Nicole Hong
@nicole_hong
Followers
14K
Following
6K
Media
207
Statuses
8K
Investigative reporter for the @NYTimes Metro desk, which covers New York. Alum of @WSJ and @NorthwesternU. Email: [email protected] / DM for Signal
Joined December 2010
NEW: Federal prosecutors are investigating the $107 million raised by Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee, including whether any donors gave money to influence official administration positions. Scoop by @rebeccadobrien @rebeccaballhaus @aviswanatha .
711
4K
8K
Crowd getting massive outside Brooklyn courthouse. Chanting "no hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here"
37
964
2K
NEW: Trump indicated in a 1988 sworn affidavit that he has a deep understanding of campaign-finance laws. To bring a campaign-finance case, prosecutors have to show someone knew the rules and violated them willfully. via @rebeccaballhaus @joe_palazzolo
79
841
2K
BREAKING: Brendan Hunt, a Trump supporter in Queens and son of a retired judge, has been found guilty of making threats on social media to kill Democrats in Congress after the Capitol riot. He now faces up to 10 years in prison.
86
498
2K
At least 32 nonmedical hospital workers in NYC have died during the coronavirus pandemic. They were security guards and chefs. They pushed patients in stretchers. They cleaned the hospital rooms. Here are some of their stories:
31
733
1K
NEW: Allen Weisselberg, CFO of Trump Org and the gatekeeper of Trump's finances, has also been granted immunity in the Cohen investigation by federal prosecutors in Manhattan. w/@rebeccaballhaus .
128
515
935
Three high-profile indictments today:. --Julian Assange: --Michael Avenatti: --Greg Craig: Never a dull moment on the legal beat 🤯.
40
302
896
NEW: Three of R. Kelly's associates have been charged with threatening and intimidating his accusers, including setting fire to a car parked outside one of the women's homes. R. Kelly is scheduled to begin trial in Brooklyn on Sept. 29. More to come:
48
681
889
Dating in the office:. At Facebook and Google, employees can only ask a co-worker out once. If they're turned down, they can't ask again. "I'm busy" counts as a "no." .
147
316
563
Agents found a locked safe in Epstein's NYC mansion with piles of cash, dozens of diamonds and a fake passport with his photo that listed his residence as Saudi Arabia. Govt says its investigation into Epstein has expanded "dramatically" in past week.
32
221
504
Weeks before the Atlanta shootings, @Jonesieman and I noticed lots of anti-Asian attacks that were not getting charged as hate crimes. We dug into the difficult legal issues -- and why these decisions have caused so much pain for many Asian-Americans:.
24
267
581
NEW: Federal prosecutors are investigating Michael Cohen for tax fraud, another dimension to the sprawling probe against the president's former lawyer. w/@rebeccadobrien .
32
257
471
NEW: We took a closer look at Ghislaine Maxwell, a 57-year-old British socialite who has faced public accusations for a decade that she helped Jeffrey Epstein procure girls and train them for sex. w/@rebeccadobrien .
29
268
406
Juan Thompson, a former journalist, sentenced to 5 years in prison for making bomb threats to Jewish Community Centers. His harassment started with his ex-girlfriend. Her statement at today's sentencing is a must read:
10
238
410
Even as we see more and more reports of anti-Asian attacks, the video of a Filipino woman being kicked on the sidewalk in Manhattan touched a fresh nerve. The attack happened in broad daylight as security guards in a nearby building watched.
46
189
447
Some personal news: I'll be joining the @nytimes metro team next month to cover a mix of law enforcement, criminal justice, courts and more. Incredibly excited for this opportunity! .
We're excited to announce that @nicole_hong, an ace criminal justice and investigative reporter, is joining @NYTMetro.
67
22
435
NEW: Federal prosecutors are examining whether Michael Cohen illegally engaged in secret lobbying in his consulting arrangements. As part of the investigation, prosecutors in recent weeks have contacted companies that include AT&T and Novartis.
10
201
326
NEW: Federal prosecutors in Manhattan questioned Hope Hicks and Keith Schiller, Trump's longtime bodyguard, last year as part of its criminal investigation into hush payments made to two women ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
11
188
291
Some personal news: After many exciting years covering law enforcement and courts, it's time for a new challenge. I will now be writing about New York City's economy as it emerges from the pandemic.
21
15
370
Remember Fyre Festival? Billy McFarland, the 26-year-old who created it, pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges today. Prosecutors said he caused investors and ticket vendors to lose more than $26 million.
26
191
317
Keith Raniere will now spend 120 years in prison, effectively a life sentence. The judge gave the sentence after hearing from 15 victims who described Keith as a sociopath, a liar and a master manipulator.
24
46
319
Rare to see this in court:. A Brooklyn federal judge sharply criticized Trump and Sessions today during a DACA hearing, calling Trump's comments about Latinos "incendiary," "vicious" and "not ordinary." .
6
203
281
I am Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, Mother of Dragons, Freer of Cargo Shorts.
14
98
345
BREAKING: Ken Kurson, former editor in chief of the New York Observer and close friend of Jared Kushner, was arrested today on federal cyberstalking charges related to his divorce. More to come:
11
99
292
Out of ~850 ongoing domestic terrorism cases, 40% involve racially motivated violent extremism, and a majority of those cases involve white supremacists, according to the FBI.
12
120
281
NEW: Federal prosecutors in the Michael Cohen investigation have subpoenaed the company that owns the National Enquirer. They're examining whether the company coordinated with Cohen in its $150,000 payment to an ex-Playboy model.
15
143
263
"Look no further than Roberta’s in up-and-coming Brooklyn, a dangerous, brooding suburb accessible through the city’s antiquated system of underground metal cars.".
No one associates New York, a city in the eastern United States, with good restaurants. That's beginning to change.
5
17
311
This is the most comprehensive account of Trump's direct involvement in the payoffs, raising the possibility that the president of the United States violated federal campaign-finance laws. w/@joe_palazzolo @mrothfeld @rebeccadobrien @rebeccaballhaus.
19
178
252
Second confirmed case of coronavirus in New York: .Man in his 50s who works in Manhattan as a lawyer and lives in New Rochelle. He recently traveled to Miami. He first went to a hospital in Bronxville before moving to a different hospital.
26
199
260
Incredibly dramatic moment in today's hearing when Sean Hannity's name was revealed as Michael Cohen's client. Judge: "I'm directing you to disclose the name now.".(pause).Cohen's lawyer: "The client's name is Sean Hannity.". Loud gasps throughout the courtroom.
8
75
245
Life update: I'm taking a break from New York City coverage to do a six-month stint with our China team, where I'll be writing about issues like demographics, health, culture, etc. Very excited for this opportunity!.
11
2
287
At the jail where Jeffrey Epstein was housed, the staff was so overworked that some were sleeping in their cars because they were too tired to drive home, according to one federal prison union official.
69
143
242
Remarkable detail from the indictment:. While Manafort’s loans were pending approval, Calk allegedly gave Manafort a ranked list of the gov't positions he wanted, including Treasury Secretary, Commerce Secretary and 19 ambassadorships.
Bank exec Stephen Calk charged with corruptly soliciting a post in the Trump Administration in exchange for approving $16M in loans to Paul Manafort. via @nicole_hong @WSJ
11
127
228
In 2000, Trump also signed this sworn affidavit in which he stressed his familiarity with laws governing corporate contributions to candidates:
7
105
201
@rebeccadobrien Why might prosecutors want to speak to Epstein's pilots?. -Corroborate accounts from women who say they traveled on his plane when they were underage . -Ask whether they witnessed any efforts by Epstein to interfere with law enforcement.
16
103
191
We took a deeper look at who was getting arrested after anti-Asian assaults in NYC. Many had a history of mental health episodes, prior arrests and homelessness, complicating the city’s search for an effective response. w/@AshleyAtTimes @AliWatkins.
24
100
246
If confirmed, Kellyanne Conway's husband would manage the DOJ's defense against legal challenges to travel ban.
43
277
207
NEW: Donald Trump was involved in or briefed on nearly every step of the hush-money agreements to silence Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels during the 2016 campaign. This refutes two years of denials by Trump, his legal team and his advisers.
18
137
208
Giuliani's comments appear in 4th Circuit order upholding block on travel ban. He said this week in another case he wasn't involved
7
118
221
Grateful beyond words to win a Pulitzer with my friends @joe_palazzolo @mrothfeld @rebeccadobrien @rebeccaballhaus. We're so lucky to work for editors like @michaelsiconolf @ForsythJenn @jonesashby who fought tirelessly to bring our stories to the public.
A team of Journal reporters won for “uncovering President Trump’s secret payoffs to two women during his campaign who claimed to have had affairs with him
12
16
215
U.S. lawyer for El Chapo said security measures for him have gone "above and beyond." Judge responded: "We know the reason for that.".
3
124
205
Marriages across America are being tested by cargo shorts, surely the most polarizing piece of legwear of our time
18
136
213
Reminder that AMI repeatedly said it paid $150,000 to Karen McDougal for editorial reasons, not to benefit the Trump campaign. The company even put her on the cover of Men's Journal against her will.
Karen McDougal, the ex-Playboy model who says she had an affair with Trump, is on the September cover of Men's Journal. Read our earlier story about the strange circumstances surrounding this cover:
5
79
173
NEW: A person familiar with the investigation has confirmed that one of the unnamed co-conspirators in this case is Anthime Gionet, the far-right media personality known as "Baked Alaska" who was arrested after the Capitol riot.
NEW arrest in a very unusual case:. Douglass Mackey, who operated an influential far-right Twitter account, is accused of spreading misinformation in 2016 in memes that urged people to cast their ballot for Hillary Clinton by sending a text message.
8
95
180
Good morning from the Brooklyn federal courthouse, where El Chapo will be sentenced at 9:15 am. I got here at 6 am and was 54th in line.
7
38
200
Karen McDougal, the ex-Playboy model who says she had an affair with Trump, is on the September cover of Men's Journal. Read our earlier story about the strange circumstances surrounding this cover:
14
115
159
This means SDNY's investigation, which ultimately led to Michael Cohen's guilty plea and implicated the president in federal crimes, went much deeper into Trump's inner circle than was previously known.
4
54
164
New investigation from @mrothfeld and me:. Shen Yun is an international juggernaut, touring on five continents with holdings of more than $265 million. But for the young dancers and musicians who powered the show, the success has come at a steep cost.
80
73
184
Here's the story in 2016 about Karen McDougal that set off this panic:
An hour before @WSJ revealed AMI's hush $ to Karen McDougal, Natl Enquirer editor Dylan Howard texted Michael Cohen: "I think it'll be ok pal. I think it'll fade into the distance.”. Cohen replied: “He’s pissed.” Prosecutors said he was referring to Trump.
2
85
146
On today's Daily, I discuss why the legal bar can be so high to prove racial motivation and charge a hate crime -- and why that has only deepened the feelings of frustration and invisibility for many Asian-Americans.
On today's Daily: The rampage at three spas in Georgia points to a larger crisis for Asian-Americans enduring a year of rising violence--it's proving extremely hard, under the law, to classify attacks on them as hate crimes. Why? .@nicole_hong explains.
9
49
151
On game day, the Dallas Cowboys stadium consumes more electricity than Liberia, a country with 3.7 million people http://t.co/fgj7mDrrMQ.
64
1K
158
This is a big deal. This bill allows residents of 12 states -- where it is legal to carry a concealed gun without a permit -- to bring firearms into states like New York.
The House passed a bill that would enable gun owners who legally carry concealed firearms in one state to carry them in the other 49 states
20
145
136
What was FBI employee's motivation to help China? Money. China associates allegedly paid for his trips, prostitutes
9
111
115
NEW: Federal prosecutors are intensifying their investigation of top GOP donor Elliott Broidy. They're looking at whether foreign clients paid him to give them special access to attend Trump's 2017 inauguration. w/@aviswanatha @rebeccaballhaus.
5
67
124
For this article, I walked around Midtown and tallied the average price of a 16 oz cold brew ($4.88 - before tax).
16
34
136
There's a big fight in NYC over what outdoor dining should look like after the pandemic. I take a closer look at the opposition in West Village, a sign of the challenges ahead for city officials as they put together a permanent outdoor dining plan.
10
45
129
Warby Parker is investing in technology that would let people conduct eye exams on their cell phones http://t.co/rhFWysrDDX.
6
122
132
New: Casino mogul Steve Wynn paid a $7.5 million settlement to a manicurist who accused him of forcing her into sex. WSJ talked to dozens of former employees who described decades of alleged sexual misconduct by Mr. Wynn:.
7
84
99
What have I done?!.I've been on the front lines of the Cargo Shorts Wars of 2016 this week. My first-person account:.
30
77
125
Trump has personally interviewed candidates to lead SDNY, EDNY. Both have active investigations of importance to him
11
108
104
First came the "low-hanging fruit" cases - people who openly admitted to rioting at the Capitol or had friends turn them in. Now we see investigators using more advanced techniques, like search warrants and confidential informants. w/@alanfeuer .
5
42
96
The Trump administration is trying to ban WeChat, a Chinese messaging app with 19 million regular users in the U.S. I spoke to almost two dozen WeChat users to take a deep look at how the app has impacted their lives -- for better and for worse.
13
58
118
My first ever photo credit in the WSJ is this pic I took of @NoahHurowitz sleeping on a cardboard box outside Brooklyn federal court at 2:15 a.m. Fun times at the El Chapo trial!.
5
10
126
NEW arrest in a very unusual case:. Douglass Mackey, who operated an influential far-right Twitter account, is accused of spreading misinformation in 2016 in memes that urged people to cast their ballot for Hillary Clinton by sending a text message.
25
71
109
How will El Chapo defend himself at trial? Today, his lawyer argued he's not the real leader of the Sinaloa cartel. My story on opening statements:
21
48
95
Brendan Hunt was not in DC on Jan. 6. But prosecutors say he made online threats to kill members of Congress before and after the riot. His trial will explore an important question: how much should the gov't police violent rhetoric on social media?.
10
36
104
Since the pandemic started, there have been only 9 criminal jury trials in NYC's state and federal courts. Last year, there were about 800. @Jan_Ransom and I took a deep look at what this means for the rights of defendants and victims:.
3
62
104
New Census data this summer revealed the growth of NYC's population since 2010 was driven by a surge in the # of Asian residents. I take a closer look at Long Island City, Queens - which had the fastest growing Asian population of any NYC neighborhood:
3
42
103
NEW: AG Sessions has authorized the federal death penalty for the first time, a sign of this DOJ's greater willingness to use capital punishment and to use it against a broader set of violent crimes.
64
169
87
If you're committing insider trading, maybe don't do tons of Google searches on insider trading
8
55
94
I found it strangely addicting and ate the whole thing. The cinnamon aftertaste was both off-putting and satisfying?. *closes Twitter for the day*.
For journalism, @nicole_hong and I tried The Nixon this a.m. — cinnamon raisin bagel with plain cream cheese, lox, onions, capers, tomatoes, with an everything chaser (left).
6
6
94
That escalated quickly. The FBI and Manhattan federal prosecutors are now investigating Fyre Festival for fraud
6
43
87
The response to this story has been insane. Someone should run for president on a cargo shorts platform.
21
42
95
Justice Dept has opened insider trading investigation into Equifax execs who sold stock before disclosing breach
4
48
80
They were two young lawyers with bright futures. Their resumes were stacked with accomplishments. Now they're in jail, accused of committing violence and charged with a federal crime. What happened? @WRashbaum and I take a closer look:.
28
60
87
Trump leading to more aspiring lawyers? Law school applicants up 12%, biggest boost in years. "Virtually everyone talks about wanting to be an immigration attorney.".
3
55
85
Under federal law, non-U.S. citizens do get some rights as soon as they arrive at U.S. borders. An explainer:
3
90
88
Last year, complaints of retail thefts in NYC were up about 16% compared with 2019. I looked at the confluence of factors behind this -- and and how this has impacted the recovery of the city's small businesses:
15
33
85
Wynn Resorts executives were part of a coverup to protect Steve Wynn from sexual misconduct allegations, according to a new report by Massachusetts regulators. They will now decide if the company should be allowed to keep its license.
3
56
75
We all signed a deflated football as a farewell gift to Tom Brady worshipper @KannoYoungs, who is leaving us for NYT. When reached for comment, Mr. Kanno-Youngs said: "You forgot to add the context that footballs are known to deflate in the freezing cold."
6
6
86
Why is it important to focus on Cohen's finances?. Federal tax- and bank-fraud convictions can carry significant prison sentences, which may put more pressure on Cohen to cooperate with prosecutors if he's charged with those crimes.
7
35
67
NYC is already seeing an impact from the return of foreign travelers - from the Statue of Liberty cruises, to the Halal Guys food cart. But tourism overall is not expected to return to 2019 levels until 2024. story w/@NYTpatrick @chelsiamarcius .
7
27
80
You should pay attention to this story. "China has detained hundreds of thousands of Muslim Uighurs in political re-education centers. the largest outside the criminal process in China since the Maoist anti-rightist campaign of the 1950s.".
China puts GPS tracking devices around the necks of Muslims going for Hajj pilgrimage. One “got lost” and his minders tracked him down
5
90
72
Judges agreed fighting terrorism is important goal, but said gov't had no evidence of anyone from 7 countries committing attack in U.S.
2
53
75
Scoop from @aviswanatha @brkend: Kellyanne Conway's husband will be nominated to run DOJ civil division
31
178
73
The National Enquirer is up for sale. This comes 7 months after its publisher admitted in an agreement with the gov't that it paid $150k to an ex-Playboy model to help the Trump campaign and prevent her allegations from influencing the 2016 election.
12
26
60
Anthony Weiner is going to prison for sexting a minor. He burst into tears as judge sentenced him to 21 months
18
34
70
I'm forever indebted to the @WSJ editors who took a chance on me early in my career. I have so much love for all the colleagues who made me laugh every single day and supported me through every setback. I look forward to reading their groundbreaking journalism as a subscriber❤️.
4
0
79
Shen Yun has received tens of millions of dollars in ways that may have crossed legal or ethical lines, according to a new investigation by @mrothfeld and me. The latest in our Shen Yun series:.
79
28
67
Wild detail from DOJ's sprawling charges against Huawei: . Huawei offered bonuses to employees based on the value of trade secrets they stole from other companies, according to emails obtained by the FBI.
5
70
66
Tamerlan Tsarnaev called his mom last week DURING the police chase. Amazing story by 18 @WSJ reporters in 3 countries http://t.co/4U6jpfOAm8.
13
102
75
Interesting case today:. Prosecutors say there was a "birth tourism" ring that operated for years on Long Island, serving clients from Turkey. The scheme facilitated the births of an estimated 119 babies. w/@aridollinger .
7
31
69
When the pandemic shut down her campus, this senior at Columbia University began emailing NYC hospitals, wanting to help. She ended up spending her final weeks of college carrying dead bodies off hospital beds and wheeling them into morgues.
2
44
72
As part of the inquiry into Cohen's personal finances, prosecutors have subpoenaed his accountant and are examining whether insiders at any banks were allowing Cohen to obtain loans without adequate documentation.
1
27
58
How to get into Harvard: move to Montana, write an essay about how much you love James Joyce, be a star ice hockey player and tell your teachers to call you the best student they've ever had. More tips from @melissakorn and me:
10
28
69
How will this pandemic reshape Manhattan's Chinatown? . Many of its businesses have stayed in the same fam for generations. Only 38% of storefronts there have an online presence, compared with over 70% in neighborhoods like West Village. w/@elainejchen .
4
46
72