Amita Sharma
Investigative ReporterAs the public matters investigative reporter, Amita leads KPBS’ coverage on efforts to undermine democracy, including threats to public officials, bolstering the Big Lie, chipping away at voter’s rights, attempts to overturn election results, eroding institutions and weakening the government's capacity to do its job, as well as civic efforts to engage people with opposing views without rancor.
The goal of the position is to report on the stakes, from a San Diego County perspective, on the United States’ current political moment.
She has spent the last two years reporting on local threats to democracy, including regional extremism, the shrinking of local news coverage while the number of hyper partisan “news” websites grow, censorship at libraries and incivility at public meetings.
Her previous coverage includes: exposing abuses in local nursing homes at the height of the pandemic, including a serial rapist who had worked in several El Cajon facilities and was arrested following her reporting; unearthing a contract between the city of Chula Vista and Motorola that allowed the company to sell data collected by the Chula Vista Police Department; and reporting on discrimination and retaliation in the San Diego County Public Defender’s Office that led to court settlements and the retirement of the Public Defender.
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Blackwater USA has resurrected plans to open a military training center in San Diego County. The private security contractor abandoned a bid last month to build a facility in the small town of Potrero
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The FBI reports mortgage fraud cases are skyrocketing nationally. Yesterday, a key figure in a San Diego scheme admitted to forging documents to secure loans for mostly Latino borrowers who couldn't a
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A former real estate agent who helped broker home loans to 200 people who could not afford them is headed to prison. The man and his brother ran a Century 21 real estate office in San Marcos. KPBS Rep
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San Diego is usually praised for being cutting edge with new policies or programs. But the Securities and Exchange Commission may be using the city as an example to other local governments. KPBS Repor
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San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders wants to hire a special prosecutor to decide whether the city should resurrect a case against a Sunroad executive. KPBS Reporter Amita Sharma has more.
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San Diego voters have twice rejected increasing the hotel room tax, even though some of the money would have paid for badly needed firefighters and equipment. But in December, just five weeks after wi
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County requiring employees of grocery stores and many other retail outlets to wear masks as of midnight Friday. That’s a tall order, says the California Grocers Association.
- Experts concerned about white nationalist imagery in ICE recruitment materials
- New Terminal 1 at San Diego Airport opens to passengers
- Ramona cemetery district board member uncovers unusual compensation records
- Trump blames Tylenol for autism. Science doesn't back him up
- Animal shelter supervisor ‘out of the office’ after revelation of profane recording