For nearly 70 years, federal law has barred churches from directly involving themselves in political campaigns, but the IRS has largely abdicated its enforcement responsibilities as churches have become more brazen about publicly backing candidates.
Jessica Priest
Jessica Priest covers higher education, working in partnership with Open Campus. She joined the Tribune in 2022 as an engagement reporter in the ProPublica/Texas Tribune joint investigative unit, contributing to a series that was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in the explanatory reporting category. Prior to the Tribune, Jessica worked for the Fort Worth Report, USA Today, the Victoria Advocate and the Temple Daily Telegram, reporting on topics that included criminal justice, the environment and local government. Her work has often made an impact. The state’s highest criminal court granted a death row inmate a new trial after she detailed a prosecutor’s conflicts of interest. After she exposed questionable hirings and payments at a port and later a water district in another part of the state, both public entities underwent reforms. Jessica was born in Houston and graduated from Sam Houston State University.
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The Texas Tribune-ProPublica Investigative Unit
Tell us how religious organizations in your area involve themselves in elections
Federal law bars churches and other nonprofit groups from endorsing candidates or helping to fundraise, but we know they regularly sidestep — or flat-out ignore — these rules. Help us identify examples.
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Military Injustice
Help The Texas Tribune and ProPublica report on the military justice system
We’re looking into how the military investigates service members accused of crimes, intersects with the civilian justice system and treats cases that do not make it to courts-martial. Guide us to important stories.
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Uvalde school shooting
21 lives lost: Uvalde victims were a cross-section of a small, mostly Latino town in South Texas
Loving children and beloved educators were killed at Robb Elementary School on May 24 in the deadliest school shooting in Texas history.
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Texas 2022 Elections
Help us as we investigate threats to democracy
Are you an election worker facing intimidation? Are you a voter encountering significant hurdles to casting a ballot? Are there any people, groups or organizations exerting undue influence over elections in your community? The Texas Tribune and ProPublica want to hear from you.
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Operation Lone Star
Help us investigate Texas border security initiatives
We’re looking into Texas’ border security initiatives, including what has worked, what hasn’t and how they affect residents. If you have experience on the border, we’d like to hear from you.
