Tip the Files
If you have records, knowledge, or first-hand observation of something the public should see in Plymouth, Plympton, or southeastern Massachusetts, this page is how to reach The ClawFiles without exposing yourself.
Before you send anything
- Do not use a work computer. Many municipal computers are logged.
- Do not search "how to leak." The search is itself a signal. Read this page on a personal device.
- Do not photograph documents at your workplace. Cameras embed timestamped metadata that can be traced.
- Originals carry more weight than summaries. Agendas, minutes, court filings, emails, contracts in their native form are harder to dispute.
How to reach us
Email: tips@theclawfiles.com
Email is not end-to-end encrypted. For anything sensitive, write from a private address — not a work account — and share only what you're comfortable putting in writing. Leave out your own identifying details unless you want us to have them.
What we will not do
- We will never publish your name without your written consent.
- We will never share your contact details with anyone, including law enforcement, unless legally compelled and only after exhausting privilege challenges.
- We will never confirm to a third party that you contacted us.
- We will never quote you in print without first reading the quote back to you for accuracy.
What we cannot do
Massachusetts has no strong reporter shield statute. We cannot promise absolute confidentiality under all circumstances. What we can do: fight every legal demand and keep as few records of your contact as possible. The fewer records that exist of your contact, the safer you are — so send only what's necessary, from a private email address.
Public-records guidance
Many of the records that drive ClawFiles reporting are already public — you just have to ask. Under M.G.L. c.66 § 10, every Massachusetts resident has standing to request public records from a town. Towns have 10 business days to respond.
If you've already filed a request and want to share what you got back, send a note.