The State Investigations Team 

Illinois Answers’ special unit of reporters dedicated to bolstering newsrooms in every corner of the state with relentless and hard-fought watchdog journalism. 

Our reporters partner with local media outlets in northern, central, and southern Illinois to pursue deep investigations important in their communities. 

Meet the Investigative Reporters

Grace

Grace Hauck is an investigative reporter with Illinois Answers Project’s State Investigations Team. Before joining Illinois Answers, she worked for USA TODAY in Chicago in various roles, including breaking news, enterprise and criminal justice reporting. She grew up in New Jersey and is a graduate of the University of Chicago.

Meredith

Meredith Newman is an investigative reporter with the Illinois Answers Project’s State Investigations Team. Before joining the newsroom, she worked at The News Journal in Wilmington, Delaware and The Capital in Annapolis, Maryland. She is a graduate of Syracuse University and is originally from Evanston, Illinois.

Janelle

Janelle O’Dea is an investigative reporter with the Illinois Answers Project’s State Investigations Team. Before joining the newsroom, she worked at the Center for Public Integrity and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and grew up in Mahomet, a town located about 20 minutes from the UIUC campus. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening and exploring new cities.

Have a tip for us? Reach out through our tip line: stateinvestigations@illinoisanswers.org

Our Statewide Reporting Team

From left: Grace Hauck, Meredith Newman, Janelle O’Dea.
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