Trusted Source book cover

Trusted Source

How a Virginia Nonprofit Gained Bipartisan Support in an Era of Political Polarization

“Trusted Source” tells the unlikely story of how the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) revolutionized transparency in state politics and developed a business model to provide paywall-free information. Most significantly, at a time of deepening disbelief in our institutions, VPAP gained bipartisan support.

Trusted Source is also a fast-paced chronicle of recent Virginia political history. With his reporter’s eye for detail, VPAP founder David Poole describes the frequent interplay between VPAP and political events, including the McDonnell gift scandal that shook Virginia’s lax ethics rules to the core.

Available August 28. Pre-order from:

  • “David Poole does a masterful job of recounting the story of how VPAP went from an idea on a napkin to an invaluable resource for citizens and journalists. The lessons here could benefit any non-profit leader by pointing out the necessity of staying true to your ideals and constantly upping your game.”

    Beth Macy, New York Times bestselling author of Dopesick

  • “Trusted Source shows the magic that happens when a gifted writer provides a candid firsthand account of truly interesting and transformative events. David Poole’s narrative about the improbable nonpartisan achievement that VPAP represents makes for a really good read about a really good deed."

    Frank B. Atkinson, author of Virginia in the Vanguard and The Lion’s Den

  • "This book is a roadmap to making transparency happen. You will come, as I did, to admire the author for his gritty determination and personal sacrifices to achieve a lasting institution for the public good.”

    Larry Sabato, founder and director of the Center for Politics, University of Virginia

  • "David Poole’s Trusted Source is as wonky a book as you’re likely to read this or any year, seeing as how it’s the origin story of an effort to force political string-pulling into the light. But this behind-the-scenes account from the founder of the influential Virginia Public Access Project also happens to be a damn well-written and compelling story, and essential reading for those seeking to understand the commonwealth’s shifting political landscape. An unexpected page-turner."

    Earl Swift, NYTimes bestselling author of Chesapeake Requiem and Hell Put to Shame

Upcoming Events

September 9

Library of Virginia
Richmond
6:00 pm

September 23

Schar School of Policy & Government
Arlington

October 3

Slover Library
Norfolk
6:00 pm

October 14

WMRA Brews & Books
Pale Fire Brewing Co. - Harrisonburg
7:00 pm

November 20

Henrico Public Library - Tuckahoe Branch
2:00 pm

January 21, 2026

Richmond Public Library
6:00 pm

ABOUT DAVID POOLE

In 1997, Poole took a one-year leave as a statehouse reporter in Richmond to start the nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP). Poole never looked back, steadfast in his belief that the time had come to shine much-needed light on Virginia’s laisse faire campaign finance system.

Over the next 25 years, VPAP revolutionized public understanding of money in Virginia politics and went on to address two challenges of our times—the decline of newspapers and a lack of faith in our institutions.

Poole is a Florida native who earned a degree in Soviet and Eastern European Studies from the University of North Carolina. Before he founded VPAP, Poole wrote for newspapers in Lynchburg, Tampa, Fla., and Roanoke. He and his wife, Clare, live in Richmond.

Book Clubs

If you’d like to add Trusted Source to your club’s reading list, we’ll be happy to schedule an hour-long Zoom discussion with David M. Poole. For orders of 10 or more books, we’ll arrange for a personal appearance at book clubs in the Richmond area—and perhaps beyond.

For more information, email David Poole