Latest in: Investigative

Southern District of Iowa – Acting US Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, formerly Jeff Sessions’ Chief of Staff, served as US Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, from June 15, 2004 to November 25, 2009. During this tenure, his office engaged with FBI investigations around…...

Minnesota – Unicorn Riot has uncovered documents showing coordination between state-wide authorities to prepare for anti-pipeline protests. Emails obtained from Minnesota State Patrol under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act show close cooperation between state and local law enforcement, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety,…...

St. Paul, MN – Official reports show police improperly released the ex-leader of the Three Percenters militia, and his armed associates, after their brief detention outside of a protest following the shooting of Philando Castile in summer 2016. Content advisory: Bigoted language Police Improperly Release…...

Minneapolis, MN – The public has filed staggering numbers of complaints against the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) in 2018, and high-profile incidents of police misconduct, brutality, and killings have embroiled the department. A year after an MPD officer killed an unarmed Australian, Justine Damond, and…...

Washington, DC – As the Trump administration’s immigration policies continue to generate escalating backlash, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has come under increasing scrutiny. Journalists, senators, and others attempting to learn more about the agency’s practices have been frequently turned away and/or had their requests…...

Newnan, GA – Emails obtained by Unicorn Riot through a public records request to the Coweta County Sheriff suggest that law enforcement relied on false ‘alt-right’ posts in their planning for an April 21, 2018 rally by the neo-nazi National Socialist Movement (NSM). The NSM…...

Knoxville, TN – Emails obtained by Unicorn Riot through public records requests show conversations between law enforcement monitoring events concerning the now-defunct neo-Nazi Traditionalist Worker Party, or TWP. An email thread we received from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shows a loose timeline of various…...

Unicorn Riot obtained a series of Homeland Security Investigations policy manuals. Part 4 of the Icebreaker series of stories covers the 2008 version of the special agent training program, shedding light on the overall architecture of the Department of Homeland Security and how it instills…...

Unicorn Riot obtained confidential Department of Homeland Security manuals showing how DHS’s largest investigative arm, Homeland Security Investigations, advised its agents to conduct their operations. Part 3 of the Icebreaker series turns to the “Compliance Enforcement Investigations” and “Fugitives” handbooks, ICE/HSI manuals that lay out…...

Unicorn Riot obtained confidential Department of Homeland Security manuals showing how DHS’s largest investigative arm, Homeland Security Investigations, advised its agents to conduct their operations. Part 2 of the Icebreaker series covers the HSI “Search and Seizure” and “Asset Forfeiture” handbooks. Some of the material…...