Independent investigative journalism covering matters of public interest across Texas. 100% funded by readers. No ads, no sponsors.
A single contribution in any amount goes straight to records requests, document analysis, travel, on-the-ground reporting, and the business and legal costs of publishing.
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My work spans investigative journalism, consumer and public safety reporting, council meeting advocacy, whistleblower investigations, civil rights reporting, and forum moderation. Every part of it is resource-intensive: filing public records requests, attending public meetings, traveling between communities, analyzing contracts, building investigations from primary-source documentation, engaging counsel on business and legal matters, and keeping the operation running.
None of it is sold. No ads, no sponsors. Reader contributions are the only way this work happens.
Support is a contribution toward the work and buys no influence over it, so nothing gets softened to keep the lights on.
Filing fees, copying costs, and labor charges assessed by government bodies under the Texas Public Information Act.
Tools and time spent reviewing contracts, financial records, meeting minutes, audits, and public filings.
Speaking with community members, public officials, witnesses, whistleblowers, and subject-matter experts to build complete, accurate accounts of what happened and why.
Attending city council meetings, moderating forums, documenting conditions in covered communities, and being physically present where the work is.
Vehicle expenses, fuel, and overnight stays in the cities, counties, and special districts I cover across Texas.
Business attorney fees, entity and regulatory compliance, pre-publication review, insurance, and counsel engaged to defend the right to report on public bodies.
Website hosting, email hosting, secure document storage, a dedicated phone line, and the communication tools I rely on to coordinate with sources, officials, and the public.
These are the investigations readers like you have funded. Every story started with a public records request.
I asked Trinidad's council candidates and community figures what's wrong with the city. Then I went through the records: a $291,723.78 meter vote set beside a budget that's 27 days late, carries no meter line, and shows no fund balances, debts or tax rate.
A bank camera shows three toddlers alone outside Steven Stearman's Seven Points daycare. On body camera he told the officer the door had done it before; now he says nobody told him and the wind held it open. The teacher who opened that door says the center was badly short-staffed and that he coached her before an investigator's interview. Every place I believe he lied, strongest first, and what parents can do now.
Three toddlers walked out of a Seven Points daycare in December 2023. Nearly three years later, parents on Facebook brought it back. Here is what the records and Steven Stearman's own answers show.
According to Councilmember Raymond Mosley, Mayor Clinton Sulak-Tovar texted him that he could sue ITXN for defamation if it doesn't fix the quote. Mosley says the Mayor said it to him. Italy PD now says it has been investigating the harassment allegations since September 14.
If something in your town, your agency, or a business near you does not add up, send it. A date, a place, or a name is enough to start. I read every tip myself.
How I handle tips and protect sources →Watchtower is a private company. Payments are not tax-deductible charitable contributions. Your support is a payment to a private entity in exchange for sustaining independent journalism operations. Payments are processed securely by Stripe.