Maren Machles

Maren Machles joined POGO as a researcher on the investigations and research team in 2022. Before joining POGO, Maren worked with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, researching, documenting, and advocating for community-led solutions to the digital divide across the country and specifically within tribal communities. 

Previously, Maren was an investigative journalist with the Scripps Washington Bureau where she covered the U.S. immigration system, criminal justice, tribal justice issues, gender violence, and influential political figures. She has spent her career digging into the finances and backgrounds of powerful political figures, and into the systemic oppression of marginalized communities.

Maren was a recipient of the 2020 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Grand Prize Award for her work on criminal justice issues in Indian Country. Her work has appeared on Stitcher Premium, PBS Newshour, PBS Twin Cities, USA Today, Newsy, DecodeDC, Long Beach Post, and across Scripps' local television stations.

Maren lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with her dog and 35-plus plants.