Jay Root
Verified
As seen in:
The New York Times,
MSN,
The New York Times en Español,
UOL,
Estadão,
The Washington Post,
TIME,
Infobae,
Sydney Morning Herald,
Chron,
Salon
and
Investigative reporter in Albany for The New York Times. Native Texan. Moitié français. Email: Jay.Root AT nytimes.com; 518-779-6529. DMs open.
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Jay Root
When Amazon approached officials about a project in Wawayanda, a quiet town in Orange County, north of New York City, the online retailer offered a familiar bargain: It would build a sprawling new warehouse there in exchange for generous tax breaks.
State Senate Approved Jessica Ramos’s Travel Claims Despite Red Flags
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. State Senate Approved Jessica Ramos’s Travel Claims Despite Red Flags Senate officials approved reimbursements for the senator, a Queens Democrat, despite receipts showing the expenses had been charged to her campaign.
N.Y. State Senator Under Ethics Scrutiny Over Billing Practices
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. N.Y. State Senator Under Ethics Scrutiny Over Billing Practices State officials pledged reviews after The New York Times reported that Jessica Ramos billed her campaign for hotels and train fare while also receiving state travel payments.
N.Y. State Senator’s Former Aides Say She Double-Billed for Travel
N.Y. State Senator’s Former Aides Say She Double-Billed for Travel For years, Jessica Ramos used campaign money to pay for hotels and Amtrak tickets while also receiving state payments for travel, records and interviews show. State Senator Jessica Ramos, a Queens Democrat, has served as chairwoman of the upper chamber’s Labor committee since 2019.
New York Museum Misused $597,000 in Federal Funds, Investigators Say
Federal investigators have said high-ranking administrators at the New York State Museum in Albany directed a subordinate to falsify time sheets, allowing the state to improperly draw down $597,624 in federal grants from 2020 to 2022. The findings were published in a summary of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Interior's Office of Inspector General, after reporting by The New York Times about the fraud allegations.
New York Museum Misused $597,000 in Federal Funds, Investigators Say
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Federal investigators said high-ranking administrators at the New York State Museum in Albany directed a subordinate to falsify time sheets, allowing the state to improperly draw down $597,624 in federal grants from 2020 to 2022.
We Want to Hear from Indigenous People Across New York.
We Want to Hear from Indigenous People Across New York. The New York Times is examining the relationship between New York State officials and Native Americans. Jay Root has been examining New York State’s treatment of Indigenous people for more than three years. Bianca Pallaro uses data analysis to explain complex issues.
One Dead and 6 Injured in Shooting at Suburban Chick-fil-A
A shooting inside a Chick-fil-A restaurant in northern New Jersey on Saturday night left one person dead and six others injured, authorities said Sunday. kAm%96 D9@@E:?8 92AA6?65 2C@F?5 gicd A]>] :? 2 3C2?49 @7 E96 A@AF=2C C6DE2FC2?E @? #@FE6 aa :? &?:@?[ 23@FE 2 `_\>:?FE6 5C:G6 7C@> }6H2C<]k^Am kAmp 52D942> G:56@ 4:C4F=2E:?8 @? D@4:2= >65:2 2AA62CD E@ D9@H E96 492@E:4 27E6C>2E9 @7 E96 2EE24< 2D D6G6C2= A6@A=6[ :?4=F5:?8 2 >2D<65 >2? H9@ D66>D E@ 36 42CCJ:?8 2 8F?[ CF?
One Dead and 6 Injured in Shooting at Suburban Chick-fil-A Original
A shooting inside a Chick-fil-A restaurant in northern New Jersey Saturday night left one person dead and six others injured, the authorities said on Sunday. The shooting happened about 8:45 p.m. in a branch of the popular restaurant on Route 22 in Union, about a 10-minute drive from Newark. A dashcam video circulating on social media appears to show the chaotic aftermath of the attack as several people, including a masked man who seems to be carrying a gun, run away from the Chick-fil-A.
N.Y. Man With China Ties Charged With Marijuana Trafficking in Oklahoma
Federal and state authorities in rural Oklahoma on Wednesday raided a sprawling marijuana farm, seizing more than 1,200 pounds of processed cannabis and arresting the owner, a member of a New York City heritage club with ties to the Chinese government. kAm%96 @H?6C[ $:? %F?8 r92?[ fe[ H9@D6 =:?<D E@ E96 4=F3 2?5 E96 42??23:D @A6C2E:@? H6C6 56E2:=65 :? 2 }6H *@C< %:>6D :?G6DE:82E:@? :? s646>36C[ H2D 492C865 H:E9 EC277:4<:?8 >2C:;F2?2[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 =@42= D96C:77VD @77:46]k^Am kAmx?
N.Y. Man With China Ties Charged With Marijuana Trafficking in Oklahoma Original
Federal and state authorities in rural Oklahoma on Wednesday raided a sprawling marijuana farm there, seizing more than 1,200 pounds of processed cannabis and arresting the owner, a member of a New York City heritage club with ties to the Chinese government.
New Sign at Bridge to Canada Aims to Keep Immigrant Drivers Out of Trap Original
For the better part of a decade, motorists on the New York side of the Peace Bridge in Buffalo have had to confront a vexing problem: One wrong turn, easily taken, and you’ll soon be in Canada. But under President Trump’s immigration crackdown, the inconvenience of a wayward trip has taken on dire consequences. A number of people, including some with legal residency status, have been detained for weeks pending deportation procedures.
For an Immigration Trap on a Bridge to Canada, an Encouraging Sign
For the better part of a decade, motorists on the New York side of the Peace Bridge in Buffalo have had to confront a vexing problem: One wrong turn, easily taken, and you'll soon be in Canada. kAmqFE F?56C !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>AVD :>>:8C2E:@? 4C24<5@H?[ E96 :?4@?G6?:6?46 @7 2 H2JH2C5 EC:A 92D E2<6? @? 5:C6 4@?D6BF6?46D] p ?F>36C @7 A6@A=6[ :?4=F5:?8 D@>6 H:E9 =682= C6D:56?4J DE2EFD[ 92G6 366? 56E2:?65 7@C H66<D A6?5:?8 56A@CE2E:@? AC@465FC6D]k^Am kAm%96 =2E6DE 6A:D@56 @44FCC65 =2DE >@?E9[ H96?
For an Immigration Trap on a Bridge to Canada, an Encouraging Sign
For the better part of a decade, motorists on the New York side of the Peace Bridge in Buffalo have had to confront a vexing problem: One wrong turn, easily taken, and you'll soon be in Canada. kAmqFE F?56C !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>AVD :>>:8C2E:@? 4C24<5@H?[ E96 :?4@?G6?:6?46 @7 2 H2JH2C5 EC:A 92D E2<6? @? 5:C6 4@?D6BF6?46D] p ?F>36C @7 A6@A=6[ :?4=F5:?8 D@>6 H:E9 =682= C6D:56?4J DE2EFD[ 92G6 366? 56E2:?65 7@C H66<D A6?5:?8 56A@CE2E:@? AC@465FC6D]k^Am kAm%96 =2E6DE 6A:D@56 @44FCC65 =2DE >@?E9[ H96?
Consultants Offered Epstein Access to Top NY Democrats if He Donated
A well-connected New York City fundraising firm repeatedly asked sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to make contributions to the campaigns of some of New York's best-known Democratic politicians, years after he was convicted of sex crimes in Florida. kAm%96 7:C>[ sJ?2>:4 $#v[ 4@?E24E65 tADE6:? @? 3692=7 @7 E96 42>A2:8?D @7 z2E9J w@49F=[ w2<66> y677C:6D 2?5 y@6 rC@H=6J[ 2== @7 H9@> H6C6 >6>36CD @7 r@?8C6DD 2E E96 E:>6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 7:=6D C6=2E65 E@ tADE6:? C6=62D65 3J E96 yFDE:46 s6A2CE>6?E :?
Consultants Offered Epstein Access to Top N.Y. Democrats if He Donated
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Dynamic SRG repeatedly, and apparently unsuccessfully, asked the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to donate to House races, Justice Department records show.
New York Republican in Swing District Gets Rowdy Reception at Town Hall
Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, one of the most vulnerable Republicans in Congress, faced a raucous and sometimes hostile crowd at a town hall Sunday night in the Lower Hudson Valley. kAmpE @?6 A@:?E[ 96 A2FD65 E96 6G6?E 7@C D6G6C2= >:?FE6D[ 27E6C 2 J@F?8 >2? :?E6CCFAE65 2?5 DH@C6 2E 9:>]k^Am kAmQw6J[ 3C@[ J@F 42? =62G6 ?@H[Q {2H=6C D2:5] Q*@F H2?E E@ 24E =:<6 E92En v@@53J6]Q &?:7@C>65 @77:46CD 6D4@CE65 E96 >2?
N.Y. Republican in Swing District Gets Rowdy Reception at Town Hall
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT You have been granted access, use your keyboard to continue reading. Representative Mike Lawler of New York, one of the most vulnerable Republicans in Congress, faced a raucous and sometimes hostile crowd at a town hall Sunday night in the Lower Hudson Valley. At one point, he paused the event for several minutes, after a young man interrupted and swore at him. “Hey, bro, you can leave now,” Mr. Lawler said. “You want to act like that?
Behind Oklahoma Cannabis Farms, New Yorkers With Ties to Beijing
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The police found him in his bedroom in Edmond, Oklahoma, facedown, dead from a gunshot wound and still gripping the bloody kitchen knife he had used to try to defend himself. kAmw:D ?2>6 H2D (J2? (2?8[ 9:D ;@3 H2D :? 42??23:D 2?5 96 H2D 2 G:4E:>[ :?G6DE:82E@CD H@F=5 D2J[ @7 2 C@336CJ[ @?6 @7 >2?J E2C86E:?8 E96 42D9\962GJ >2C:;F2?2 :?5FDECJ :? ~<=29@>2 :? C646?E J62CD]k^Am kAmqFE 9:D H63 @7 4@??64E:@?D 6IE6?565 72C 7C@> E96 AC2:C:6D @7 DF3FC32?
Behind Oklahoma Cannabis Farms, New Yorkers With Ties to Beijing
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The police found him in his bedroom in Edmond, Oklahoma, facedown, dead from a gunshot wound and still gripping the bloody kitchen knife he had used to try to defend himself. kAmw:D ?2>6 H2D (J2? (2?8[ 9:D ;@3 H2D :? 42??23:D 2?5 96 H2D 2 G:4E:>[ :?G6DE:82E@CD H@F=5 D2J[ @7 2 C@336CJ[ @?6 @7 >2?J E2C86E:?8 E96 42D9\962GJ >2C:;F2?2 :?5FDECJ :? ~<=29@>2 :? C646?E J62CD]k^Am kAmqFE 9:D H63 @7 4@??64E:@?D 6IE6?565 72C 7C@> E96 AC2:C:6D @7 DF3FC32?
Behind Oklahoma cannabis farms, New Yorkers with ties to Beijing
OKLAHOMA CITY — The police found him in his bedroom in Edmond, Okla., facedown, dead from a gunshot wound and still gripping the bloody kitchen knife he had used to try to defend himself. His name was Wyan Wang, his job was in cannabis and he was a victim, investigators would say, of a robbery, one of many targeting the cash-heavy marijuana industry in Oklahoma in recent years.
Behind Oklahoma Cannabis Farms, New Yorkers With Ties to Beijing
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Botanical Green Farms in Wynnewood, Okla., is one of several cannabis farms with connections to leaders of Chinese diaspora groups in New York City.Credit...Video by Shuran Huang Supported by SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Listen to this article · 16:30 min Learn more Dec.
Behind Oklahoma Cannabis Farms, New Yorkers With Ties to Beijing
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The police found him in his bedroom in Edmond, Oklahoma, facedown, dead from a gunshot wound and still gripping the bloody kitchen knife he had used to try to defend himself. kAmw:D ?2>6 H2D (J2? (2?8[ 9:D ;@3 H2D :? 42??23:D 2?5 96 H2D 2 G:4E:>[ :?G6DE:82E@CD H@F=5 D2J[ @7 2 C@336CJ[ @?6 @7 >2?J E2C86E:?8 E96 42D9\962GJ >2C:;F2?2 :?5FDECJ :? ~<=29@>2 :? C646?E J62CD]k^Am kAmqFE 9:D H63 @7 4@??64E:@?D 6IE6?565 72C 7C@> E96 AC2:C:6D @7 DF3FC32?
Hochul Approved Permits That Could Help Clients of Her Husband’s Firm Original
Hochul Approved Permits That Could Help Clients of Her Husband’s Firm Opponents of a natural gas pipeline approved by Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York noted that the project would benefit a client of the prominent law firm where her husband works. Critics said Gov. Kathy Hochul should have recused herself from decisions to issue permits that benefited recent clients of the law firm that employs her husband, William Hochul.Credit...Patrick Semansky/Associated Press Nov. 13, 2025, 5:02 p.m. ET Gov.
Lawmaker Demands Accountability in Bloody Prison Beating Caught on Video
A New York state senator on Wednesday requested that the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision turn over information about a violent incident that led an inmate to accuse prison guards of sexual assault. kAm%96 C6BF6DE H2D >256 3J $6?] yF=:2 $2=2K2C[ 2 qC@@<=J? s6>@4C2E[ H9@ 4:E65 2 C6A@CE :? %96 }6H *@C< %:>6D E92E 56D4C:365 E96 G:@=6?E 92?5=:?8 @7 E96 :?>2E6 2E E96 ?@H\D9FEE6C65 $F==:G2? r@CC64E:@?2= u24:=:EJ :?
Lawmaker Demands Accountability in Bloody Prison Beating Caught on Video Original
A New York state senator on Wednesday requested that the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision turn over information about a violent incident that led an inmate to accuse prison guards of sexual assault. The request was made by Senator Julia Salazar, a Brooklyn Democrat, who cited a report in The New York Times that described the violent handling of the inmate at the now-shuttered Sullivan Correctional Facility in upstate New York.
A Bloody Prison Beating Was Caught on Video. No Guards Were Punished.
Ernastiaze Moore had been an inmate at Sullivan Correctional Facility in upstate New York for 11 days, he said, when an officer there gave him an ominous warning: "We are going to show you how we do it up in Sullivan." kAm$@@? 27E6C[ :? y2?F2CJ a_ab[ |@@C6 H2D :? 9:D 46== H96?
A Bloody Prison Beating Was Caught on Video. No Guards Were Punished.
New York|A Bloody Prison Beating Was Caught on Video. No Guards Were Punished. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/03/nyregion/ny-prison-guards-inmate-video.html You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. A New York prisoner accused corrections officers of assault and sexual abuse. State officials deemed his claims unfounded despite footage of the encounter.
Consulado da China tenta influenciar a diáspora em eleições de Nova York
Em Nova York, nos Estados Unidos, clubes sociais apoiados pela China minaram a candidatura de um político que já havia desafiado o regime na televisão chinesa, ajudaram a derrubar um senador estadual por participar de um banquete com o presidente de Taiwan, e condenaram uma candidata ao Conselho Municipal nas redes sociais por apoiar a democracia em Hong Kong.
La influencia de China llega hasta las elecciones de Nueva York
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. La influencia de China llega hasta las elecciones de la ciudad más grande de EE. UU. El consulado chino en Manhattan ha movilizado a grupos comunitarios para derrotar a los candidatos que no se alinean con el Estado autoritario.
How China influences elections in America’s biggest city
The Chinese consulate in Manhattan has mobilized community groups to defeat candidates who don’t fall in line with the authoritarian state Michael Forsythe, Jay Root, Bianca Pallaro And David A. Fahrenthold Published 25.08.25, 06:50 PM Representational image Shutterstock picture. In New York City, social clubs backed by China undermined a congressional candidate who once challenged the regime on Chinese television.
Cómo influye China en las elecciones de la ciudad más grande de Estados Unidos
En la ciudad de Nueva York, los clubes sociales respaldados por China debilitaron a un candidato al Congreso que una vez desafió al régimen en la televisión china. Ayudaron a destituir a un senador estatal por asistir a un banquete con el presidente de Taiwán. Y condenaron a un candidato al Concejo Municipal en las redes sociales por apoyar la democracia de Hong Kong.
Inside Our Investigation of China’s Influence Campaigns Original
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Inside Our Investigation of China’s Influence Campaigns Reporters across The Times spent months working to understand the ways the Chinese government wields its influence in New York politics. The Gee How Oak Tin Association in Manhattan’s Chinatown.Credit...Shuran Huang for The New York Times Aug.
中共如何影响纽约的各级选举
Image 在曼哈顿华埠福建同乡会外悬挂的美国和中国国旗。Credit...Shuran Huang for The New York Times 在纽约市，有中国政府支持的社交团体成功破坏了一位国会候选人的竞选，这位候选人曾在中国的电视上公开挑战中共政权。 他们还在社交媒体上谴责一位市议会候选人支持香港民主运动的行为。 过去数年里，这些组织悄然阻挠着反对中国政府的政治人物的职业生涯，同时大力扶持那些支持中共政策的候选人。《纽约时报》发现，这些团体——其中许多是享有免税待遇的非营利组织——令美国最强大的战略对手得以干预美国最大城市的选举。 这些团体大多为所谓“同乡会”，其成员往往来自中国的同一个城市或省份。其中一些同乡会已存在了一个多世纪，另有数十个同乡会则是在近十年间纷纷新成立的。与这座移民城市中其他专注文化传承的社团一样，它们欢迎新移民、组织游行活动，并帮助成员扩大人脉。...
How China Influences Elections in America’s Biggest City Original
In New York City, social clubs backed by China undermined a congressional candidate who once challenged the regime on Chinese television. They helped unseat a state senator for attending a banquet with the president of Taiwan. And they condemned a City Council candidate on social media for supporting Hong Kong democracy.
Red Envelopes With Cash Are Changing Hands at Adams Campaign Rallies Original
Few New York City politicians have had a tighter bond with the Chinese American community than Mayor Eric Adams. This week, a new layer to the relationship emerged: red envelopes filled with cash. The news that an adviser to Mr. Adams, Winnie Greco, had attempted to pay a reporter from an online news outlet, The City, stood out as a bold departure from political norms. Ms. Greco had put a red envelope stuffed with cash inside a potato chip bag and slipped it to the reporter after a campaign event.
Adams Adviser Suspended From Campaign After Giving Cash to Reporter Original
A close adviser to Mayor Eric Adams was suspended from his re-election campaign on Wednesday after giving a journalist cash tucked inside a potato chip bag. The adviser, Winnie Greco, who was the mayor’s former director of Asian affairs at City Hall and one of his best fund-raisers, had returned to the campaign trail as a volunteer during Mr. Adams’s run for a second term.
Adams Adviser Suspended From Campaign After Giving Cash to Reporter
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. A campaign volunteer for Mayor Eric Adams of New York was suspended after giving a journalist cash in a potato chip bag. Listen to this article · 5:34 min Learn more Aug. 20, 2025 A close adviser to Mayor Eric Adams was suspended from his re-election campaign on Wednesday after giving a journalist cash tucked inside a potato chip bag.
Every Vote Counts in Brooklyn. Even Those Cast by Dead People.
New York|Every Vote Counts in Brooklyn. Even Those Cast by Dead People. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/29/nyregion/council-dead-voter-fraud.html You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. The New York Times found several questionable absentee ballots that were tallied in a Republican City Council primary, including one from a dead woman.
Election Officials Allege Possible Voter Fraud in Republican Primary Original
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Election Officials Allege Possible Voter Fraud in Republican Primary The New York City Board of Elections asked prosecutors to investigate potential ballot stuffing in a City Council race in South Brooklyn. The election in question is a Republican primary in South Brooklyn.
Ex-New York Assembly Candidate Charged With Campaign Finance Fraud
Dao Yin was charged after a New York Times investigation revealed that he reported receiving campaign contributions from people who said they had not made them. A former New York State Assembly candidate used fake donations and forged signatures to fraudulently inflate the share of public matching funds he received in last year’s election, federal prosecutors said on Friday. The former candidate, Dao Yin, was charged with wire fraud in a federal criminal complaint.
He made 1 wrong turn. ICE detained him for 3 weeks
They walked out of court in downtown Buffalo, N.Y., a little before 5 p.m., worn down from a hearing that had dragged late into the afternoon. The man and woman climbed into their black SUV. With nightfall approaching and powerful wind gusts rolling in from Lake Erie, they began following the Google Maps instructions to get them home to Syracuse, N.Y. They took an exit ramp and veered right, not focusing on where they were going.
At the Canadian Border, One Wrong Turn Leads to Immigration Limbo Original
An accidental trip over the Peace Bridge in Buffalo typically means a toll and a loss of time. But for Victor and Johanna, crossing an international border carried a higher cost. Credit Credit... They walked out of court in downtown Buffalo a little before 5 p.m., worn down from a hearing that had dragged late into the afternoon.
What It Looked Like Inside the Thomas Indian School Original
It's a little-known chapter in New York history: For decades, the state oversaw a boarding school where native children were systematically stripped of their culture and language and subjected to abuse. Originally called the Thomas Asylum for Orphan and Destitute Indian Children and later shortened to the Thomas Indian School, the institution was on the Cattaraugus Territory of the Seneca Nation of Indians, about an hour south of Buffalo. On Tuesday, Gov.
Hochul Apologizes to Native Americans for Boarding School Atrocities Original
Hochul Apologizes to Native Americans for Boarding School Atrocities Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York visited Seneca land on Tuesday to apologize for the state’s operation of a boarding school that “sanctioned ethnic cleansing” of Native American children. Credit...Jalen Wright for The New York Times Reporting from the Seneca Nation’s Cattaraugus Territory Gov.
Council Member Susan Zhuang, Who Bit Officer, Has Charges Dropped After ‘Healing’ Course Original
A Brooklyn judge took the crime out of a bite on Tuesday, dismissing a felony case against a New York City councilwoman who had attacked a police officer during a protest against a proposed homeless shelter. According to the office of Brooklyn’s district attorney, Eric Gonzalez, the charges were dropped after the council member, Susan Zhuang, completed a course in restorative justice under a diversion program that offered alternatives to traditional prosecution.
N.Y. Lawmakers Fight Trump With a Proposal Targeting Elon Musk
"Democrats need to bring a gun to a gunfight," she said. "The overwhelming feeling from constituents is, 'We want to see Democrats have a spine.
Adams's Associates Under Federal Investigation Over Ties to China
The Trump administration appears likely to succeed in having federal corruption charges dropped against Mayor Eric Adams in Manhattan.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Jay
Contact Jay, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack