Mike Tanglis

Mike Tanglis (he/him) is the research director in Public Citizen’s Congress Watch division. Mike has authored and co-authored numerous reports on corruption, money and politics, worker safety, consumer protection and more. His work has exposed conflicts of interest, shined a light on efforts by those who put profits over safety and spurred legislation to combat pay-to-play politics. Mike was featured in CNN’s documentary, The Trump Family Business, discussing his report mapping the complex business empire of President Trump.

Prior to joining Public Citizen, Mike worked as an analyst at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in the Fair Housing & Community Development Project, focusing on fraud in the foreclosure relief industry that ran rampant in the wake of the foreclosure crisis. He tracked more than $100 million in foreclosure rescue scam complaints and produced in-depth investigative reports exposing elaborate fraud networks across the country. His work led to multiple lawsuits by both private and government entities, one of which resulted in one of the largest monetary awards related to a foreclosure rescue fraud scheme.

Media Appearances:

Mike’s work and commentary have appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press, CNN, Bloomberg, among other media.

Selected Reports:

• Artificial Intelligence Lobbyists Descend on Washington DC, Public Citizen (May 2024) (co-authored with Luyi Cheng)
• Mapping the PhRMA Grant Universe, Public Citizen (December 2023)
• Lobby, Donate, Hire, Repeat, Public Citizen (December 2022)
• Protecting the Profiteer, Public Citizen and The Groundwork Collaborative (November 2022)
• Public Money for Private Equity, Public Citizen, Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund and the Anti-Corruption Data Collective (September 2021)
• The Price of Zero, Public Citizen (June 2021)
• The COVID Lobbyists, Public Citizen and The Center for Responsive Politics (April 2021)
• The Corporate Sponsors of Voter Suppression, Public Citizen (April 2021) (co-authored with Rick Claypool and Taylor Lincoln)
• Big Tech Bankrolls the Sedition Caucus, Public Citizen (January 21, 2021) (co-authored with Jane Chung)
• Bankrolling the Disenfranchisers, Public Citizen (January 13, 2021) (co-authored with Taylor Lincoln)
• COVID Lobbying Palooza, Public Citizen (July 6, 2020) (co-authored with Taylor Lincoln)
• Trump Opening Our Country Council Is Loaded With Big Trump Donors, Public Citizen (April 17, 2020) (co-authored with Rick Claypool, Taylor Lincoln and Alan Zibel)
• Private Equity’s Investment, Public Citizen (March 11, 2020)
• In Their Own Words, Public Citizen (Jan. 23, 2020)
• The Big 4’s Full Court Press, Public Citizen (July 31, 2019)
• D.C.’s Constituent Service Funds: Misused, Inequitable and Ethically Fraught, Public Citizen (March 26, 2019)
• The Ballot Box vs. Campaign Cash, Public Citizen (Sept. 13, 2018)
• Corporate Impunity, Public Citizen (July 25, 2018) (co-authored with Rick Claypool, Taylor Lincoln and Alan Zibel)
• Extreme Heat and Unprotected Workers, Public Citizen (July 17, 2018) (co-authored with Shanna Devine)
• Deregulatory Frenzy, Public Citizen (June 5, 2018)
• Pay-to-Play on Display, Public Citizen (May 8, 2018)
• Regulating the Hands That Fed Him, Public Citizen (March 22, 2018)
• Sacrificing Public Protections on the Altar of Deregulation, Public Citizen (Nov. 28, 2017)
• For the Few, Not the Many, Public Citizen (Oct. 5, 2017)
• President Trump Inc., Public Citizen (Sept. 5, 2017)
• Trump’s Corporate Con Job, Public Citizen (June 15, 2017) (co-authored with Rick Claypool, Taylor Lincoln and Alan Zibel)
• The Selective Deficit Hawk, Public Citizen (May 25, 2017)
• The Foundation of Citizens United Is in Ruins, Public Citizen (March 17, 2017)
• Decoding Trump Administration Spin on CBO AHCA Cost Estimates, Public Citizen (March 16, 2017)
• Take the High Road, Public Citizen (March 14, 2017)
• Meet Mick Mulvaney, Public Citizen (Jan. 13, 2017)
• The “King of Cross-Sell” and the Race to Eight, Public Citizen (Sept. 29, 2016)
• Shining a Light on the “Midnight Rule” Boogeyman, Public Citizen (July 18, 2016)
• Unsafe Delays, Public Citizen (June 28, 2016)

Op-eds

Mick Mulvaney’s Mission: Sacrifice Public Protections on the Altar of Deregulation, Salon (Dec. 3, 2017)

Trump’s Tax Cut is a Big Payday for his Family: Heirs Stand to Save $600 Million, Salon (Nov. 4, 2017)

Trump Inc: Inside the President’s Not-So-Blind Trust, Salon (Sept. 10, 2017)

Seven Years Later, the Foundation of Citizens United is in Ruins, Huffington Post (March 17, 2017)

Beware the Midnight Rule Boogeyman, The Detroit News (Aug. 9, 2016) (co-authored with Taylor Lincoln)