The Guardian announced today it has hired veteran journalist George Zornick to lead its new US political enterprise team. As editor, Zornick will oversee the team’s ambitious investigations examining abuse of power at the federal level and how the decisions and dealings of political figures and institutions impact everyday people. He starts on 18 August and will report to the Guardian’s Washington editor, Ankita Rao.

Zornick comes to the Guardian after six years at HuffPost, where he held multiple leadership positions, including most recently chief national editor. During his tenure, the national desk at HuffPost won multiple awards and covered the January 6 insurrection, the pandemic, and Donald Trump’s return to power. Prior to that, he worked at the Nation, starting as an intern and working his way up to be the magazine’s Washington DC editor, and was previously a senior reporter for ThinkProgress.org.

In addition to Zornick, Aram Roston will be joining the US political enterprise team as senior reporter starting on 25 August. For more than two decades, Roston has worked as an investigative reporter breaking major stories and features on national security, white collar crime, corruption, privatization and conflict. Roston comes to the Guardian from Reuters, where he has been an investigative reporter since 2019. At Reuters he broke the story that ended Jerry Falwell Jr’s presidency at Liberty University, part of a series that explored the business entanglements of Falwell, one of the most well known evangelical leaders in the US. He also reported on the far right, national security and intelligence matters. He has previously written for BuzzFeed News – where he covered mercenaries, arms deals and for-profit foster care – as well as GQ, Newsweek, the Nation, and the New York Times. His awards and recognitions include the 2025 Toner Prize, two Emmys, the Daniel Pearl Award for international investigative journalism, the Scripps Howard Award for investigative journalism, and an Investigative Reporters and Editors Award.

George Zornick, the Guardian’s US political enterprise editor said:
“At a time when disinformation is rampant, accountability is shrinking, and power is working harder than ever to avoid scrutiny, that’s exactly when journalism has to be at its sharpest. I’m grateful for this opportunity to build the Guardian’s political enterprise team from the ground up, one that will go beyond the horse race to expose what’s real and what matters.”

Aram Roston, the Guardian’s US senior political enterprise reporter said:
“I’m honored to join the Guardian as it expands its US presence, digging deeper into the powers secretly shaping our lives. As the stakes for our democracy rise, our responsibility as journalists remains clear: to pursue facts relentlessly, to expose how power operates, and to serve the public with reporting that cuts through fear and spin. That kind of reporting requires investment and support, and it’s encouraging to see the Guardian prioritize such essential work.”

Betsy Reed, the Guardian’s US editor said:
“Investigative reporting has always been at the heart of the Guardian’s mission, but never before has the need for accountability journalism – the kind that brings home the stakes for real people in real time – been so acute in our nation’s capital. George Zornick and Aram Roston have both shown through their careers a relentless dedication to chasing and nailing just that kind of story. As we continue to build our political enterprise team, alongside our talented DC bureau of correspondents and investigative reporters, the Guardian will continue to tell the stories the world needs to hear about what’s happening in Washington today.”

About the Guardian
The Guardian is a global, reader-funded news organization committed to high-quality journalism, progressive values and editorial independence. Founded in 1821, the Guardian is renowned for its rigorous reporting and commentary on politics, the environment, social justice, sports, wellness and culture geared for a global audience.

In the US, the Guardian has more than 100 editorial staff members across its bureaus in New York, Washington DC and Los Angeles. Its agenda-setting journalism draws an audience of more than 40 million US readers every month, making it one of the top news sites in America. The Guardian’s US newsroom has been recognized with several awards, including the George Polk Award, Scripps Howard Award, Edward R Murrow Award and the Pulitzer Prize.

Media contact
Matt Mittenthal
US head of communications, the Guardian
matt.mittenthal@theguardian.com
917-782-3991