Key Facts
Career & Education
About
Lee Fang is an American investigative journalist born on October 31, 1986, known for his work exposing the influence of money and organized interest groups on public policy. He began his career as an investigative blogger for ThinkProgress, where he gained prominence for being the first to uncover and detail the role of the billionaire Koch brothers in financing the Tea Party movement. Fang's reporting has focused on campaign finance, lobbying, and corporate influence, often highlighting how wealthy donors and special interests shape political outcomes. He has contributed to outlets such as The Nation as a reporting fellow and contributing writer, and served as a writer for the progressive Republic Report. His professional trajectory includes a stint as a senior reporter at The Intercept, where he continued his deep dives into political corruption and influence networks. His personal background reflects an early passion for journalism; as a teenager, he avidly read the Washington Post, attended protests, and participated in think tank lectures in Washington, D.C., via the Metro. This exposure inspired him to pursue investigative reporting as a means to effect change and align with his values, a path he followed starting in college. Fang's work has positioned him as a key figure in progressive media, often adversarial to conservative funding networks like DonorsTrust, which he has investigated. Throughout his career, Fang has maintained a focus on transparency in governance, earning recognition for his meticulous research into how policy is swayed by financial power. His contributions have appeared in major publications, solidifying his role in mapping networks of influence in American politics.