United StatesOwnership & classification
Founded: 1997
Ownership
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) is a US-based nonprofit founded in 1997 by journalist Charles Lewis as a project of the Center for Public Integrity. In 2017 it spun off into a fully independent 501(c)(3) organization. It is not owned by any company or individual; it operates as a self-governing network of more than 280 investigative journalists and over 140 partner media outlets across 100-plus countries, directed by its own staff and board.
Funding
ICIJ is funded entirely by philanthropic grants and donations, with major support from foundations such as the Adessium Foundation, the Bertha Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, the Luminate/Omidyar Network, and individual reader donors. It carries no advertising and is not financed by any government or political party.
Affiliation & stance
ICIJ has no party, state, church or commercial-owner control; it is a donor-funded nonprofit governed by its own journalists and board, best known for cross-border projects like the Panama Papers and Pluto/Paradise Papers. Its reporting and funder base lean center-left, but editorial independence from donors is its explicit policy, making it INDEPENDENT.
Editorial lean
- Our estimate
- Lean Progressive
- Measured from coverage
- Lean Progressivebased on 27
79/100
Factual
74/100
Objective
27
Articles
27
reports
Factual: How accurately its articles report the facts, judged against primary sources and the cross-outlet consensus. Only articles that cite their sources are counted.
Objective: How neutral the writing is — whether reporting keeps the writer’s own preferences and opinions out of the article.
Recent coverage
New documents show how a retail chain’s sales practices helped put guns on US streets
Newly released documents reveal how Fleet Farm, a Wisconsin-based retail chain, allowed a customer to purchase multiple firearms over a short period, which later appeared at crime scenes and in the hands of convicted criminals. In 2021, an employee raised concerns about a customer buying six pistols within a week, but sales continued. The individual, Jerome Horton, went on to buy 11 more guns from Fleet Farm locations. Some of these firearms were linked to violent crimes, including a shooting that injured 14 and killed one person. The documents, obtained through legal action, expose internal communications and practices that critics argue facilitate gun trafficking. Fleet Farm has since settled with the state, paying $1 million and agreeing to improve its sales procedures. However, the company denies any wrongdoing and declined to comment further. The documents are now publicly available and archived at the University of California San Francisco.
WATCH: Inside the China Capital investigation — a live panel
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) conducted a live virtual discussion to explore the findings of its 'China Capital' investigation. The event featured ICIJ reporter Scilla Alecci, Bradley C. Parks from AidData at William & Mary, and ICIJ digital editor Carmen Molina Acosta. The discussion focused on the investigative report's insights into Chinese capital flows and their implications. The event included information about subscribing to ICIJ’s newsletter and supporting their work through donations.
Gunvor publicly condemned Russia’s war but continued to do business with Russian energy firms, records show
Gunvor Group, a former energy trading firm with ties to Russian oligarch and Kremlin-linked figures, publicly condemned Russia's war in Ukraine and claimed to have largely stopped trading Russian oil and products by 2023. However, confidential records obtained by Swedish newspaper Göteborgs-Posten and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) reveal that Gunvor continued conducting business with sanctioned Russian energy companies through its subsidiaries. These records were sourced from the archives of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), one of Gunvor's lenders. The findings highlight ongoing concerns about the company's compliance with international sanctions against Russian energy firms, despite its public stance against the war.
China Capital stories reveal how ICBC advanced China’s political goals across four continents
The ICIJ investigation, titled 'China Capital,' reveals how the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), one of China's most influential financial institutions, has advanced the country's political objectives globally. Based on over 4.8 million confidential records from ICBC's U.K. branches, the report highlights how the bank's operations often prioritize government interests over standard banking procedures. It documents ICBC's support for firms linked to Chinese leaders and oligarchs, including facilitating the transfer of $1 billion from Huawei shortly after its U.S. indictment. The bank also finances major energy projects in Europe and provides significant loans to U.K. water and energy infrastructure companies, raising concerns about financial risks and strategic alignment with Chinese policy. These findings sparked discussions in the British Parliament, particularly regarding the implications of ICBC's activities on national interests.
Statement on missing ICIJ journalist Micah Reddy
On September 19, 2026, ICIJ journalist Micah Reddy, along with local journalist Mohamed Willo Ismael, disappeared while staying at the Escale International Hotel in Djibouti City. Their last contact was lost around 1 p.m. local time, and they were later reported to be in custody for allegedly failing to obtain media accreditation. As of September 22, Reddy has been released and is expected to reunite with his family in South Africa. ICIJ and the Committee to Protect Journalists have expressed deep concern over their disappearance and are urging Djiboutian authorities to clarify their whereabouts, ensure their safety, and launch a transparent investigation. Despite repeated calls for information, Djibouti authorities have not provided updates.
Trump administration gave firm with ties to ballroom donor the green light to do business with a sanctioned Russian bank
The Trump administration authorized a company tied to a major Trump donor to acquire a copper mine previously owned by a sanctioned Russian bank, VTB Bank. Dynamic Frontier Holdings, managed by Russian-American businessman Konstantin Sokolov, a donor to Trump's White House ballroom event, received a license from the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to proceed with the acquisition. VTB Bank was sanctioned after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but OFAC granted the license under conditions that serve both the applicant and U.S. interests. Sokolov's representatives denied any connection between his donations and the licensing decision, stating there was 'no evidential basis' for such a link. The transaction involves a strategic asset in Armenia, with Sokolov's company aiming to boost production and strengthen Armenia's position in critical minerals.
‘Tinder Swindler’s’ plan for a dating app sparks industry backlash
The Online Dating and Discovery Association (ODDA), representing the dating industry, has urged Apple and Google to block a new dating app planned by Simon Leviev, a convicted fraudster known as the 'Tinder Swindler.' Leviev, who previously scammed multiple women out of millions of pounds and was jailed in Israel for fraud and forgery, claims his app, Safe Love, aims to protect women from similar crimes. However, the ODDA argues that allowing a convicted fraudster to operate a dating platform would undermine efforts to combat fraud within the industry. ODDA chief Simon Newman stated that Leviev's involvement could harm both platforms and users. Leviev, now claiming to be a reformed individual and father of two, insists his experience gives him unique insight into preventing fraud. Critics, including dating scam expert Becky Holmes, have condemned Leviev's return to prominence and expressed concern over his potential influence.
US prosecutors accuse Huawei of ‘far-reaching criminal scheme’ spanning decades
U.S. prosecutors have accused Huawei of engaging in a 'far-reaching criminal scheme' spanning decades, alleging the company acted as an extension of the Chinese state and committed various offenses. The charges include conspiring to steal technologies from U.S. firms like T-Mobile and Cisco, paying bounties to recruit employees from rival companies, and misleading Western banks about its business activities in Iran. These accusations date back to at least the Obama administration, with some alleged crimes occurring around the turn of the century. Huawei's CFO, Meng Wanzhou, was arrested in 2018 and later entered a deferred prosecution agreement admitting to lying to banks about Huawei's Iranian operations. The company's legal team disputes the claims, calling them 'disconnected incidents' related to competition rather than organized conspiracy. Recent reports suggest Huawei used its ties with the state-owned Industrial and Commercial Bank of China to manage financial impacts of the arrests.
UK Parliament debates infrastructure security after China Capital revelations
UK Parliament debated concerns over Chinese influence on critical infrastructure following the ICIJ's 'China Capital' investigation into the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). The investigation revealed that ICBC's London branch provided over $1.7 billion in loans to UK water and energy firms, some linked to sanctioned individuals and Chinese political figures. Lawmakers expressed worries about potential national security risks, particularly due to ICBC's ongoing ties with Russian and Belarusian entities. The UK government responded by planning to include the water sector in a mandatory notification system to monitor and address security threats. The investigation, based on 4.8 million confidential documents, showed that ICBC's London operations followed directives from Beijing to advance China's strategic interests, including global infrastructure projects like the $11 billion Melbourne rail tunnel.
Chinese banking giant serves firms linked to oligarchs and autocrats to push Beijing’s agenda
The article by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalism (ICIJ) reveals that the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), one of the world's largest banks, has been using its London branch to finance companies linked to sanctioned Russian and Belarusian business owners, autocrats accused of corruption, and China's political establishment. The findings are based on 4.8 million confidential records from ICBC's London branch and a subsidiary, dating back to 2005–2024. These documents show that the bank's Beijing headquarters directed officers overseas to pursue political objectives aligned with China's state interests, including supporting the Belt and Road Initiative and Made in China 2025 policies. The report highlights breaches of ICBC's own anti-money laundering and sanctions policies, as well as internal concerns about high-risk financial crimes. The investigation was conducted in collaboration with 23 media partners.
Chinese bank helped Huawei spirit $1B out of London days after US indictment of the tech giant
On February 2, 2019, the London branch of China's Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) facilitated a rapid $1.3 billion transfer for Huawei, a Chinese technology firm, shortly after the U.S. Department of Justice indicted the company on fraud and sanctions violations. The move occurred amid heightened tensions following the detention of Huawei's CFO in Canada at the request of U.S. authorities. Internal ICBC documents reveal that the bank's London branch bypassed standard procedures to comply with orders from Beijing, highlighting concerns over how political considerations influence financial decisions. This incident is part of a broader ICIJ investigation exposing how ICBC prioritizes directives from its Chinese headquarters over regulatory compliance, particularly for high-profile clients like Huawei.
WATCH: How the world’s biggest bank advances Beijing’s interests
A report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) investigates how Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the world's largest bank by assets, has used its United Kingdom operations to advance the political interests of its majority shareholder, the Chinese government. The findings are based on a large dataset of 4.8 million documents obtained through investigative journalism. The report highlights specific actions taken by ICBC's UK branch that align with strategic goals of the Chinese state rather than purely commercial interests. These activities suggest a potential overlap between financial operations and geopolitical objectives.
About the China Capital investigation
The 'China Capital' investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) examines the activities of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the world's largest bank by assets. Based on 4.8 million internal ICBC records, the report reveals that ICBC's London branch facilitated financial support for entities linked to sanctioned Russian and Belarusian figures, autocratic regimes, and China's political elite. This included helping Russian mining giant Norilsk Nickel, partially owned by sanctioned oligarchs, by exploring ways to fund them in renminbi to bypass U.S. dollars. The documents also highlight ICBC's dealings with clients connected to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's family, Angola's state oil company under former dictator José Eduardo dos Santos, and a Belarusian firm tied to Alexander Lukashenko. Despite international concerns about ICBC's compliance and anti-money laundering practices, the bank continued to serve these high-risk clients. Additionally, in early 2019, ICBC transferred $1.3 billion in emergency funds to Huawei shortly after the U.S. indicted the company for alleged sanction violations.