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 "political bribes" ...
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Feasting on the Spoils
A biographical look at former U.S. Congressman Randy “Duke†Cunningham, one of the most corrupt members of Congress this nation has ever seen. Cunningham pleaded guilty to accepting more than $2.4 million in bribes that came from defense contractors in exchange for political favors.
Tags: Defense Appropriations; House Intelligence Committee; Navy; CIA;
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Stacked Deck
"'Stacked Deck' detailed how a well-intentioned federal program to provide affordable housing to the working poor created the type of political environment that resulted in an FBI investigation of Dallas City Hall. The program requires developers to garner political support from a range of office holders and neighborhood leaders or else lose the millions of dollars in federal funding. With those kinds of stakes, developers have an incentive to curry favor with local politicians in ways that are both legal and illegal."
Tags: housing; FBI; housing developers; politics; bribe; tenants;
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Philadelphia City Councilman Indicted in federal bribery investigation
Philadelphia councilman Rick Mariano was accused of having a company in his district pay $23,455 of his credit card debt in 2002, with two of the three checks laundered by other companies in his district. He is also accused of having another company pay $5,400 of his gym dues. Federal prosecutors said Mariano, in turn, provided help with city services and agencies to businessmen who paid his bills.
Tags: money laundering; bribery; political bribes; Rick Mariano; state public record law; corruption
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NewsChannel 5 Investigates: Capitol Hill Corruption
This contest entry is a continuation of an investigation that began in 2003 to expose corruption in the Tennessee government. Williams and Staples discovered lawmakers were using campaign funds for personal expenses, many ethical breaches, and several million dollars worth of bribes.
Tags: politics; politicians; bribery; campaign finance reports; corruption; campaign donations
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Afflicting the Comfortable: Journalism and Politics in West Virginia
This book is a complete and accurate account of decades of political corruption and scandal in West Virginia. Stafford discusses how his role as the editor of the Raleigh Register put him in a unique position to critique the scandals and endorse honest politicians. Stafford also writes about how he was offered bribes and favors from candidates in return for an endorsement, and how ethical dilemma that this situation caused.
Tags: election; politicians; candidates; news paper; news editor; voting; voters; bribery; scandal; political fraud; editorials; campaign finances; strip-mining
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Guard Approves Donor Democrats for Flights in F-16
"The commander of the Indiana National Guard, Maj. Gen. George A. Buskirk, approved flights on an F-15 fighter jet for mostly major Democrat contributors and party activists." Previous commanders did not grant so many special flights; the increase seems even more shady once one realizes that Buskirk himself is a large contributor to Indiana Democrats. He justified many of the flights by saying that the person had some something good for either Indiana or the National Guard, but his excuses didn't hold up to scrutiny.
Tags: campaign donations; bribes; political favors; partisan politics; national guard; army; planes; campaign contributions
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Road to Corruption
The Citizen-Times investigates corruption among police officers at the Division of Motor Vehicles. According to the contest questionnaire: "Charges included bribe-taking to ignore truck-safety violations for politically connected companies, job and promotion buying within the agency, the coercion of officers to make donations to politicians, ticket-fixing and a loss of focus on the primary mission of enforcing trucking industry laws." Some of the conclusions were based on database analysis. The newspaper's investigation has been followed by a grand jury investigation.
Tags: law enforcement; bribery; public safety; transportation; campaign finance; money and politics; state government
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Bribery deal on live broadcast
Show TV exposes two government employees, one of them a senior official in the prime minister's office, accepting bribes in a live broadcast. The corrupt officials were filmed by secret cameras as they negotiated with a journalist posing as a businessman anxious to strike a deal. The bribe-takers agreed to help secure state funding for a tourism project in return for payments of more than $140,000, and were arrested by plain-clothes policemen after they promised to help the bogus businessman to get his hands on government funds.
Tags: undercover investigations; hidden cameras; business; money and politics; public servants
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Investigative Reporting Finalists
The Goldsmith Prize awards a $25,000 annual prize for reporting that best promotes more effective and ethical conduct of government, the making of public policy, or the practice of politics. The five finalists for 1996 were "The F.A.A., USAir and the ATR Turbo Prop Planes," "Military Secrets," "Prisoners On Payroll," "Honduras," "Who Owns The Law? West Publishing and the Courts," and "Profits From Pain." The stories come from the New York Times, Dayton Daily News, Baltimore Sun, Minneapolis Star Tribune and Sun-Sentinel.
Tags: Goldsmith Prize; Federal Aviation Administration; airplane safety; air traffic control; airplane inspection; airplane accidents; military secrets; sexual assault; military judicial system; Tailhook; military pay; Honduras; CIA; West Publishing; judicial bribes; Supreme Court; judicial ethics; HMOs
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Crash Landing
This article tells how one man "for years tried to expose corruption in the state driver's license facility where he worked. ... He told of how would-be truck drivers were paying bribes to get commercial driver's licenses, known as CDLs, and how he suspected the state employees taking the bribes in turn used the money to satisfy the intense pressure to buy tickets to political fundraisers held for the boss, (Governor) Ryan. ... Then a horrific highway accident killed six children."
Tags: whistleblowers; fake drivers licenses; fraud; automobiles; accident