The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "campaign regulation" ...
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Money to Burn
A 5-month investigation by the Environmental Health News reveals that the chemical industry spent at least $23.2 million over the past five years to lobby California officials and donate to campaigns in an effort to defeat bills that would have regulated flame retardants.
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Overseas Donors
The Associated Press investigated whether any donors to presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain with foreign addresses were illegal foreign donors; whether the two campaigns were guarding against illegal foreign money by asking overseas donors for copies of their current U.S. passports as the Federal Election Commission instructs; and to what extent the two campaigns were failing to disclose basic information about donors such as their employers and occupations. The AP reviewed hundreds of thousands of donations from around the globe and found evidence that both campaigns took money first and asked questions later. The reporters found a smattering of illegal foreign donations to Obama as well as missing details in federal paperwork the law requires from Obama and McCain. During interviews with 123 donors in 11 countries, The AP found that Obama accepted illegal contributions from at least three foreigners. In one case, a Canadian noted with is donation that he was not an American; the Obama campaign accepted his money anyway, and the Canadian's note about his foreign citizenship actually appeared in Obama's campaign finance report. A donor in Australia admitted to the AP that he entered a phony passport number when making an Internet contribution to Obama. Just five donors, three for Obama and two for McCain, told the AP that the campaigns asked to see copies of their current U.S. passports.
Tags: Barack Obama; John McCain; campaign finance; illegal donations; foreign donations; campaign regulation; 2008 presidential election
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Takings Initiatives Accountability Project: The Center for Public Integrity investigates ballot initiatives that would radically change land-use and environmental regulation in five Western states
The [non-partisan]Center for Public Integrity investigated 2006 "ballot initiatives that were designed to radically change land-use and environmental regulation in five Western states. They discovered that a trio of "secret donors" accounted for 99% of the propostions' bankrolls, and some of the initiatives did not comply with campaign-finance and other regulations. Then the Center revealed that 85 percent of the funding was coming from a single wealthy real estate investor and Libertarian activist, Howard RIch All but the Arizona inititative failed at the ballot. The Center for Public Integrity set up a stand-alone website-- www.takings initiatives.org-- and filed more than 50 articles on it. "Our general practice-- and a novel one as far as we can tell-- was to mount verbatim transcripts of the interviews on our website, including audio recordings where available. We sought to allow proponents, opponents funders and experts to have a chance to present their side of the story in their own words." The Center also checked with state and federal regulators for compliance of relevant laws and regulations.
Tags: Takings Initiatives; takings clause; ballot initiatives; land-use regulation; environmental regulation; tax-exempt organizations; Howard Rich; Andrea Millen Rich; Council for Responsible Government; William A. Wilson; state campaign-finance filings; public records requests; state freedom of information requests; America At Its Best; Americans for Limited Government; John Tillman; Howard Ahmanson; Fieldstead & Company; property rights; prefessional signature-gatherers; Colorado At Its Best; term limits; nonprofit advocacy organizations; Sam Adams Alliance; Sam Adams Foundation; Legislative Education Action Drive; Parents in Charge Foundation; Social Security Choice.org; Illinois Charitable Trust Bureau; educational vouchers; tuition tax credits; National Taxpayers Union; First Class Education; Susquehanna International Group; Jeffrey YAss; Cato Institute; Alliance for School Choice; Decision Education Foundation; Eric Brooks; Susan Mitchell; Pete Sepp; Kern Family Foundation; Generac Power Systems, Inc.; Milton Friedman; Taxpayer Bill of Rights; TABOR; Laird Maxwell; This House is MY Home; John Whitehead; Lower Manhattan Development Corporation; Exoxemis, Inc.; Family Farm Preservation Pact; Citizens for Community Protection; Kelo v. City of New London; eminent domain; New York Millionaires Assistance Act; Wallace Global Fund; Nicholas C. Dranias; PRNewswire; Eric O'Keefe; getliberty.com; George Soros
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Peddling Influence
This series examined the influence of special interests on the Texas Legislature and the lack of oversight by regulators. Linking campaign and lobbyist spending to legislation, the stories showed how lawmakers have favored lobbyists and their pet causes over the public interest, And we discovered that the Texas Ethics Commission has failed to property investigate complaints of violations and allowed questionable practices to continue.
Tags: state government; politicians; politics; special interests; legislation; congress; watchdog reporting
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The McConnell Machine
The Herald-Leader investigates U.S. Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, whose campaign fundraising has reached impressive levels to the tune of $220 million, largely on behalf of fellow Republican senators. As the 2006 mid-term elections approached, McConnell was seen as a likely contender for Senate Majority leader, should the Republicans retain control (they did not, and he is now Senate Minority Leader). Anticipating this news, the Herald-Leader "examined McConnell's 22-year record of aggressive fundraising, cozy ties with top donors and related actions in the Senate." The newspaper found that McConnell benefited from his "influence over a little-known foreign aid committee; his marriage to Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, who regulates his corporate donors; and a former McConnell chief of staff turned Washington "gatekeeper lobbyist," whose clients tend to receive appropriations earmarks and helpful legislation from McConnell." McConnell has gained a reputation as an opponent of campaign-finance reform.
Tags: Campaign finance; Mitch McConnell; Elaine Chao; Senate Minority Leader
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Death on the Tracks: How Railroads Sidestep Blame
These stories exposed how the railroad industry shirk the responsibility for fatal accidents. It destroys evidence, neglects to report accidents, and finances a public relations campaign that blames drivers for crashes. The investigation also shows how the industry often has a close relationship with its regulators, and how faulty warning signals are more common than previously thought.
Tags: transportation; Federal Railroad Administration; accidents; train wrecks
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The Converted: How Insurance Firms Beat Back an Effort For Stricter Controls
The Journal reports on how the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), an alliance of all the states top regulators, quietly but dramatically changed the course of insurance regulation. This led to industry opposition and boycott. "Unlike banking and securities, the insurance industry had always managed to remain free of federal regulation, en exemption written into federal law in 1945. Meanwhile, at the state level, insurers -- as big employers and generous campaign contributors -- typically could count on kid-glove treatment."
Tags: State Farm; lobbying; fees
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Up in Smoke
Enron's collapse was famous for its accounting debacle and other business side errors. How did such a dishonest company rise to success in the first place? The answer is with a powerful combination of campaign money and political friends designed to create an environment friendly to Enron's style of business. CEO Ken Lay was a former lobbyist himself and knew the Beltway well. The result of their heavy political investment was deregulation in Congress and appointed local commissioners who were already friendly with the company.
Tags: Enron; accounting; lobbying; campaign finance; politics; government; regulation; deregulation; Ken Lay
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The Dirty Hill
A New Republic investigation reveals that congressmen often violate fund-raising rules. Many have solicited contributions from their offices in possible violation of a federal law, and others have found loopholes to reimburse aides and Congress staffers for helping with campaigns, the story finds. The Federal Election Commission - the formal mechanism to stop all that - has been practically disemboweled through rules and laws adopted by the Congress it is supposed to regulate. The article points out that, as of 1997, there were at least eight members of Congress who might have been party to breaking the law in their fund-raising efforts. "After they are properly investigated, maybe we can go after the ones who do it legally," the reporter concludes.
Tags: Federal Election Commission; Congressional Forum; Appropriations Committee; lobbying; lobbyists; corruption; advocacy; aides; freebies; donations; contributions
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How the little guy gets crunched
A Time special report investigates how campaign finance contributions have changed laws, regulations and policies. The main story in the report focuses on the trade war that the American government launched against Europe on behalf of the banana baron Carl Lindner, a major contributor both to Republicans and Democrats. Lindner's company, fruit-and-vegetable giant Chiquita, was restricted to export its low-cost bananas to the European market, Time reports. In response, the U.S. government imposed higher tariffs on European goods. The trade war did not affect consumers of luxurious goods from overseas, the story reveals. Instead, it only hurt American small businesses that imported their supplies from European countries.
Tags: politicians; Washington; Clinton; lobbying; lobbyists; taxes; tariffs; trade; World Trade Organization (WTO); Al Gore; White House; legislature; Congress; Senate