Inadvertent is muckraking.

Inadvertent is continuing the journalistic tradition of muckraking1 by publishing pieces that hold power to account. This is an independent publication created by Ben Camacho, a multi-award-winning journalist.

Inadvertent reports on local government, the police, politicians and corporations — bringing transparency to some of the most secretive agencies and offices in Southern California. Occasional commentary is also published on relevant issues such as press freedom and public records requests.

This publication was created to inform, promote discussion, never censor, and always put the public’s right to know first.

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Where did the name ‘Inadvertent’ come from?

The journalist behind this outlet was sued twice by the city of Los Angeles in a failed censorship attempt after helping bring radical transparency to the Los Angeles Police Department. LAPD claimed they “inadvertently” released certain records.

In April 2023, the City of LA filed an unconstitutional lawsuit in an attempt to “clawback” public records that had already been disseminated throughout the internet and published in a public database. The city claimed that they had “inadvertently“ included photos of undercover officers (and legacy media regurgitated this claim) in the records that they released. There was no admissible evidence presented in court by the city to back up this claim.

In September 2023, hundreds of LAPD officers sued the city anonymously, alleging they were put in danger by the photo release. They claimed to be the undercover officers who the city “inadvertently“ released photos of. Their best evidence showed the opposite – they were officers with public-facing positions, one even had given a press conference in the past.

In January 2024, the City of LA doubled down on its attacks against the freedom of the press and sued again.

In May 2024, the city agreed to a $300,000 settlement for the “clawback” case (the initial case). That case stopped there, but the notion that government and police agencies can censor public information through clawbacks has continued to spread. In June 2024, a judge threw out the second case.

The lawsuit between the cops and the city of LA continues. Now that the city is on the hook for what could amount to millions of dollars in damages, it admitted what we had been saying since the start — that none of the cops in the LAPD headshots release are undercover cops.

This project was created in the aftermath of these unconstitutional attacks on First Amendment rights.

Why pay to subscribe to this work?

Simple: keep the powerful honest. Your paid subscriptions support muckraking journalism: digging through records at courthouses, looking through databases, filing (and keeping up with) public records requests, traveling to meet sources in person, photographing and filming.

If you value government transparency, local journalism, public records, press freedom, become a paid subscriber. Your support directly translates into high-quality reporting on stories that legacy media will not touch or will not get to the core of.

Every paid subscription ensures this type of reporting continues.

Pay for the year upfront and I’ll send you some merch.

Editorial Independence

Inadvertent follows guidance from the Institute for Nonprofit News.

Inadvertent retains full authority over editorial content to protect the best journalistic and business interests of the publication. A firewall is maintained between news coverage decisions and sources of all revenue. Acceptance of financial support does not constitute implied or actual endorsement of donors or their products, services or opinions. The project accepts gifts, grants and sponsorships from individuals and organizations for the general support of the reporting activities, but news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support.

Inadvertent may consider donations to support the coverage of particular topics, but the organization maintains editorial control of the coverage. We will cede no right of review or influence of editorial content, nor of unauthorized distribution of editorial content.

Inadvertent will make public all donors who give a total of $5,000 or more per year.

Corrections Policy

Essential to journalism is being accurate. Inadvertent aims to verify all information before publishing. However, mistakes can happen. When they do, this project is committed to correcting them promptly and transparently.

If a factual error is identified, it will be corrected as soon as possible and clearly noted at the top or bottom of the article. If the correction changes the substance of the article, it will be noted at the top. If the correction does not change the substance, it will be noted at the bottom. The changelog will explain what was wrong, what has been fixed and include the time and date.

Clarifications may be issued when information is accurate but requires additional context or clearer language. The changelog will show updates when new information is added after publication. If needed, a footnote will be added

We do not remove accurate content solely because it is disputed or controversial. Corrections are made based on verified facts, not external pressure.

Readers who believe an error has been made may contact Ben Camacho at inadvertent@substack.com. Please include relevant details or documentation. All credible claims are reviewed.

This policy applies to all published content, including articles, headlines, captions, graphics, and social media posts.