/29/m...

just going to leave this here www.propublica.org/series/life-...

The White House posted an edited photo of the activist involved in the Minneapolis church protest, made to look like she was crying.

The fugitive known as “Bitcoin Jesus” was indicted for tax evasion and facing prison. Then he hired a “Friend of Trump.” This is how it went down, from Avi Asher-Schapiro & @mtredden.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/bitc...

Yes, immigration agents not only took Arnoldo's phone, the 10th grader had to use Find My Phone to locate it — in a vending machine for used electronics, close to an ICE detention center. Read the full story here: www.propublica.org/article/vide...

A functioning democracy relies on journalism that can examine the actions of people in power and bring the full truth to light. ProPublica has no owners, shareholders or government funding — our only allegiance is to the public. Join us by Dec. 31:

As Russ Vought attempts to dismantle one of the nation's most prestigious scientific research institutions, watch @propublica.org's YouTube doc about who Vought is, how he got so much power — and what, in the end, he wants: www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1Lu...

Russ Vought set out to ensure a second Trump term would not be hampered by checks and balances: “I don’t want President Trump having to lose a moment of time having fights in the Oval Office about whether something is legal or doable or moral.” (Published October w/ @newyorker.com)

Chomsky! Didn't see that one coming...

Love love this. Support ProPublica!

ProPublica’s @andykroll.bsky.social spent months chronicling Russ Vought’s rise from the Senate mailroom to one of the most influential players in the current Trump administration, where he has tried to fulfill his desire to put federal workers “in trauma.”

1/ I’d like to share what’s happened since Sept. 30, the night of the most dramatic raid of the Trump administration’s Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago. Under the cover of darkness, 37 immigrants were taken from an apartment complex …🧵

Russ Vought set out to ensure a second Trump term would not be hampered by checks and balances: “I don’t want President Trump having to lose a moment of time having fights in the Oval Office about whether something is legal or doable or moral.” By @andykroll.bsky.social, with @newyorker.com

NEW: I spoke with the inestimable Terry Gross (!) on @nprfreshair.bsky.social about my year-long investigation of Russ Vought, the "shadow president" of Trump's second presidency. Listen here: www.npr.org/2025/10/30/n...

SCOOP The admin is making it harder for male vets w/ breast cancer to get their care covered The admin cites Trump order: “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” I got the memo laying it all out www.propublica.org/article/vete...

“If you’re watching television and the words ‘woke and weaponized’ come out of a politician’s mouth, you can know that this is coming ... from the strategies we’re putting out,” Vought boasted in a recording obtained by ProPublica. By @andykroll.bsky.social

I obtained ~dozens of hours~ of previously unreported recordings of Russ Vought's briefings from 2021 to 2024. Want to hear the recordings yourself? Watch @propublica.org's new mini-documentary about Vought 👇 THE SHADOW PRESIDENT www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1Lu...

While Elon Musk brandished the DOGE buzzsaw, insiders saw Russ Vought’s prints on DOGE’s actions. “I can’t imagine that the DOGE team knew to target all these little parts of the government without Russ pointing them there,” a former official said. By @andykroll.bsky.social

NEW: When Russ Vought told Trump in 2021 about his new plan to keep MAGA going, the president asked him to find a way for conservatives to push back against Black Lives Matter. “This was an assignment I was given from President Trump,” Vought later recalled. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

Thx for joining the AMA. As I said there, I interviewed *and* quoted current + former CFPBers (see the part that begins, “Current and former CFPB staff told me…”). The story doesn’t say the agency is permanently closed. It describes Vought et al’s actions so far, quotes Chopra’s “coma” comment.

“We work for the president of the United States,” a senior agency official who deals with OMB told me. But right now, “it feels like we work for Russ Vought. He has centralized decision-­making power to an extent that he is the commander in chief.” www.propublica.org/article/russ...

Thanks, man. You guys have been doing great work at WaPo...

A career official answered: Less humanitarian aid would mean more people would die. “You could say that about any of these cuts,” Russ Vought replied. A person familiar with the meeting described his reaction as “blasé.” www.propublica.org/article/russ...

After Russ Vought experienced the chaotic failures of Trump’s 1st term, he made it his mission to ensure that a second Trump term would not “lose a moment of time having fights in the Oval Office about whether something is legal or doable or moral.” My latest👇 www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

“A career official answered: Less humanitarian aid would mean more people would die. ‘You could say that about any of these cuts,’ Vought replied. A person familiar with the ­meeting described his reaction as ‘blasé.’” www.propublica.org/article/russ... @andykroll.bsky.social

On Russ Vought's Christian Faith: “It always struck me as a strange thing,” the person said. “There’s compassion, but it only extends to certain people.” @propublica.org @andykroll.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/russ...