Spotlight DC
Thousands of D.C. Renters Are Evicted Every Year. Do They All Know To Show Up To Court?
Spotlight DC’s investigation into fraud in the eviction system stood out for both its scope and significant impact. The nine-month investigation included looking through more than 13,000 pages of court records, conducting nearly 60 interviews, and reviewing hours of security camera footage to uncover more than 600 cases of questionable affidavits that informed tenants of eviction proceedings. The day after the report came out, the city council responded to the probe by closing the loophole. The judges applaud Joshua Kaplan and the Spotlight DC team for their tenacious work on behalf of their community.
Honorable Mentions:
- Mississippi Free Press – “‘The Fabric Is Torn in Oxford’: UM Officials Decried Racism Publicly, Coddled It Privately”
- Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism – “Gaming the Lottery”
- Open Vallejo – “‘Domestic violence bordering on torture’: records reveal years of allegations against Vallejo councilmember”
- The Utah Investigative Journalism Project – “The Eviction Empire“
- Circle of Blue – “Millions of Americans Are In Water Debt”