Sammy Sussman

Tulsa police disciplined six officers suspected of driving drunk, some weren’t criminally charged Most officers suspected of driving under the influence received suspensions ranging from three to 16 days, records the Tulsa police union tried to keep secret show.

Fascinating reporting based on disciplinary files:

www.readfrontier.org/stories/tuls...

Across New York State, police officers have driven drunk. And sometimes, they avoided criminal punishment.

An investigation with @nytimes.com.

‘No Arrests’: In New York, Some Police Can Drink, Drive and Avoid… Officers in New York State crashed their official vehicles, hit other motorists and arrived to work reeking of alcohol. And yet, they sometimes evaded…

Across New York State, police officers have driven drunk. And sometimes, they avoided criminal punishment.

This reporting, and the gathering of these records, has been a very long process. Shoutout to @muckrock.com for aiding in the requesting and processing of records and @nysfocus.bsky.social for co-publishing.

How We Obtained 10,000 Police Disciplinary Records

Here's more about the records and about my process over the past two years. I hope that reporters in other states will consider pursuing similar reporting: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/09/u...

These incidents, many of which were previously concealed, show how some departments have treated drunk driving as an H.R. issue, not a crime.

Some officers smelled of alcohol, according to their colleagues. Others admitted during internal interviews to drunk driving. They were often suspended from the job but not arrested.

Some officers, the files revealed, hit other cars. Others drove drunk to work or to crime scenes. But they were not always given sobriety tests, our investigation found.

For the past two years, I have pored over thousands of police disciplinary files that revealed a concerning story: Across New York State, some police officers have let their fellow officers off the hook for driving drunk.

In New York, Some Police Officers Can Drink, Drive and Avoid Charges

My first article as part of The Times' Local Investigations Fellowship:

In New York, Some Police Officers Can Drink, Drive and Avoid Charges

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/09/u...

‘A Persistent Pattern of Sexual Harassment’ New court filings offer the fullest picture yet of the scope of the alleged misconduct at the New York Philharmonic.

New, for @nymag.com:

‘A Persistent Pattern of Sexual Harassment’

New court filings offer the fullest picture yet of alleged misconduct at the New York Philharmonic.

www.vulture.com/article/new-...

I'm so excited to continue writing for New York Focus while also working under the amazing stewardship of The Times' Local Investigations team!

Baltimore Banner wins Pulitzer Prize for coverage of overdose crisis The Baltimore Banner was awarded the Pulitzer Prize on Monday for groundbreaking local journalism that exposed Baltimore as the deadliest large city in the nation for drug overdoses.

We just won a Pulitzer Prize for our coverage of the overdose crisis. www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/lo...

The Curious Gaps in the Israeli Army’s Updates On a little-known web page called War Diary, the military spokesperson provides information on its activities in five languages, but reports details of West Bank operations in Hebrew only

Since Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli army led a massive deployment in destruction, killings & arrests in the West Bank. But while it maintains a webpage in 5 languages, the spokesperson updated with details in Hebrew only, @sammysussman.bsky.social reports. newlinesmag.com/reportage/th...

Lastly, I can’t stop thinking about this scene:

“At least 4,400 of these Palestinians were taken from specific villages and cities … over the 10 months.” “Just 1,850 of the 4,400 arrested in the West Bank last year have been accused of affiliation with Hamas. The army has not provided a justification for detaining the other 2,500 people.”

“The database also shows how the Israeli military has focused on other targets. It destroyed or sealed 10 printing presses, destroyed seven specific individuals’ homes and “mapped” another nine specific homes for future demolition between October 2023 and July 2024.“

“The database … shows that at least 381 mass-detention operations resulted in the arrests of over 4,000 people in over 200 villages and cities…. At least 66 of these operations were met with what the Israeli military classified as violent resistance, and at least 86 individuals were killed.”

New, for @newlinesmag.bsky.social:

In Oct. and Nov. ‘23, as human rights groups worked to gather evidence of mass detentions in the West Bank, the IDF was releasing daily updates on these detentions — and targeted killings, airstrikes, etc. — on the just Hebrew version of a little-known press page.

'I would make it up to you': A local developer, an FBI inquiry and money in Ann Arbor politics FBI inquiry into Heidi Poscher’s alleged attempt to influence a former City Councilmember. Poscher has since become a large donor in Ann Arbor politics.

Impressive student journalism:

One of Ann Arbor’s major prop. owners is also a big local pol. donor.

These reporters found 3 previous felony convictions under different surnames — now a local councilwoman alleges she attempted bribery and an FBI investigation

www.michigandaily.com/news/focal-p...

nor do they want incarcerated people to read this one, apparently: nysfocus.com/2025/03/03/d...

just got this message yesterday:

New York's Prison Officials Don't Want Incarcerated People to Read This Story The state's prison agency has censored lawsuits, emails, and Hell Gate stories during the three-week-long wildcat strike.

New York's Prison Officials Don't Want Incarcerated People to Read This Story

The state's prison agency has censored lawsuits, emails, and Hell Gate stories during the three-week-long wildcat strike.

Disappointing to see this at IRW, an institution that previously supported reporting by me and by other interns/staff on these very issues in workplaces across the country:

NEW INVESTIGATION from me:

There's a secretive, and frequently abusive unit of the NYPD that's tight w/ Mayor Eric Adams

How tight? Well, the unit's leaders bought special body-cams that can live-stream footage to select users. Then they gave access to the mayor

www.propublica.org/article/eric...

Behind the scenes of our investigation: www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

DAs Promised to Help Wrongfully Convicted New Yorkers — And Left Many… Our investigation identified dozens of cases in which a wrongful conviction unit denied someone's application, only for a judge to later exonerate them.

NY’s conviction integrity units promise justice for the wrongfully convicted.

But an investigation by New York Focus and @columbiajournalism.bsky.social Investigations found that nearly half of the county units have yet to support a single exoneration.

Unshowered and Hungry, Incarcerated People Wait Out Prison Guard… With nearly all of New York’s state prisons on lockdown, those on the inside struggle to get by.

NEW: Bedford Hills has seen delays in distributing medication in the short time since lockdown. One woman attempted suicide. Another had an apparent panic attack.

Across the state, those on the inside struggle to get by while prison guards walk off the job.

By My Prison’s Standards, the Bible Would Be a Banned Book Today, more than 50,000 books are banned in prison. At Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women, the book ban is getting to be ridiculous.

"Prisons all over the United States are withholding books from prisoners, but not because they contain contraband. Books are becoming harder to receive based on their content."

ECRT finds former SMTD Voice Chair sexually harassed student Former SMTD Voice Department Chair Scott Piper violated UMich sexual harassment policy, ECRT report finds.

Once again, The Daily is doing the essential reporting that holds the University accountable.

What a smart decision to include all the attorney’s quotes…

www.michigandaily.com/news/focal-p...

[From the petition]: In the article Mr. Ingram stated Clarksdale failed "to go to the public with details" about the idea of the proposed legislation. Within the context of his title, Mr. Ingram also strongly stated or implied the rason he did not receive notice to the February 4, 2025 meeting was because the Board and its members received "kick-back," "just want a few nights in Jackson to lobby for this idea - at public expense," give "away candy at Halloween, toy giveaways at Christmas and hosting events where politicians can hand out goody bags to voters," and made the community "suspicious." His statements could be reasonably understood as declaring or implying that the "deceptive" reason he was not given notice of the meeting is provable through someone in the community willing to reveal promises made by Board members in exchange for votes or in the process of time. (A copy of the print and online articles (the "libelous editorial") is attached hereto as Exhibit "C".)

The city resents the suggestion it was trying to hide something by calling a special meeting and not telling the media. But that's *opinion,* not a false statement of fact. And by suing over an editorial, the city's proving them right.