JACOB PAYNE

Meticulous. Persistent. Proven.Hire me to conduct your research when results matter.

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About Jake

After two decades in politics and media – more than half that time as an investigative journalist (with real product and recognition to back up the boast) – my focus is now on that one key career segment: research. That means you can hire me to work behind the scenes.If you've paid any attention to Kentucky's media and political landscape since 2000, you're likely already familiar with my work. If not, you've seen or experienced the results of my work without realizing it. I'm good at what I do and am confident in that. You've probably read some of my more than 20,000 stories at Page One Kentucky and The 'Ville Voice.Whether it's breaking open major scandals at the University of Louisville (Robert Felner) or uncovering political dirt on people like Senator Rand Paul, I've accomplished quite a bit.I don't take myself too seriously and feel self-centered writing something like this. But I am a certifiable geek, a political nerd and a registered Independent — counting numerous high-ranking Democratic and Republican officials and operators as regular sources and friends. As a native of Appalachia and transplant to Louisville, I talk about those two regions a lot.I'm a former political consultant and campaign finance professional who grew to be a regular guest and go-to guy for media in Kentucky and my reporting work has been featured on every news program and in every publication under the sun. Whether focused on uncovering political scandal, spotting corruption in higher education or making a government audit funny, I was the Commonwealth’s very own scandal sheet writer. Government, law enforcement and media turned to me for the latest.As seen on MSNBC, CNN, FOX or a station near you. Also seen in the New York Times, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, The Nation, Chronicle of Higher Education, your local paper and radio stations.

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Services

I work with attorneys, journalists, hiring committees and political or issues campaigns – regardless of partisanship – to produce comprehensive research products. No one in Kentucky has better access or more well-developed sources.That work includes but is not limited to:

EXPERTISE IN:

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH:

Kentucky obviously has my heart and my strongest contacts are in the Commonwealth. I frequently work in Washington, D.C. and regularly on the west coast. Abroad, I have experience and strong working relationships in Canada, the UK, Sweden and in Southeastern European/Balkan nations like Bosnia and Croatia.

NERD STUFF:

That means I can do high-tech nerd stuff other researchers can't. Running a business as an investigative journalist and now as a researcher for two decades means I have to use those skills on a daily basis. I didn't just write the story... I also built the system that hosted it. There's no hiring a separate developer to find corruption when you work with me – I dig through code myself. Need physical data collection on any sort of scale? I'm the guy who builds single-board computers with sensor arrays and LTE modems that will fit anywhere.Shady agencies don't get away with lying to me about data-related matters because I'm a nerd and know my way around modern government better than most.Want privacy? I'll sign non-disclosure agreements (even for journalists/reporters) or work through attorneys. Utilize secure communication protocols that include Signal, Tor and PGP.
Some common sense stuff: If you're the victim of a crime? Call police. If you need an attorney? Call an attorney. I am not a private investigator and do not want to be. I am an investigative journalist-turned-researcher.

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Experience

Since you're reading this, you likely already know my work product and that's why you want to hire me. But if you don't...Some of my efforts:Nearly a decade of deep reporting and uncovering corruption at Louisville Metro Animal Services resulted in the ouster of director after director – along with countless abusive and corrupt government employees. I documented instance of horrific abuse after instance of horrific abuse and pushed legislative change. One series of reporting on abuse at the agency resulted in Sadie's Law (named in honor of the dog I profiled) – Louisville, Kentucky's whistleblower protection ordinance – and nearly a year of bipartisan government hearings and investigation. Highlights from that heartbreaking series involved a police cover-up and a retribution scheme managed by the city's mayoral administration. That work altered the direction of animal care in Kentucky's largest city.After uncovering a level of corruption – still can’t fully believe it! – in Montgomery County Schools that shook me to my core, I shed light on the situation day in and day out for five years. Everyone in power sat on their hands, turning a blind eye to abuses of authority and outright law breaking, thieving and good old boy shenanigans you only see on television. It was a real-life Lifetime movie. My reporting resulted in the cleanup of an entire school district (way more insane than you're thinking) and the ouster of Kentucky's Commissioner of Education. Years of background research and hundreds of interviews forced the termination of the district's superintendent, federal investigations, scathing state government audits, the discovery of child endangerment, Kentucky's longest and largest Education Professional Standards Board investigation and hearing. Nearly a dozen legal victories paid out millions to multiple victims.Much of my career was spent reporting on Kentucky Retirement Systems-related scandals and the Commonwealth's ongoing pension crises. While Kentucky's mainstream media ignored the problem, my work resulted in national attention and even a book called Kentucky Friend Pensions by Chris Tobe. I was there in the beginning and everything I uncovered ended up being a nightmare.

While former Lt. Governor Steve Henry and his wife were committing campaign finance fraud, personally benefiting from what were alleged to be non-profit organizations (Rosemary Clooney House, anyone? Kentucky Prostate Cancer Coalition?) and co-mingling funds, I got the Office of the Attorney General to hold Henry accountable. That work resulted in three Alford Pleas and the end of a political dynasty.Rick Pitino's myriad messes may top your memory of corruption at the University of Louisville but he's nothing compared to Robert Felner. Felner, now a convicted felon in part because of my work, embezzled millions and defrauded major universities in Kentucky, Rhode Island and Illinois. Two years of my reporting focused on that corruption – revealing administrative coverups, pay-for-play degrees and harassment scandals that rival those of Harvey Weinstein. That series rocked the world of higher education in ways that are resonating a decade later.As the entire country speculated about Senator Mitch McConnell and an illegal wiretap/recording of a campaign meeting? I identified those responsible and uncovered a secret history of drug trafficking and murder. A history that politicians and others conspired to hide from the public eye.I've even been defamed (yep, me, a progressive independent) by individuals tied closely to the Kentucky Democratic Party because of my work. I sued and won a settlement - pushed for by the perpetrators. Contrary to fabricated documents and wild claims about me at the time, I ultimately won and for a reason - I was right. They spread photos of my deceased mother's body, sent flowers to her funeral, launched a coordinated media campaign against me, went after friends and family in attempt to harm me personally. My independent reporting caused such an impact that a circle of political hacks thought they could frighten me into shutting up. That didn't happen. Dedication and being on the right side of history won. Growing up gay in the hills of Appalachia instilled the kind of grit and determination you won't find elsewhere and it served me well in court. It also serves my clients because they can see proof I don't back down from fights in order to get a job done.My work has been recognized or acknowledged by: MSNBC, CNN, The New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, Providence Journal, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Cincinnati Enquirer, LEO Weekly, Louisville Magazine, The Courier-Journal, Lexington Herald-Leader, television and radio media throughout the country.Let me help you by putting my skills to use.

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Get In Touch

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