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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ProPublica Report Links Sen. Susan Collins to Alleged Defense Contract Fundraising Scheme
A new report has put a sitting U.S. senator at the center of a defense-contracting scandal, right in the middle of a tight reelection…
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Former Santa Clara County Undersheriff Pleads Guilty: Gun Permits Traded for iPads and Sharks Tickets
In Santa Clara County, a permit to carry a concealed gun was one of the hardest documents to get in California. The county rarely…
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Former Junction City Detective Indicted Over Alleged Sexual Favors for Leniency
Police authority is supposed to serve the public. A new federal case in Kansas raises a serious allegation about what happens when that authority…
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Convicted Connecticut Official Skips Sentencing, Flees to Greece by Boat and Plane
Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis was supposed to stand before a federal judge in Connecticut and hear his sentence for corruption. Instead, he called his lawyer…
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Ohio County Commissioner Sentenced to 30 Months in Port Authority Kickback Scheme
Bryan Davis held public authority as a Scioto County commissioner. The Ohio Auditor of State reports that he admitted involvement in a public-contracting kickback…
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Hawaii’s Lieutenant Governor Faces Bribery Charges. A Key Defendant Is Abroad.
Hawaii’s second-highest elected official is under criminal indictment. And the lobbyist prosecutors accuse of arranging payments remains abroad, according to their account.
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She Billed Medicaid $69 Million to ‘Treat’ Native Americans. The Sentence: 14 Years.
An Arizona clinic owner was sentenced to 14 years for billing Medicaid $69 million for addiction treatment targeting Native American patients. Her case is…
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They Got $118 Million to House the Homeless. Prosecutors Say Some of It Built a Nightclub.
Federal prosecutors charged leaders tied to four LA homeless nonprofits, alleging millions were diverted to a nightclub, vacations and cars. A court-ordered audit and…
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$200 Billion in Pandemic Fraud. Six Years Later, the Government Is Still Chasing It.
The SBA’s watchdog estimated more than $200 billion in potentially fraudulent PPP and EIDL loans. A 2026 DOJ sweep reached about 160 defendants and…
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He Erased $6.7 Million in Taxes for $101,500 in Bribes. He Wasn’t the Only One.
A Puerto Rico Treasury employee admitted taking $101,500 in bribes to wipe out $6.77 million in taxes. Federal records show at least four Hacienda…
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Expelled, Re-Elected, and Now a Deadlocked Jury: The Trayon White Bribery Case
A D.C. Council member charged with taking cash bribes on camera was expelled by his colleagues, won his seat back with 30% of the…
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$45 Million, No Names: The Dallas Convention and the Dark Money Both Parties Love
A private host committee raised $45 million for the GOP’s first midterm convention without naming its donors. Issue One found nearly $198 million in…