Josh Kaplan

@josh-kaplan.bsky.social

36.5Kfollowers
164following
44posts

ProPublica reporter | Email me at joshua.kaplan@propublica.org | Contact info & stories here: propublica.org/people/joshua-kaplan

Top posts

Josh Kaplan avatar
Josh Kaplan·Jan 4

THREAD: In 2023, I received an envelope with no return address. Inside was a flash drive containing tens of 1000s of secret files. It came from a vigilante with a tumultuous past, who'd conducted a years-long undercover operation. He didn’t tell the FBI or his family. He only told me.

867
7.2K
19.5K
Josh Kaplan avatar
Josh Kaplan·Jan 7

For those who've been following the story of John Williams, the mole inside the militia movement, he's now released a significant portion of his files through @ddosecrets.com: ddosecrets.com/article/para...

21
429
1.2K
Josh Kaplan avatar
Josh Kaplan·Feb 28

NEW: A $3.7 million Capitol Hill townhouse is the D.C. headquarters of a secretive political influence project. It’s owned by a major GOP donor. But one of the most powerful men in the country recently moved in: House Speaker Mike Johnson. www.propublica.org/article/mike...

72
372
739

Latest posts

Josh Kaplan avatar
Josh Kaplan·Mar 20

Wild story: DOGE meets nuclear reactor safety

26
316
683
Josh Kaplan avatar
Josh Kaplan·Mar 4

NEW: Kristi Noem Misled Congress About Top Aide’s Role in DHS Contracts, Internal Agency Records Show www.propublica.org/article/kris...

24
109
385
Josh Kaplan avatar
Josh Kaplan·Nov 14

NEW: We’ve uncovered the first known example of taxpayer money flowing from DHS to businesses controlled by Kristi Noem’s allies and friends. It’s part of a money trail that’s been shrouded in secrecy—and involves $220 million, a mysterious Delaware LLC & a horse named Gill.

Kristi Noem sits on a horse wearing a cowboy hat. In the background is Mount Rushmore.
379
3.0K
6.7K
Josh Kaplan avatar
Josh Kaplan·Oct 2

NEW: Elon Musk’s SpaceX has taken money directly from Chinese investors, according to newly unsealed testimony. It's the first time direct Chinese investment in the defense contractor has been disclosed. www.propublica.org/article/elon...

21
226
455
Josh Kaplan avatar
Josh Kaplan·Sep 26

NEW: Kristi Noem has been widely criticized for slowing down FEMA's response to natural disasters. But she fast-tracked $11 million+ to fix a Florida tourist attraction — after one of her big donors reached out. www.propublica.org/article/kris...

26
281
660
Josh Kaplan avatar
Josh Kaplan·Jun 30

New: Kristi Noem secretly took a cut of political donations. A dark money group routed the funds to Noem's Delaware LLC, tax records show. The original source of the money remains unknown. www.propublica.org/article/kris...

35
214
586
Josh Kaplan avatar
Josh Kaplan·May 15

NEW: Behind closed doors, the Trump administration has mounted a “maximum pressure” campaign on a poor African democracy. The objective: push the country to help Elon Musk's Starlink business. www.propublica.org/article/trum...

19
188
372
Josh Kaplan avatar
Josh Kaplan·Mar 26

NEW: As a defense contractor, Elon Musk's SpaceX sees allowing Chinese ownership as fraught. But it will allow the investment if it comes through offshore secrecy hubs like the Cayman Islands, court records say. Expert: “It is certainly a policy of obfuscation." www.propublica.org/article/elon...

8
126
325
Josh Kaplan avatar
Josh Kaplan·Mar 12

An extraordinary, must-read story about what's happening inside the Social Security Administration. “Are we going to break something?” the agency's head asked in a meeting, referring to what DOGE has been doing with Social Security data. “I don’t know.” www.propublica.org/article/reco...

8
183
329
Josh Kaplan avatar
Josh Kaplan·Mar 6

NEW: Four years ago, Steve Berger started a secretive project to build ties with lawmakers and shape national policy. Now he appears to be running a group house for conservative congressmen. It’s not just Speaker Johnson living there. Another prominent Trump ally has the keys.

19
94
218