Anjeanette Damon

Reporter

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Anjeanette Damon is a reporter at ProPublica who focuses on government accountability. Prior to joining ProPublica she worked at the Reno Gazette Journal and USA Today Network as a government watchdog reporter and regional investigative editor. Damon’s investigation of in-custody deaths at the Washoe County jail resulted in legislative action and was recognized as a finalist for an ONA public service award. Her series on deplorable living conditions faced by people with severe mental illness under state care prompted immediate action by Nevada’s governor and legislation to improve oversight of the housing program. In 2019, Damon was lead reporter and writer on Season 2 of “The City,” a USA Today investigative podcast. She is based in Reno, Nevada.

How a Green Tech Startup With No Climate Experience Secured Millions of Dollars in Government Contracts

Founded by lobbyists, NZero convinced Nevada government officials, including administrations from two political parties, to pay more and more money despite its struggles to deliver promised real-time carbon emission data.

Nevada Republicans’ Caucus Adds Chaos and Confusion to the State’s Presidential Primary

While legal, the party’s decision to host a competing contest to the Feb. 6 primary election has angered GOP voters and provided fertile ground for misinformation to take hold, experts say, undermining voters’ trust in the process.

“We Buy Ugly Houses” Company Overhauls Policies in the Wake of ProPublica Investigation

HomeVestors franchises will be required to provide prospective home sellers with a disclosure that includes a three-day window to terminate a sales contract.

They Were Promised Help With Mortgage Payments. Then They Got a Foreclosure Notice.

Homeowners enrolled in Nevada’s mortgage assistance program have received foreclosure notices when the money fails to make its way from the federal government to the loan providers on time.

Homeowners Trying to Get Out of “We Buy Ugly Houses” Deals Find Little Relief in State, Federal Laws

ProPublica found few jurisdictions have laws or regulations to protect homeowners from aggressive real estate tactics short of fraud or elder abuse.

How One Woman Narrowly Avoided a Bad Deal With a “We Buy Ugly Houses” Franchise

Royanne McNair believed she had canceled her contract with a “We Buy Ugly Houses” franchise, so she pursued another offer on her house — this one for $100,000 more. Then an anonymous envelope froze the deal.

HomeVestors Said It Had Kicked Out a Top Franchisee Who Broke the Law. New Evidence Suggests It Didn’t.

The company said it had cut ties with Cory Evans, the former co-owner of Patriot Holdings LLC, “a number of years” ago, but texts, emails and interviews indicate he was still engaged in the business as recently as March.

“We Buy Ugly Houses” CEO Steps Down Following ProPublica Investigation

David Hicks, CEO of HomeVestors of America, said in a letter announcing his retirement that recent press coverage of the company’s homebuying practices has taken a “personal toll on me.”

Senators, Regulator Call for More Scrutiny of “We Buy Ugly Houses” Company

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s head said the Department of Justice and state attorneys general should be made aware of predatory house-flipping practices, following ProPublica reporting on HomeVestors of America.

Looking to Sell Your Home for Cash? Read This First.

Cash home buyers like the “We Buy Ugly Houses” company may offer a quick and convenient sale to homeowners. Here’s what experts say you should know about interacting with these companies.

Five Stories of Lives Upended After Dealing With the “We Buy Ugly Houses” Company

ProPublica found that HomeVestors franchises often target the homes of people in vulnerable or desperate situations. These are the stories of five people who found themselves in unwanted deals with a cash home buyer.

HomeVestors Praised ProPublica’s Reporting, Then Tried to “Bury It”

The “We Buy Ugly Houses” company held a virtual meeting for its franchises to outline a plan to “minimize visibility” of our investigation.

The Ugly Truth Behind “We Buy Ugly Houses”

HomeVestors of America, the self-proclaimed “largest homebuyer in the U.S.,” trains its nearly 1,150 franchisees to zero in on homeowners’ desperation.

Nevada’s New Governor Vilified Lobbyist’s Influence in COVID Lab Scandal, Then Asked Him to Help With Budget

Gov. Joe Lombardo once called his predecessor’s support of an error-prone COVID-19 testing lab the “biggest scandal in our history” but then brought in the lobbyist who pulled strings to get that lab licensed to help prepare his state budget.

Medicare Keeps Spending More on COVID-19 Testing. Fraud and Overspending Are Partly Why.

Medicare’s COVID-19 testing costs reached over $2 billion in 2022. The growing costs concern some experts, who say financial incentives and a lack of regulation early in the pandemic led to fraud and overspending.

Nevada Governor Candidates Are Debating a ProPublica Investigation — but Not Always Accurately

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak is fending off attacks from his Republican rival over his administration’s fast-tracking the license for a COVID-testing company with ties to a political donor.

Why Outlawing Ghost Guns Didn’t Stop America’s Largest Maker of Ghost Gun Parts

Unregistered, unserialized weapons produced with Polymer80 parts have turned up at crime scenes across the country, but state-level efforts to close ghost gun loopholes continue to fall short.

Help ProPublica Investigate “We Buy Houses” Practices

If you’ve had experience with a company or buyer promising fast cash for homes, our reporting team wants to hear about it.

Federal Probe of COVID Testing Company With Stunning Error Rate Expands to Nevada

A federal investigator emailed Nevada officials, notifying them that he would subpoena documents related to Northshore Clinical Labs’ operations in the state.

The COVID Testing Company That Missed 96% of Cases

State and local officials across Nevada signed agreements with Northshore Clinical Labs, a COVID testing laboratory run by men with local political connections. There was only one problem: Its tests didn’t work.

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