Derek Willis
ProPublica
Barbados
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Past articles by Derek:
On Motion to Concur in the Senate... - H.R.5376: To provide for reconciliation pursuant to title...
House Vote 420 - On Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendment. Passed, by a margin of 6 votes. See how your representative voted. → Read More
They Promised Quick and Easy PPP Loans. Often, They Only Delivered Hassle and Heartache.
More than a million government-approved loans ended up being canceled, including some that would have gone to people who needed the loans and applied just as they were told. → Read More
New Records Show the NYPD’s Favored Punishment: Less Vacation Time
In some of the NYPD’s most severe misconduct cases, the only punishment officers faced was losing vacation days. → Read More
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and... - H.R.3325: To award four congressional gold medals to the...
* By tradition, the Speaker of the House votes at his or her discretion. In cases where the Speaker does not vote, that absence is not counted in the "Not Voting" totals displayed here, but Represent adds the Speaker's name to the list of people who did not vote. → Read More
Hundreds of PPP Loans Went to Fake Farms in Absurd Places
An online lending platform called Kabbage sent 378 pandemic loans worth $7 million to fake companies (mostly farms) with names like “Deely Nuts” and “Beefy King.” → Read More
How Josh Hawley and Marjorie Taylor Greene Juiced Their Fundraising Numbers
Politicians get the veneer of grassroots support, while shadowy consultants get rich. → Read More
The NYPD Files: Search Thousands of Civilian Complaints Against New York City Police Officers
After New York state repealed a law that kept NYPD disciplinary records secret, ProPublica obtained data from the civilian board that investigates complaints about police behavior. Use this database to search thousands of allegations. → Read More
A Company Run by a White House “Volunteer” With No Experience in Medical Supplies Got $2.4 Million From the Feds for Medical Supplies —
A $2.4 million deal to supply the Bureau of Prisons with surgical gowns was the second multimillion dollar contract for coronavirus supplies that went to somebody who did work for the White House but had little relevant experience. → Read More
Federal Agencies Have Spent Millions on KN95 Masks, Often Without Knowing Who Made Them
Government employees at several agencies are relying on KN95 masks that the agencies cannot guarantee offer the most protection. Some agencies have paid little attention to important manufacturing details and been tripped up by shifting regulations. → Read More
Masks Sold by Former White House Official to Navajo Hospitals Don’t Meet FDA Standards
New information from the Indian Health Service calls into question why the agency purchased expensive medical gear that it now cannot use as intended. → Read More
On the Same Day Sen. Richard Burr Dumped Stock, So Did His Brother-in-Law. Then the Market Crashed.
The brother-in-law, a Trump appointee, sold between $97,000 and $280,000 worth of stock. Burr is under federal investigation over whether he traded on non-public information gathered through his work in the Senate. → Read More
Sen. Richard Burr Is Not Just a Friend to the Health Care Industry.…
The Republican of North Carolina, who is under investigation for his stock trading, regularly flips health care stocks even as he pushes for legislation to help the industry. → Read More
Even After Trump Declared a National Emergency, Some Talk Radio Hosts Weren’t Convinced —
In the last two weeks, several of the most-listened-to conservative hosts were telling millions of listeners that they should ignore the “hype” and that the coronavirus is no worse than the seasonal flu. → Read More
Senator Dumped Up to $1.6 Million of Stock After Reassuring Public About Coronavirus Preparedness —
Intelligence Chair Richard Burr’s selloff came around the time he was receiving daily briefings on the health threat. → Read More
Senator Dumped Up to $1.7 Million of Stock After Reassuring Public About Coronavirus Preparedness —
Intelligence Chair Richard Burr’s selloff came around the time he was receiving daily briefings on the health threat. → Read More
Republican National Committee Obscured How Much It Pays Its Chief of Staff —
Amid the record-breaking flows of cash, the RNC is giving lucrative consulting work to a select group of political operatives with Trump campaign ties. → Read More
Analysis: Political Parties Are Not as Good as Government Officials at Counting Votes
Most primaries are run by state and local governments. But caucuses are different — and Iowa shows how that can be a problem. → Read More
The Pro-Trump Super PAC at the Center of the Ukraine Scandal Has Faced Multiple Campaign Finance Complaints —
Randy Perkins donated $500,000 to America First Action, a pro-Trump super PAC, a day after his company won federal money as part of a contract. The same PAC was dubbed “Committee 1” in a federal indictment alleging illegal donations from two Rudy Giuliani associates. → Read More
What Will Nancy Pelosi's Return to Speaker of the House Mean for Bipartisanship?
In November, Pelosi agreed to new rules allowing for a more open legislative process, but they may have unintended consequences. → Read More
Why Bipartisan Ideas Became a Rarity in the House
Pelosi has agreed to a more open process, but Democrats who pushed for it may come to regret it. → Read More