Charles Piller

About

Journalism projects include:--Investigation of financial conflicts of interest in the drug approval process for the US Food and Drug Administration.--Investigation of the failure by leading universities and medical centers to provide results for their tests involving human subjects, as required by law.--Investigation of construction, management and engineering concerns for the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. This project led to stronger laws to oversee megaprojects, independent technical reviews and investigations by the California Legislature and the California Highway Patrol. (link below)--Investigation of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - How investments from the Gates Foundation endowment contradict or subvert the foundation's charitable goals. This project caused numerous foundations to change their investment philosophies. My original investigation, with colleagues at the Los Angeles Times appeared in 2007; an update in The Nation magazine appeared in 2014. (links below)--Investigation of racist violence against prisoners, and behavior modification experiments in California Prisons. This project led to substantial changes in California prisons.--Investigation of graft and malfeasance in the California National Guard. This project prompted the wholesale replacement of the Guard's top leadership, several criminal convictions, major reforms in how the Guard handles enlistment incentives, and the rehabilitation of a major training base that had been abandoned to neglect. (first link in the series: http://bit.ly/1rDvkE5) --Investigation of bullet-lead composition matching, a forensic science technique based on faulty assumptions, used to convict hundreds of alleged criminals. This story led to the abandonment of the method by the FBI. (http://lat.ms/1mXKwnW)Recent media appearances:--WNYC - "On the Media" April 21, 2021 --KQED TV - "Newsroom" with Scott Shafer (link below)--KQED Radio - "Forum" with Michael Krasny (link below)--PBS TV - "Need to Know" (link below)