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Joel Jacobs, Propublica

Stories By Joel Jacobs, Propublica

GOP funneled thousands of desperate voters to get help from agency — then gutted it

GOP funneled thousands of desperate voters to get help from agency — then gutted it

A New York business frozen out of its checking account. A Georgia chemotherapy patient denied a credit card refund after a product dispute. A New Jersey service member defrauded out of their savings.

These consumers — along with hundreds of others — reached out to their congressional representatives for help in the past 12 months.

“I have been unable to pay my rent, utilities, personal bills, student loans, or my credit card. I have been unable to buy groceries or put gas in my car,” wrote the New Yorker, who contacted Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’ office....

A Wisconsin tribe built a lending empire by charging 600% annual rates to borrowers

A Wisconsin tribe built a lending empire by charging 600% annual rates to borrowers

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.

Reporting Highlights

  • 600% Online Loans: A Wisconsin tribe built a lending empire on high-interest lending, relying on its sovereign rights to avoid state interest rate caps.
  • Bankruptcies and Complaints: A ProPublica analysis found that the tribe’s companies are mentioned frequently in personal bankruptcies and consumer complaints.
  • Groundbreaking Settlement: A proposed class-action settlement involving the tribe’s officials promises to deliver extraordinary relief to borrowers, erasing over $1 billion in debt.

These highlights were written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.

In bankruptcy filings and consumer complaints, thousands of people across the country make pleas for relief from high-interest loans with punishing annual rates that often exceed 600%....