Hi Reader,

Our newsroom has a singular focus: to publish investigative journalism that’s well-researched, nonpartisan, fact-checked and devoted to revealing what’s going on behind the scenes with our elected officials, government institutions, big corporations and more. When journalism like this gets into the hands of readers, change can follow. In just the last few months, we’ve seen our reporting spur some pretty significant developments.

✓ Former “We Buy Ugly Houses” Franchise Owner to Plead Guilty in Fraud Scheme That Cost Investors $40 Million
The former operator of one of the largest HomeVestors of America franchises pleaded guilty to running what amounted to a Ponzi scheme that ensnared dozens of investors. In a story published in May, ProPublica detailed how Charles Carrier bilked millions of dollars from scores of investors across Texas, including both wealthy businesspeople and older adults of more modest means who depended on the investment income for daily expenses. According to new court documents, losses to individual investors range from $35,000 to $11.6 million. The plea agreement was filed in court two weeks after the article was published. Carrier is scheduled to be sentenced in March.

✓ Connecticut Legislature Passes Bill Overhauling Century-Old Towing Laws

This year, the Connecticut legislature voted to overhaul the state’s antiquated towing laws that hurt many poor people. The swift change was a direct result of our series with The Connecticut Mirror revealing that state towing laws allowed tow truck companies to sell some people’s cars in 15 days, one of the shortest windows in the country. Our reporting included a stunning account of a DMV employee who developed a profitable side hustle selling off towed cars and kept his job even after internal investigators figured out what was happening. (The employee, who was fired in November after our reporting, denied investigators’ findings.) “We’ve learned over the years, and particularly over the last year due to some investigative reporting, of some particularly egregious circumstances,” said Sen. Christine Cohen, Transportation Committee co-chair. “This is awesome. It’s great news,” one local resident said. “I wouldn’t have lost my car, and now maybe others won’t either.”

Investigations like these are time-consuming and expensive. We’re able to produce this kind of journalism because of readers like you. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on donations from individuals for the majority of our funding. Today, I’m asking you to join ProPublica with a donation of any amount.

Our members’ financial support gives us a dependable source of funding, and that matters for an organization like ours — many of our investigations can take months or even years to fully report. We need folks like you to stand with us.

Give today and stand up for powerful journalism that shines a light on stories that make a real difference.

Thanks so much,

Jill Shepherd

Proud ProPublican

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