http://www.ire.org/extraextra/ Extra! Extra! is your guide to the latest investigative work. Send comments and suggestions to extraextra@ire.org. en-us support@ire.org 2008-05-23T14:37:58-06:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://www.ire.org/extraextra/archives/2008_05.html Brian Joseph of the Orange County Register investigated the California Statewide Communities Development Authority, a public agency founded to finance "projects of public value." The agency "issued about $4.2 billion in tax free bonds in 2007, ranking behind only the... 2256@http://www.ire.org/extraextra/ Government (federal/state/local) 2008-05-23T14:37:58-06:00 http://www.ire.org/extraextra/archives/2008_05.html The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Cameron McWhirter and Megan Clarke report that former Congressman Bob Barr's political action committee has raised $4.3 million since 2003 to promote conservative candidates and causes, primarily at the national level. But the PAC gave only $125,200... 2253@http://www.ire.org/extraextra/ Campaign Finance 2008-05-20T15:52:20-06:00 http://www.ire.org/extraextra/archives/2008_05.html Bloomberg's Jonathan D. Salant reports that John McCain is struggling to connect with the business donors who helped bankroll George W. Bush's candidacy. "Employees from the securities, construction, pharmaceutical and energy industries, who accounted for about a tenth of Bush's... 2245@http://www.ire.org/extraextra/ Campaign Finance 2008-05-13T10:19:21-06:00 http://www.ire.org/extraextra/archives/2008_05.html Ken Dilanian, of USA TODAY, reports members of the Congressional campaign committees are selling access to this summer's political conventions in return for campaign contributions. This exploits a loophole in the ethics law meant to reduce special interests' influence on... 2237@http://www.ire.org/extraextra/ Campaign Finance 2008-05-01T11:27:33-06:00 http://www.ire.org/extraextra/archives/2008_04.html Despite claims that he hasn't taken money from lobbyists, Senator Barack Obama's fundraising efforts have been linked to Washington lobbyists according to USA TODAY's analysis of campaign finance data. Ken Dilanian reports that his fundraising team include "38 members of... 2224@http://www.ire.org/extraextra/ Campaign Finance 2008-04-16T10:16:53-06:00 http://www.ire.org/extraextra/archives/2008_02.html Ken Dilanian of USA Today used invitations, interviews and FEC records to compile a partial list of lobbyist-hosted fundraisers for DC politicians. Other fundraisers take place at private residences in DC owned by lobbyists. The story illustrates how lobbyists and... 2188@http://www.ire.org/extraextra/ Campaign Finance 2008-02-11T13:34:28-06:00 http://www.ire.org/extraextra/archives/2008_02.html A joint investigation by the Center for Investigative Reporting and ABCNews.com found that top fundraisers for both the Clinton and McCain presidential campaigns lobby for foreign governments, and have facilitated meetings between their clients and the senators. "Professor James A.Thurber... 2182@http://www.ire.org/extraextra/ Campaign Finance 2008-02-04T16:59:37-06:00 http://www.ire.org/extraextra/archives/2008_01.html 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... 2179@http://www.ire.org/extraextra/ Campaign Finance 2008-01-31T10:57:21-06:00 http://www.ire.org/extraextra/archives/2008_01.html A two-part series in the Jacksonville Business Journal looked into the business behind the fight over a ballot initiative will determine how Florida grows. By building his own database, reporter Mark Szakonyi was able to determine who was funding each... 2168@http://www.ire.org/extraextra/ Campaign Finance 2008-01-15T18:30:35-06:00 http://www.ire.org/extraextra/archives/2008_01.html Following the news of fugitive Norman Hsu fundraising for Hillary Clinton's campaign, a Center for Investigative Reporting investigation for Politico finds new examples of presidential candidates relying on fundraisers with questionable backgrounds. A fundraiser for Mitt Romney was recently suspended... 2165@http://www.ire.org/extraextra/ Campaign Finance 2008-01-10T13:32:46-06:00 http://www.ire.org/extraextra/archives/2007_11.html A Newsday investigation delves into the long history between former New York City Mayor and current GOP presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani, and New York State democratic senator Chuck Schumer. The connections, which benefited both men politically, span everything from Giuliani's... 2131@http://www.ire.org/extraextra/ Politics 2007-11-26T14:32:22-06:00 http://www.ire.org/extraextra/archives/2007_10.html Donors are skirting campaign finance laws by making campaign contributions in their young children's names according to a report by Matthew Mosk of The Washington Post. "Although campaign finance laws set a limit of $2,300 per donor per campaign, they... 2095@http://www.ire.org/extraextra/ Campaign Finance 2007-10-30T12:11:14-06:00 http://www.ire.org/extraextra/archives/2007_10.html The Seattle Times kicked off an occasional series on Congressional earmarks, the companies that benefit and the political fundraising connected to the pork projects. David Heath and Hal Bernton report that, after months of collecting and checking data from press... 2096@http://www.ire.org/extraextra/ CAR 2007-10-30T10:43:43-06:00 http://www.ire.org/extraextra/archives/2007_08.html Chuck Neubauer and Robin Fields of the Los Angeles Times report that Norman Hsu, a fugitive for over a decade, has been hiding in plain sight as a prominent Democratic fundraiser. Fifteen years ago, Hsu pleaded no contest to charges... 2032@http://www.ire.org/extraextra/ Campaign Finance 2007-08-31T10:32:15-06:00 http://www.ire.org/extraextra/archives/2007_08.html Linda Chavez, Bush's failed nominee for Labor Secretary, and members of her immediate family control political action committees and non-profit political foundations with names like the Republican Issues Committee, the Latino Alliance, Stop Union Political Abuse and the Pro-Life Campaign... 2019@http://www.ire.org/extraextra/ Campaign Finance 2007-08-13T16:07:08-06:00