Insights & Analysis
Evidence-based commentary examining where America’s stated values collide with political behavior, public policy, culture, and everyday life.
Eight lenses for understanding moral strain
Browse the latest reporting below or use these themes to understand how each story fits the Index.
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Ex-Congressman David Rivera Gets 10 Years for Secretly Lobbying as a Foreign Agent for Maduro’s Venezuela
A federal judge sentenced former U.S. Representative David Rivera to 10 years in prison on October 2, 2026. The charge: secretly working as a…
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One Prison Sentence, One Dropped Case: Scioto County’s Kickback Scheme Ends Unevenly
A former Ohio county commissioner is now behind bars for his part in a public contracting scheme. The man accused of actually running the…
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Already-Convicted Ex-Connecticut State Senator Dennis Bradley Charged With Tampering With a Voter’s Absentee Ballot
Dennis Bradley is already a convicted felon. He’s awaiting sentencing for defrauding Connecticut’s public campaign-financing program. Now he’s facing new charges — this time…
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Small-Town Mayor Allegedly Used Dues-Funded Associations as His Personal ATM for Eight Years
A former Maryland mayor is facing seven felony counts after prosecutors say he spent eight years quietly draining the dues accounts of two statewide…
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Appeals Court Erases Hope Florida Grand Jury Report: $10 Million, Zero Indictments
Cold Open A grand jury spent months tracing $10 million out of a Medicaid fraud settlement and into a political campaign. It found no…
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Ex-Superintendent Devon Horton Pleads Guilty: $283,500 Drained From a School District
Cold Open. A man paid to protect a school district’s money has admitted in federal court that he helped drain it. On October 5,…
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Ex-CIA Official Pleads Guilty: Fake Classified Programs Hid a $194 Million Theft
A house in Ashburn, Virginia held 298 gold bars. Federal agents found them during a search in May 2026. The man who owned that…
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Ex-USCIS Officer Indicted for Allegedly Taking $960,000 to Sell Green Cards and Citizenship
A former senior immigration officer in Dallas is accused of turning his government badge into a paid shortcut around the nation’s immigration laws. A…
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Interim Jackson County Executive Phil LeVota Indicted Over Alleged Job-for-Dropout Deal in 2026 Election
Phil LeVota was never elected to run Jackson County, Missouri. He was appointed to the job. Now he’s been indicted on charges that he…
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Ex-Housing Authority Chief Indicted in $16.2 Million Fraud That Hit Two Low-Income Agencies
One man ran two public housing authorities at the same time. Prosecutors say he forged board resolutions from both of them. Then he used…
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Frank Carone’s Bribery Case: How a Mayor’s Top Adviser Allegedly Cashed In on the Migrant Shelter Crisis
Frank Carone once stood at the center of power in New York City government. He served as Mayor Eric Adams’ chief of staff and…
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He Was Supposed to Build Connecticut’s Schools. He Built a Shakedown Instead. Then He Ran.
A jury convicted Connecticut’s school-construction grants chief of bribery and extortion. He left for Greece before sentencing and was sentenced to 7 years in…