An investigation by John O’Brien of The Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.) discovered Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick has used $11,633 of his campaign funds for dining and entertainment. His campaign paid the bill 49 times in 2006 and 2007 at restaurants and bars from Portland, Ore. to Amelia Island, Fla., spending far more than other [...]
Archive for January, 2008
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Text messages sink Detroit mayor’s sworn testimony
January 25th, 2008 
rescntr Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is under investigation after M.L. Elrick and Jim Schaefer of The Detroit Free Press obtained text messages that contradict the mayor’s testimony in a court case filed by a former deputy police chief, who claimed he was the victim of retaliatory firing. (See the chain of events in the [...]
Charities enjoy tax-free profits from “unrelated business income”
January 25th, 2008 rescntr An investigation by Grant Williams and Peter Panepento of The Chronicle of Philanthropy found that about half of the nation’s largest charities pay no taxes, even though they generate millions in unrelated business income. Some organizations are claiming a loss on their income — meaning that they are losing money on side ventures. A [...]
Gaps in Wisconsin tornado warning system identified
January 25th, 2008 rescntr After tornadoes ripped through the southern part of the state earlier this month, Ben Poston of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel found that thousands of southeastern Wisconsin residents are out of range for tornado warning sirens. Using mapping software, Poston plotted nearly 75 siren locations in Milwaukee and Racine counties and then overlayed census data to [...]
Porn sites exploit photos of high school athletes
January 25th, 2008 rescntr An investigation by Scott M. Reid and Dan Albano of The Orange County Register has revealed that photographs of unsuspecting high school athletes are being posted next to pornographic images on Internet sites. Investigators are tracking Web profiles and e-mail trails to determine the source of photos taken at water polo events. The discovery also [...]
Drought threatens nuclear power in Southeast
January 25th, 2008 rescntr AP’s Charlotte correspondent Mitch Weiss identified 24 nuclear reactors located in areas of severe drought that could potentially force reactors in the Southeast to reduce power or shut down later this year. The drought threatens the rivers and streams that supply massive amounts of cooling water. Weiss reports that, while utility officials issue public assurances [...]
Georgia purchasing cards abused to the tune of $370 million
January 24th, 2008 rescntr Andrea Jones and Megan Clarke of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution report that abuse of government purchasing cards cost the state approximately $370 million in 2007. An analysis of over four million transactions showed that the credit cards have been used to pay for such things as pornography, tattoos, concerts, and dating services. [...]
Rearrest rate high in felons released on “shock probation”
January 24th, 2008 rescntr Jason Riley of The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Ky.) found that many inmates granted “shock probation” were being re-incarcerated in Jefferson County, Ky. The program releases offenders after only one to six months of their sentence and was developed for “first-time, nonviolent offenders who, after getting a taste of prison life, would be so ’shocked’ by [...]
Reporter’s work leads to review of murder conviction
January 16th, 2008 rescntr A report by Christine Young of the Times Herald-Record in Middletown, NY, in a special eight-page supplement and online multi-media presentation, suggests strongly that a New York City man who is borderline mentally retarded was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1989. Thanks to Young’s reporting—and a bizarre set of circumstances that thrust her into the [...]
Racist jokes, porn found on DA’s office computer
January 16th, 2008 rescntr Community leaders are calling for Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal to resign after Jeremy Rogalski of KHOU-Houston uncovered racist emails and sex videos on the D.A.’s county computer, along with evidence suggesting that Rosenthal used county time and resources in his political campaigns.
