All posts tagged "alexandria jacobson"

Raw Story wins three national awards from women’s press organization

Three Raw Story investigations by investigative reporter Alexandria Jacobson won first place prizes in the National Federation of Press Women’s 2024 Professional Communications Contest.

Jacobson’s work was honored on June 22 at the organization’s national conference in St. Louis, Mo. Jacobson won first place in three categories:

Continuing Coverage or Unfolding News for her series with Raw Story Editor-in-Chief Dave Levinthal, “Lawmakers, Law Breakers,” that identified at least 37 congressional violators of a federal conflicts-of-interest and financial disclosure law
In-depth Reporting for “Losing Track,” a three-part series about various failures of the country’s enfeebled national security vetting system
Specialty Articles: Education for “‘Too preposterous to be real’: College hires ‘pink slime’ publisher as journalism prof” about a Tennessee university’s controversial hire of an executive associated with a widely scrutinized conservative PAC-backed media network

“The NFPW professional communications contest puts a spotlight on outstanding entries from throughout the United States,” said Helen S. Plotkin, National Federation of Press Women professional contest director. “Our judges continue to comment about the high quality of entries they judge in the contest. The entries showcase high quality and exceptional efforts.”

Said Levinthal: “Alex has established herself as an investigative reporter whose journalism must be paid attention. Her work is exhaustive, relentless and fair, and Raw Story is honored that the National Federation of Press Women celebrated her efforts as it has.”

Raw Story investigative reporter Alexandria Jacobson.

The National Federation of Press Women is a nationwide organization of women and men pursuing communications careers, including print and electronic journalism.

Nearly 2,000 contest entries were submitted from Canada and the United States across 36 states and Washington, D.C.

Jacobson’s entries previously won first place at the Illinois Woman’s Press Association’s 2024 Mate E. Palmer Professional Communications Contest before advancing to the national contest, where they earned top honors.

Her story, “‘Just sitting there’: Why a dormant government fund got another cash infusion,” won second place in the “Specialty Articles: Government or politics” category of the IWPA contest.

The National Federation of Press Women honors come during a year when Raw Story has been widely recognized for its investigative and explanatory journalism.

Earlier this month, Raw Story won four 2024 Folio Awards from the Fair Media Council for investigative reports on politics, government and extremism.

Levinthal this month also won a 2024 Dateline Award from the Society of Professional Journalists’ Washington, D.C., chapter, for a series that unveiled how South Carolina public military college The Citadel closed ranks to support honorary degree recipient Rudy Giuliani.

In April, Jacobson won the Sidney Award for her report on the shambolic state of the U.S. Postal Service's police force amid spikes in mail theft and assault on carriers.

Editor & Publisher magazine named Raw Story the best news and political blog of 2023. Other recent honors include a Best in Business Award from the Society Advancing Business Editing and Writing and an ION Award for investigative journalism.

Founded in 2004, and now celebrating its 20th anniversary, Raw Story is America’s largest independently-owned political news site.

Raw Story journalists win four 2024 Folio Awards for investigative reporting

Raw Story journalists have won four 2024 Folio Awards for their investigative reporting on politics, government and extremism, the Fair Media Council announced today at its annual luncheon on Long Island, N.Y.

Raw Story awardees include:

Investigative reporter Mark Alesia won the Sean. A. Fanelli Award for education news for his chilling tale about an Indiana school administrator who became the subject of death threats and national ridicule after a conservative nonprofit and Fox News teamed up to "unfairly and inaccurately" thrust her into the crucible of "culture war cruelty." Folio Award judges wrote that Alesia's report earned "high marks for relevance" and is a "well-rounded examination of the issue."
Editor-in-chief Dave Levinthal and congressional correspondent Matt Laslo took top honors in the public policy news category for a data-driven deep dive that revealed how the Senate Ethics Committee had failed to punish any of its Senate colleagues during its last 1,523 tries. "The topic and investigative approach to the data earned this story high marks," judges wrote.
Investigative reporter Alexandria Jacobson and Levinthal won in the enterprise news category for their "Lawmakers, Law Breakers" series that revealed how 37 members of the current Congress last year violated a federal law designed to stop insider trading, curb financial conflicts of interest and enhance public transparency. (The number this year has grown to 46 members.) "Great topic," judges wrote.
Investigative reporter Jordan Green won in the January 6 coverage category for his "Our Best Face" series, which revealed how "peaceful" pro-Trump rally organizers cultivated ties to violent extremists in the weeks before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. "Exhaustive coverage of a seminal event in American history" and "great investigative reporting," judges wrote. Last year, Green became the first journalist in Raw Story's history to win a Folio Award, doing so for his investigative reporting on extremism.

The Fair Media Council, one of the nation's oldest nonprofit news consumer advocacy organizations, describes the annual Folio Awards as "the gold standard for recognizing the best in news and social media."

"Winning four Folio Awards is an incredible honor, and it's a testament to the quality and impact of Raw Story's investigative journalism," Raw Story publisher Roxanne Cooper said.

The Folio Awards come during a year when Raw Story has been widely recognized for its investigative and explanatory journalism.

Dave Levinthal of Raw Story Raw Story Editor-in-Chief Dave Levinthal accepts four 2024 Folio Awards from the Fair Media Council at the organization's annual luncheon on June 7, 2024, in Garden City, N.Y. (Photo: Christopher Zepeda)

In April, Jacobson won the Sidney Award for her report on the shambolic state of the U.S. Postal Service's police force amid spikes in mail theft and assault on carriers. Editor & Publisher magazine named Raw Story the best news and political blog of 2023. Other recent honors include a Best in Business Award from the Society Advancing Business Editing and Writing and an ION Award for investigative journalism.

Founded in 2004, and now celebrating its 20th anniversary, Raw Story is America’s largest independently-owned political news site.

Last year, Raw Story significantly expanded its investigative and original reporting team. Hires include Levinthal, Jacobson and Alesia, as well as Executive Editor Adam Nichols, Assistant Managing Editor Kathleen Culliton, Night Editor David McAfee and Senior Editor Daniel Hampton.

Raw Story named to Editor & Publisher's '10 to Watch' list

Editor & Publisher has named Raw Story to its 2024 "News Media's 10 to Watch" list — an honor recognizing 10 news organizations for their innovation and ingenuity.

The publication praised Raw Story's staff expansion, "deep reporting" and growth in readership and subscribers.

" Raw Story spent 2023 investing heavily in investigative and enterprise journalism, and it isn’t stopping," Editor & Publisher wrote in an article published online Thursday. "These investments aim to dramatically expand its original journalism, increase its subscriber base and enhance its overall leadership in national media."

Among the recent Raw Story investigations Editor & Publisher cited:

"With investigations like these, Raw Story will continue to be one to watch," Editor & Publisher wrote.

Said Raw Story Publisher Roxanne Cooper: "Whether it's our up-to-the-second breaking news, incisive opinion pieces or, certainly, our big investigations, we expect to give our readers many reasons throughout this pivotal election year to watch and read Raw Story."

The Alabama Media Group, Star Tribune in Minneapolis and New York Amsterdam News, one of the nation's leading Black newspapers, also appear with Raw Story on the "10 to Watch" list.

Raw Story's recognition from Editor & Publisher comes the same week the Sidney Hillman Foundation awarded investigative reporter Alexandria Jacobson a prestigious Sidney Award for her months-long investigation into violence against letter carriers and a recent spike in mail-related crime.

The Sidney Award is a monthly prize for "outstanding investigative journalism that exposes social and economic injustices" and given to only one investigation nationwide per month.

Raw Story's investigative reporting has won several other national awards in recent months, including a Best in Business Award from the Society for Advancing Business Editing Writing, a Folio Award from the Fair Media Council and an ION Award. In November, Editor & Publisher named Raw Story the "best news/political blog" of 2023.

Founded in 2004, Raw Story is America’s largest independently-owned political news site.

Long known for its rapid-fire breaking news reports and commentary, Raw Story has significantly expanded its investigative and enterprise reporting team. Hires during the past year include Dave Levinthal, Executive Editor Adam Nichols, Assistant Managing Editor Kathleen Culliton, Night Editor David McAfee and investigative reporters Mark Alesia and Jacobson.

Raw Story's Alexandria Jacobson wins Sidney Award for investigation into postal crime

Raw Story investigative reporter Alexandria Jacobson has won the prestigious Sidney Award for her months-long investigation into violence against letter carriers and a recent spike in mail-related crime.

Jacobson's investigation, "Letter carriers face bullets and beatings while postal service sidelines police," prompted immediate reaction from federal lawmakers who called on Congress to pass legislation that helped enhance safety for postal workers and the mail itself.

“Jacobson’s meticulous reporting casts a light on the risks faced by letter carriers and the official indifference to their wellbeing on the job,” Sidney Award judge Lindsay Beyerstein said Wednesday. “This story makes it clear how the security of letter carriers affects not only the workers involved but all of us in terms of the scale of thefts and fraud.”

The Sidney Award is a monthly prize, sponsored by the Sidney Hillman Foundation, for "outstanding investigative journalism that exposes social and economic injustices" and given to only one investigation per month.

Other recent recipients of the Sidney Award include journalists from the Associated Press, New York Times, New Yorker, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and San Francisco Chronicle.

"Alex's investigation combines the the best of data journalism and shoe-leather reporting into a decidedly human story that genuinely affects anyone who uses the U.S. mail," Raw Story Editor-in-Chief Dave Levinthal said. "In reporting this story, Alex faced numerous obstacles over several months and overcame them all."

Raw Story's investigative reporting has won several national awards in recent months, including a Best in Business Award from the Society for Advancing Business Editing Writing, a Folio Award from the Fair Media Council and an ION Award. In November, Editor & Publisher named Raw Story the "best news/political blog" of 2023.

Founded in 2004, Raw Story is America’s largest independently-owned political news site.

Long known for its rapid-fire breaking news reports and commentary, Raw Story has significantly expanded its investigative and enterprise reporting team. Hires during the past year include Levinthal, Executive Editor Adam Nichols, Assistant Managing Editor Kathleen Culliton, Night Editor David McAfee and investigative reporters Mark Alesia and Jacobson.

Raw Story wins 2023 'Best in Business' journalism award, earns two honorable mentions

Raw Story investigative reporter Alexandria Jacobson and Editor-in-Chief Dave Levinthal today won a 2023 Best in Business Award for their ongoing "Lawmakers, Law Breakers" series that's revealed how dozens of members of Congress have violated a federal law designed to stop insider trading and curb conflicts of interest.

The award, sponsored by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing, comes in the contest's personal finance category.

Judges wrote of the "Lawmakers, Law Breakers" series: "In this well-executed investigation, Alexandria Jacobson and Dave Levinthal reveal that 37 members of Congress failed to properly disclose personal stock trades in just one year. Their dogged reporting effort raises important questions about the adequacy and policing of financial conflict-of-interest laws designed to give Americans confidence in their lawmakers’ impartiality."

Raw Story reporters also earned two honorable mentions in the 2023 Best in Business Awards.

Investigative reporter Mark Alesia received an honorable mention in the explanatory category for his "Monuments to Me" investigation about how former politicians use surplus campaign cash to bolster their legacies.

"The reporting includes sleuthing into under-reported public filings and holding political leaders accountable for their spending. It is a fascinating deep dive into how these leftover zombie funds are being used," judges wrote of Alesia's work.

Jacobson received an honorable mention in the government category for her "Losing Track" series, which revealed major weaknesses in the federal government's security clearance systems.

"This is an important but much overlooked and taken for granted area that calls for more scrutiny, especially given the new relevance with the investigations into former President Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents," judges wrote of Jacobson's series.

Founded in 2004, Raw Story is America’s largest independently-owned political news site. In November, Editor & Publisher named Raw Story the "best news/political blog" of 2023.

Long known for its rapid-fire breaking news reports and commentary, Raw Story has significantly expanded its investigative and enterprise reporting team. Hires during the past year include Levinthal, Executive Editor Adam Nichols, Assistant Managing Editor Kathleen Culliton, Night Editor David McAfee and investigative reporters Jacobson and Alesia.

Raw Story’s top 23 investigations of 2023

Early in 2023, Raw Story announced that it would heavily invest in our investigative journalism with the goal of bringing you hard-hitting and incisive news you wouldn’t find elsewhere.

Since then, Raw Story has hired a team of investigative journalists and published several hundred exclusive stories and reported commentaries that have together shone significant light into the darkest corners of politics and government.

We’ve also won three major national awards for this work, including Editor & Publisher naming Raw Story the “best news/political blog” of 2023.

So as we end this year and await the next — there will be no lack of opportunities for investigative journalists in 2024, it’s safe to predict — let’s take a look back at Raw Story’s top 23 investigations of 2023, as selected by Raw Story’s staff.

(And if you have a favorite that’s not on this list, drop me a message at levinthal@rawstory.com to let me know which one.)

Without further ado:

1.) ‘Our best face’: How ‘peaceful’ MAGA leader Amy Kremer cultivated ties to a violent Three Percenter group

Amy Kremer. Gage Skidmore.

The opening salvo in investigative reporter Jordan Green’s three-part series into an unknown subplot in the days leading up to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

2.) They blew up my life’: Fox News, a hidden camera and threats to an Indiana school administrator

‘They blew up my life’: Fox News, a hidden camera and threats to an Indiana school administrator Indiana public school administrator Jenny Oakley. Doug McSchooler / Raw Story

The tawdry tale of how a cynical conservative crusade against wokeism smeared a public school educator.

3.) Losing track: ‘Old school’ policies and practices put national security at ‘high risk’

Losing track: ‘Old school’ policies and practices put national security at ‘high risk’ Digital illustration by Roxanne Cooper / Midjourney

You’ll never think about pen, paper and the nation's security in quite the same way again thanks to investigative reporter Alexandria Jacobson and her three-part "Losing track" series.

4.) Neo-Nazi Marine Corps vet accused of plotting terror attack possessed classified military materials: sources

A still from a propaganda video shows a neo-Nazi group that included Jordan Duncan conducting firearms training in Idaho in July 2020. Courtesy U.S. Department of Justice

Raw Story exclusively learned that a man jailed for allegedly plotting to attack the power grid and commit acts of racial terror stands accused by the government of possessing classified Defense Department materials on a computer drive at the time of his arrest.

5.) 0-for-1,523: Senators attempt to explain why they never punish other senators for ethics violations

Since 2007, the Senate Ethics Committee has received 1,523 complaints alleging violations of Senate rules. In exactly zero cases did it vote to issue a “disciplinary sanction” — the most damning form of punishment against a wayward senator, a Raw Story analysis of congressional records indicated.

6.) Why big-time politicians are surrendering gobs of campaign cash to an unlikely source

Some of the nation’s most notable politicians danced cheek-to-cheek with the crypto industry, which was all too happy to line their pockets with campaign donations — until matters got very, very complicated.

7.) Selling hate, vulgarity and violence: How Trump and MAGA overran a quaint Midwest festival

Some of the pro-Donald Trump and anti-Joe Biden T-shirts for sale at the Mansfield, Ind., site of the recent Covered Bridge Festival. Curse words — many of the shirts featured them — have been redacted. Mark Alesia/Raw Story

It’s a shocking scene from rural Indiana. But you might very well recognize it in your own backyard.

8) ‘Monuments to me’: How politicians use donors’ leftover 'zombie' cash to buy themselves legacies

During the past decade, federal-level politicians have given more than $14 million in surplus campaign funds to non-profit institutions of higher education, a Raw Story investigation of Federal Election Commission records showed. While the practice is generally legal, campaign finance experts say such arrangements become ethically murky when the donations, directly or indirectly, create what amount to monuments to the lawmakers’ political legacies.

9.) A deafening silence from Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s Black football players

Contributing columnist Donnell Alexander contacted dozens of Black players across the last 30 years of Auburn football rosters to ask a simple question: should Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the school’s former coach, be denounced for his racist remarks? Their silence often spoke greater volumes than their comments.

10.) Ronna McDaniel's hair and makeup have cost GOP donors nearly $100,000

Ronna McDaniel (CNN screenshot)

When the Republican National Committee’s leader goes on television, conservative donors are helping make her hair and skin look their best, according to an analysis of federal campaign data by senior editor Sarah Burris.

11.) Tennessee cops let violent neo-Nazis off with warnings after they menaced a charity drag show

William Beals, a 15-year-old boy and Sean Kauffmann (l-r) outside a drag show in Cookeville, Tenn. on Jan. 22. Robert Bray is in the background at left. Courtesy Josh Brandon

The chilling product of Green unearthing police bodycam video by utilizing the Tennessee Public Records Act.

12.) Lawmakers, law breakers: 37 members of Congress have violated a conflicts-of-interest law

George Santos George Santos, R-N.Y., at a conference in Las Vegas last month. (Wade Vandervort/AFP)

During 2023, Raw Story exclusively identified more than three-dozen federal lawmakers — Democrats and Republicans, leaders and back-benchers — who broke a law Congress designed to police its own members’ actions.

13.) Revealed: Nearly $500 million continues to sit in a bloated, unused government fund

Stacks of money (Shutterstock)

Remember this revelation the next time the federal government is scrambling to fund something — or if you’d like a little money in your own pocket.

14.) ‘Protect them’: How S.C.’s honor-bound military college camouflaged its connection to Rudy Giuliani

In a series of internal The Citadel emails, which Raw Story obtained through a South Carolina Freedom of Information Act request, school officials detail how they decided to close ranks, protect themselves and deflect scrutiny over officials’ decision to let Giuliani keep an honorary doctorate degree the school gave him.

15.) Dem senator used to bash lobbyists. Now they're feting him at exclusive D.C. fundraisers.

Raw Story investigative reporter Mark Alesia and congressional correspondent Matt Laslo caught one long-time senator, who faces a tough reelection campaign, in a big-money pickle.

16.) KKK members pulled guns on pro-LGBTQ protesters — but Kentucky officers let them go free: police docs

Video shows KKK member Clayton Segebart waving a gun during an LGBTQ rally in Corbin, Ky. as Kenneth W. Hutton, a former city employee, looks on. Courtesy AJay Anderson

Two purported Ku Klux Klan members allegedly terrorized a pro-LGBTQ rally in Kentucky, and one pulled a handgun on protesters — but law enforcement officers on the scene did not arrest them, according to local police documents obtained by Green through a Kentucky open records request.

17.) Trump’s Iowa Faith Leader Coalition includes white nationalist, advocate of killing Obama

Trump at St. John's Episcopal Church (Photo: White House/Flickr)

Alesia shows how some of the former president’s most dogmatic 2024 supporters aren’t only preaching fire and brimstone, but violence and racism.

18.) Cyberthieves jacked a U.S. senator's campaign and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars

Raw Story revealed one of the most egregious instances of theft from a political committee amid a nationwide epidemic of political thefts.

19.) Revealed: Bomb-loving neo-Nazi is now menacing children

Jarrett William Smith in the Army in 2019 (left); Smith at an anti-LGBTQ protest in Sanford, N.C. last month. Courtesy federal courts; Jordan Green

A former U.S. soldier-turned-neo-Nazi, who recently served a federal prison sentence for distributing bomb-making instructions for killing former presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke, protested outside a children’s story hour led by drag performers in October, Raw Story confirmed.

20.) Why aren’t corrupt lawmakers denied their pensions? Here's who to blame.

As Jacobson explains in troubling detail, there’s a lot of blame to go around, indeed.

21.) Angry, violent and abusive: Unsealed court docs allege Stewart Rhodes created ‘constant fear’ at home

Stewart Rhodes (Photo by Nicholas Kamm for AFP)

Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes — a key figure in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol — beat his kids, used the toilet in their presence, encouraged them to use drugs and harbored an “obsession with sex (that) led him to incredibly inappropriate behavior around the children,” court filings obtained by Raw Story alleged.

22.) How Waco got Donald Trump to pay a huge bill for his MAGA rally

Trump’s presidential campaign committees are notoriously stingy when it comes to helping pay for and defray public safety costs associated with Trump rallies. But one central Texas city had some ideas.

23.) Trump golf course isn’t making the grade: code violation records

One of Trump’s California golf courses is deep in the rough, according to local documents Jacobson unearthed.

Have a confidential tip for Raw Story's investigations team? Email us at tips@rawstory.com or send your tip by mail to: News Tips, Raw Story, PO Box 21050, Washington, DC, 20009.

Why members of Congress keep breaking financial laws over and over again

Throughout 2023, federal lawmakers kept introducing a steady stream of bills designed to stop congressional stock trading.

At the same time, their colleagues continued breaking existing financial disclosure and conflicts-of-interest laws.

Nothing has come of those bills yet, but Raw Story has identified at least 37 members of Congress this year who violated federal law by not properly disclosing their personal finances as required by the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 and the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012.

"These laws matter in a large part for public trust and transparency," said Raw Story investigative reporter Alexandria Jacobson on "The Julie Mason Show" on SiriusXM's POTUS Politics channel Tuesday.

Jacobson's latest reporting found another 11 members of Congress, including embattled Rep. George Santos (R-NY), who all failed to properly file their annual financial disclosure reports on time.

"We find these violations happen on both sides of the aisle," Jacobson said, noting that of the 11 who didn't file on time, seven were Democrats and four were Republicans.

Santos, who is facing numerous criminal charges and expulsion from the U.S. House, didn't file at all.

One of the original authors of the STOCK Act, former Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA) called out his former colleagues earlier this year for their "dog ate my homework excuses" for not following the laws and the lack of consequences enforced by congressional ethics committees.

"The House Ethics Committee certainly could act and enforce consequences for these violations of federal laws, but oftentimes, they don't. Either the fees get waived, or they just pay a nominal $200 fee for not being transparent and following the law," Jacobson said.

Other Raw Story reporting this year revealed a handful of members of congressional Armed Services Committees who owned defense contractor stock, such as Sens. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA).

"It’s definitely a lot of labor, but we think it’s very important for the public to be able to know this information, and we’re happy to dig into that and share that," Jacobson said.

In October, Jacobson won first prize in the ION Awards contest for investigative journalism for her reporting on the personal finances of public officials.

Listen to the full interview:

Raw Story named 'best news/political blog' of 2023 by Editor & Publisher magazine

Editor & Publisher magazine has awarded Raw Story a 2023 EPPY Award as the "best news / political blog" among all news sites with 1 million or more unique monthly visitors.

Raw Story was judged on its "overall content regarding news and politics — with focus on analysis and insight as well as wit and wisdom" as well as a submitted portfolio of published articles.

"Being acknowledged alongside some of the nation's most respected news outlets is a privilege," Raw Story Publisher Roxanne Cooper said. "I'm especially proud in the investigative projects we've undertaken in the past year — all made possible by the steadfast support of our loyal subscribers."

Among the articles included in Raw Story's entry portfolio:

An investigation by Editor-in-Chief Dave Levinthal and congressional correspondent Matt Laslo into failures by the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics to issue a single formal punishment in 16 years, despite fielding 1,523 complaints and launching 204 preliminary inquiries into alleged misdeeds among senators and Senate staffers.
A damning, deeply reported column by Donnell Alexander on the "deafening silence" by U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville's former football players amid his public embrace of white nationalists.
An exposé by investigative reporter Jordan Green about how the federal government had quietly banned a violent January 6 attack participant from Tennessee nuclear power facilities where he worked but hadn't charged or arrested him despite "bevy of evidence that he illegally entered the U.S. Capitol in a manner that’s resulted in charges against hundreds of other rioters." Less than three months after Green's story published, the FBI arrested the man, William Beals, and charged him with several counts related to his participation in the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
A first-person narrative from Levinthal — based on numerous internal records obtained through the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act and extensive interviews — about how storied military college The Citadel "camouflaged its connection to Rudy Giuliani" and deflected attention from its refusal to rescind an honorary degree it awarded the legally and ethically troubled former New York City mayor and Donald Trump lawyer.

Other 2023 EPPY Award winners include NBC News, USA Today, ProPublica, the Boston Globe and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

This is the third major award Raw Story has won in 2023 for its journalism.

In June, Green received a 2023 Folio Award from the Fair Media Council for his reporting on extremism in the aftermath of the January 6 attack.

In October, investigative reporter Alexandria Jacobson won first prize in the 2023 ION Awards contest for her series of exclusive reports about members of Congress violating a federal law designed to stop insider trading, curb financial conflicts of interest and enhance public transparency.

This is also Raw Story's second EPPY Award during its 19-year history, having earned honors in 2022 for a gripping, tell-all column, "How I left the far right," by Dakota Adams, the son of former Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes.

Founded in 2004, Raw Story is America’s largest independently-owned political news site.

Long known for its rapid-fire breaking news reports and commentary, Raw Story has this year significantly expanded its investigative and original reporting team. Hires this year include Levinthal, Executive Editor Adam Nichols, Assistant Managing Editor Kathleen Culliton, Night Editor David McAfee, investigative reporters Jacobson and Mark Alesia and news writer M.L. Nestel.

Raw Story adds new assistant managing editor, news writer

Raw Story, America’s largest independently-owned political news site, has hired a new assistant managing editor and news writer as it continues to expand its breaking news and investigative reporting staffs.

Assistant Managing Editor Kathleen Culliton comes from New York City Patch, where she served as the local news outlet's managing editor for New York City.

Culliton has covered local and national news for more than a decade for outlets that include the New York Post, Al Jazeera, DNAinfo New York, Bustle, the New York Daily News, WNYC, NY1 and City Limits. Kathleen is an alumna of the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism and originally hails from New York City.

Veteran news writer M.L. Nestel brings deep reporting experience to Raw Story, having previously worked at Newsweek, ABC News, The Daily Beast, The Daily Mail, The New York Post, The New York Daily News and Newsday.

"I'm so excited to add Kathleen and M.L. to the team," said Executive Editor Adam Nichols. "Between them, they bring a depth of experience and talent that is going to be invaluable to fulfilling Raw Story's mission of bringing vital news to our readers quickly and accurately."

Since January, Raw Story has made several key hires in an effort to expand its original reporting and national reach. Among them: Editor-in-chief Dave Levinthal, investigative reporters Alexandria Jacobson and Mark Alesia, night editor David McAfee and Nichols.

This year, Raw Story investigative reporter Jordan Green won a 2023 Folio Award for his reporting on extremism while Jacobson won first prize in the ION Awards contest for her series of exclusive reports about members of Congress violating a federal law designed to stop insider trading, curb financial conflicts of interest and enhance public transparency.

Raw Story has also aggressively pursued stories through legal means, including the frequent filing of Freedom of Information Act and state-level open records requests, and suing the federal government when it refuses to release records to which the public should have access.

Contact: Executive Editor Adam Nichols, nichols@rawstory.com

Raw Story reporter Alexandria Jacobson wins ION Award for investigative journalism

Raw Story investigative reporter Alexandria Jacobson today won first prize in the 2023 ION Awards contest for her series of exclusive reports about members of Congress violating a federal law designed to stop insider trading, curb financial conflicts of interest and enhance public transparency.

Jacobson is the lead reporter on Raw Story's "Lawmakers, Law Breakers" project, which this year has outed two-dozen members of Congress as violators of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act — a law Congress itself passed in 2012 to govern public officials' personal financial activity.

Jacobson discovered scofflaw Republicans and Democrats alike, including some of Congress' most powerful members.

Judges for the ION Awards, which honors "superior, exceptional original or investigative reporting; particularly that which is off the typical news narrative," described Jacobson's reporting as "fair, bold, specific and thoroughly documented."

"Lawmakers, Law Breakers' used data journalism, document analysis and shoe-leather reporting to prove that among members of Congress, financial conflicts of interest run rampant and all but unchecked… [and] numerous members of Congress are violating the very law they passed to temper their own behavior with little, if any, legal consequence," ION Awards judges wrote. "For example, the investigation examined congressional financial documents and found both Democrats and Republicans violating the Congressional STOCK Act by failing to disclose transactions within a 45-day deadline. Amazingly, violators include some members of Congress who helped write and pass the STOCK Act."

The ION Award comes with a $2,000 prize.

"Our legislators make decisions that determine the strength of our economy and what companies get billions of dollars in federal funding," Jacobson said after winning her ION Award. "In order to bolster public trust, it’s important that they are transparent and prompt in disclosing their personal financial transactions so journalists and concerned citizens alike can be watchdogs to make sure lawmakers aren’t using non-public knowledge to make decisions that benefit themselves personally. That’s why I will continue to tirelessly investigate members of Congress’s personal financial reports — after all, our lawmakers should be law abiding, too."

Raw Story Editor-in-Chief Dave Levinthal praised Jacobson's "must-read" work since joining Raw Story in April.

"Alex is as diligent, dedicated and resourceful an investigative journalist as you'll find," he said. "Her ION Award is a testament to the relentlessness of her reporting and commitment to unearthing truths that powerful elected officials often would rather keep buried."

Read all of Jacobson's work — including her award-winning reports — here.