About Me
My name is Levi M. Bakke. I am an investigative journalist and researcher based in La Grande, Oregon.
I founded Valor Investigations because I saw a need for rigorous, evidence-based advocacy in our community.
“We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
Background
Military Service: U.S. Marine Corps, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines (2000–2005).
Current Focus: Document analysis and regulatory accountability.
My Work
I focus on exposing systemic failures in healthcare, guardianship, and state oversight. I rely on data analysis, public records, and verifiable documentation.
I am not a firm. I am an independent investigative journalist that believes the truth is black and white — and that it can be proven with records.
Methodology
I attack abuse of power with facts, records, and structure. My approach follows four distinct phases:
1. Data Acquisition
I use Oregon public records law (ORS 192) and administrative escalations to pry open doors that institutions try to keep shut.
2. AI-Driven Evidence Architecture
I process raw data through a custom pipeline that handles Bates-numbering, claim-to-page mapping, and citation auditing.
3. Pattern Identification
I look for the fingerprints of systemic corruption — late-night chart edits, suspicious medication patterns, and fraudulent certifications.
4. Narrative Leveraging
Once the evidence is airtight, I use investigative journalism and formal complaints to force accountability and create public awareness.
The Crest
Our crest is not decorative. Every element is a principle of the work. The V at the crown is Valor -- and the Roman numeral five, for the Marine Corps. The lighthouse is the investigative function: cutting through institutional fog so people can see what was hidden from them.
The oak reaches outward in published investigations and free tools, and runs as deep underground -- the records demands, the forensics, the connections no one sees until they're mapped. The shield does not attack; it stands between a vulnerable person and the system hurting them. It carries the scales the institutions dropped, over a compass that follows the evidence in every direction -- east is darkened, because Eastern Oregon is where we work, and it is in the dark. The lighthouse above it is the answer.
The olive branches are not victory wreaths. They are earned peace -- the kind that comes after the fight, not instead of it. And the roots are exposed on purpose: truth, kindness, patience, empathy. Principles should be visible. If an organization hides its roots, ask why.
Partners
Valor Investigations is proud to partner with ElevenLabs through the ElevenLabs Impact Program, which supports nonprofits doing public-interest work with voice AI technology.
Get in Touch
Levi M. Bakke — Founder, Valor Investigations
La Grande, Oregon