How We Investigate

The Index operates on a simple principle: show the work.

Our Sources

Every investigation we publish relies on publicly available information. We use:

  • Federal procurement databases — USASpending.gov, FPDS, SAM.gov
  • Court records — PACER, state court systems
  • Corporate filings — SEC EDGAR, state business registries
  • FOIA requests — Federal, state, and local
  • Public social media — Archived and verified
  • News archives and prior reporting
  • Academic and policy research

What We Don't Do

  • Use leaked or stolen data
  • Pay sources for information
  • Rely on anonymous tips without independent verification
  • Conduct undercover operations
  • Access private accounts or systems

Verification Standards

Every factual claim in an investigation must be supported by:

  1. Primary documentation, or
  2. Multiple independent sources, or
  3. Direct, on-record confirmation

When we cannot fully verify a claim, we say so explicitly.

Confidence Levels

For complex claims, we indicate our confidence:

Confirmed

Primary documentation or official acknowledgment

Highly Likely

Multiple independent sources, consistent patterns

Possible

Single source or circumstantial evidence, noted as such

Corrections

We maintain a public corrections log. When we get something wrong, we:

  1. Update the original piece with a visible correction notice
  2. Add an entry to the corrections log with date and explanation
  3. Do not delete or hide the original error

Ethics & Safety

We do:

  • Document public actions and statements
  • Map patterns using public information
  • Name organizations and public figures
  • Cite corporate relationships and contracts
  • Provide context on ideologies and movements

We do not:

  • Publish home addresses
  • Identify minors
  • Encourage confrontation or harassment
  • Speculate about private individuals
  • Publish information that could endanger sources

Submitting Information

If you have documents or information relevant to our investigations, we want to hear from you. We protect sources. We verify independently. We publish what we can prove.

Secure tip submission coming soon.