Jeff Ernsthausen
I am a reporter who specializes in using data analysis and code to find stories.
Have a Tip for a Story?
I’m interested in tips about the immigration system, government contracting and ways that the wealthy shield themselves from taxes. If you have data that you think could be analyzed for the public benefit, I’d also like to hear from you.
What I Cover
I report on immigration, government contracting, and the intersection of money and power.
My Background
I’m a senior data reporter at Propublica. In recent years, I have primarily covered the U.S. tax system. I worked with a team of reporters on “The Secret IRS Files,” which revealed the ways that the ultrawealthy avoid taxes. Before that, I reported on the ways that wealthy developers influenced the Trump-era tax break for so-called opportunity zones. I also contributed to ProPublica’s coverage of debt collection, evictions and bailouts during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to joining ProPublica, I worked on the investigative team at The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, looking into topics such as sexual abuse by physicians nationwide, police misconduct in Georgia and evictions in metro Atlanta. Before my career in journalism, I studied history and economics and worked as a financial and economic analyst at the Federal Reserve.
My work has spurred congressional investigations and changes in government policy. It’s also been honored with numerous journalism awards, including the Selden Ring, two Scripps Howard awards and several awards from Investigative Reporters and Editors, among them the Philip Meyer Award for data journalism.
One of the Nation’s Largest Auto Lenders Told Customers, “We’re Here to Help.” Then It Took Their Money and Their Cars.
CarMax partner Exeter Finance makes high-interest loans to people with troubled financial histories. It allows borrowers to skip payments but often adds thousands of dollars in new charges — costs that customers say Exeter didn’t tell them about.
Why It’s So Hard to Find a Therapist Who Takes Insurance
Those who need therapy often have to pay out of pocket or go without care, even if they have health insurance. Hundreds of mental health providers told us they fled networks because insurers made their jobs impossible and their lives miserable.
We’re Investigating Mental Health Care Access. Share Your Insights.
ProPublica’s reporters want to talk to mental health providers, health insurance insiders and patients as we examine the U.S. mental health care system. If that’s you, reach out.
IRS Strategic Plan Vows to Amp Up Audits of the Rich
With $80 billion in new funding, the previously gutted agency pledged to renew its pursuit of wealthy tax dodgers and address a number of problems that ProPublica has been reporting on in recent years.
How the Wealthy Save Billions in Taxes by Skirting a Century-Old Law
Congress outlawed tax deductions on “wash sales” in 1921, but Goldman Sachs and others have helped billionaires like Steve Ballmer see huge tax savings by selling stocks for a loss and then replacing them with nearly identical investments.
How Susquehanna’s Jeff Yass Avoided $1 Billion in Taxes
The billionaire TikTok investor specializes in securities trades that are taxed at around 40%. A ProPublica analysis reveals how Yass and his partners have kept their tax rates at 20% or lower.
Meet the Billionaire and Rising GOP Mega-Donor Who’s Gaming the Tax System
Susquehanna founder and TikTok investor Jeff Yass has avoided $1 billion in taxes while largely escaping public scrutiny. He’s now pouring his money into campaigns to cut taxes and support election deniers.
America’s Highest Earners and Their Taxes Revealed
Secret IRS files reveal the top US income earners and how their tax rates vary more than their incomes. Tech titans, hedge fund managers and heirs dominate the list, while the likes of Taylor Swift and LeBron James didn’t even make the top 400.
Taking Aim at Billionaire Tax Avoiders, Biden Proposes Minimum Tax for Ultrarich
After ProPublica's Secret IRS Files showed how the richest avoid taxes — often by minimizing income and relying on their wealth — the Biden administration unveiled a plan that could raise hundreds of billions in tax revenues. Its fate is uncertain.
When Billionaires Don’t Pay Taxes, People “Lose Faith in Democracy”
In an interview, Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden described the effect of the tax dodging revealed in “The Secret IRS Files” and argued that his stalled efforts to make the ultrawealthy pay what he calls “their fair share” could still bear fruit.