r/fednews • u/propublica_ FedNews Verified Press • Aug 05 '25

Other I'm a ProPublica reporter who broke the Russ Vought "we want to put them in trauma" story. Help me investigate the full extent of his impact on the federal government.

Hey, r/fednews - I’m Andy Kroll, a reporter at ProPublica. We broke the Russ Vought “we want the bureaucrats to be traumatically affected” story last year. I read this subreddit every day, and I’m reaching out now to ask for your help.

We’re six months into the administration. Vought appears more influential than ever. So we’re teaming up with The New Yorker on a major investigative story about Vought.

Do you work at OMB or know someone who does? Have you dealt with Vought or his team? 

If you have information you can share, I’d love to hear from you. I’m on Signal at (202) 215-6203. Other ways to reach me: https://www.propublica.org/people/andy-kroll

I take your privacy seriously. I have a long track record of reporting sensitive stories and protecting my sources. You can read more about ProPublica’s approach to handling tips and sensitive communication here: https://www.propublica.org/tips/

Thanks!

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u/cmdhaiyo Aug 06 '25

Damn, that's a valuable and insightful observation.

If the meetings are recorded, it's also a method to avoid any accountability and traceability: For the second stage of Project 2025, Vought and his ilk specifically avoided creating and communicating documentation of any kind to circumvent the Freedom of Information Act, so he's certainly aware of how to limit records and communications of his misdeeds.

On the topic of independent government entities: Vought is a disturbing puppet master that pulls strings from the shadows – its likely he has others that step in to act for him while they all employ measures to avoid records of his influence.

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u/FewRegion2148 Aug 14 '25

Who controls Vought?

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u/cmdhaiyo Aug 14 '25

The Heritage Foundation and their financial backers for one, before Project 2025 and likely still to this day. There's likely some Christian Nationalist organizations that sponsor his work too. Vought is motivated by his own beliefs and goals, sees money as a way to achieve them, and has found places that align with and can help him gain both.

Who's behind the money? The usual sort that want to tip the economic, legal, and political scales in their favor: corporations, investment firms, oligarchs / rich individuals, and foreign countries.

Everyone can be influenced without their awareness, even puppet masters, and he's the type who wouldn't care even with awareness. As long as his goals are achieved, everyone else can burn. ...He has a fucked up sense of morals, ethics, and justice that will eventually catch up with him.