About Hoosier Watchdogs
Hoosier Watchdogs is an independent investigative outlet focused on who really runs Indiana’s cities and state government—and how they use public money to enrich a small circle of insiders.
Hoosier Watchdogs is an independent investigative outlet focused on who really runs Indiana’s cities and state government—and how they use public money to enrich a small circle of insiders.
We follow the documents most people never see: development deals, TIF agreements, shadow board minutes, campaign finance reports, utility authority records, and the LLCs that sit between taxpayers and the people profiting off “growth.”
Our reporting is built on public records, data, and on-the-ground research—not press releases, not spin, and not access journalism. We exist to ask the questions elected officials and local newsrooms are pressured to avoid.
What we cover
Hoosier Watchdogs focuses on:
- Local oligarchy and power structures
- Who owns the land, the LLCs, and the “public–private partnerships” that shape your community.
- TIF districts, slush funds, and development subsidies.
- How tax increment financing and similar tools redirect your tax dollars to connected developers and insiders.
- Shadow boards and unelected authorities.
- The regional commissions, development authorities, and utility boards where real decisions are made behind closed doors.
- Statehouse influence over local government
- How lobbyists, donors, and statewide power brokers write the laws that limit what your city council can—and cannot—do.
- The gap between public rhetoric and private deals.
- What officials say in meetings versus what the contracts, emails, and financial records show.
Our first major investigation, "Oligarchy: Shadow Boards and Slush Funds," traced these patterns in Muncie and Indianapolis, showing how a small network of donors, board members, and developers shapes policy and profits from it.
How we work
Hoosier Watchdogs is run by an independent journalist based in Muncie, Indiana. Each story starts with public records: contracts, budgets, meeting minutes, campaign finance filings, property records, and correspondence obtained through public-records requests.
We:
- Cross-reference documents with campaign donations, board memberships, and business interests.
- Publish the underlying documents whenever possible, so readers can see the evidence for themselves.
- File and appeal public-records requests, even when agencies delay, overcharge, or over-redact.
- Build timelines and money maps that show how decisions really get made.
We do not accept advertising from developers, law firms, or political consultants who appear in our reporting. Our funding comes directly from readers and donors who want more accountability journalism in Indiana.
Nonprofit arm and donations
Hoosier Watchdogs operates a nonprofit arm, the "Hoosier Watchdogs Fund," fiscally sponsored by the "American News Foundation (ANF)." This allows individuals and foundations to make tax-deductible donations to support investigative reporting in Indiana.
Donations to the Hoosier Watchdogs Fund help:
- Fund long-term investigations into local oligarchy and public-money abuse.
- Cover public-records costs, including fees, appeals, and legal support.
- Support audio and accessibility work, including AI-narrated versions of deep dives.
- Build tools and databases that make complex deals understandable to ordinary Hoosiers.
If you’d like to make a tax-deductible donation, visit our [Support](/support) page for details on giving through ANF.
Ethics and corrections
Hoosier Watchdogs is committed to accuracy, fairness, and transparency.
- We correct errors promptly and visibly.
- We clearly distinguish between reported facts, analysis, and opinion.
- We protect confidential sources and do not reveal identifying details without consent.
- We do not share unpublished information with subjects of our reporting before publication, except in limited circumstances for factual verification.
If you believe we’ve made a mistake or have documents or tips related to oligarchy, development deals, or public-money abuse in Indiana, contact us at hoosierwatchdogs@proton.me.
Why this matters
Indiana’s local governments are often described as democratic and responsive. In practice, much of the real power sits outside City Council chambers and Statehouse hearings: in back-room negotiations, campaign donor networks, and quasi-public boards that operate with minimal oversight.
Hoosier Watchdogs exists to pull those doors open and show, with documents and data, who benefits—and who pays.
If you believe Hoosiers deserve to know how their communities are really run, you can help by reading, sharing, and supporting this work.