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 "state capital" ...
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Grim Reapers
Maricopa County, Arizona, has faced economic hurdles in paying for representation of indigent defendants charged with capital crimes. In recent years, the county supplanted other jurisdictions as the unofficial “death penalty capital” of the United States. “Grim Reaper” describes how a prominent capital criminal-defense attorney committed serious ethical and potentially criminal violations over a period of five years, during which time he collected more than $2.4 million from the county, including payment for work that he never had performed. in the wake of publication, law enforcement initiated a still-ongoing criminal investigation (as did the State Bar of Arizona), and the county's presiding judge announced sweeping and immediate changes in how criminal-defense attorneys representing indigent clients would be vetted, selected and paid.
Tags: Crimes; charges; criminal justice system; capital crimes
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"DWI Death Capital"
KHOU-TV set out to answer a frightening question: Why is Harris County, Texas "the DWI death capital of the country?" Employees of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission revealed "little-known amendments" that offer immunity to bars and bartenders "from civil liability" or "state administrative action" that could result from the state law that prevents over-serving alcohol.
Tags: Safe Harbor; TABC; Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission; dram shop; liquor distributors; drunk driving; bartender; public records; Texas Public Information Act; Harris County
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Ohio Corrections Connections
This series found “one of the largest state agencies involved in a pattern of apparent abuse of state tax dollars and power”. This series revealed a number of things, including expensive parties at the taxpayers’ expense while employees were being laid off, friends of officials buying state-made furniture for less than state agencies were paying for it, and firing workers for a number of violations and then hiring them back within weeks or months.
Tags: corrections officials; Capital; governor; Governor Strickland; corruption; funds; state; economy; government; Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections
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USA Inc.: The State of Capitalism
The investigation delves into the hidden details surrounding the government's unprecedented intervention into business and the economy, specifically in regards to conflicts of interest at the New York Federal Reserve Bank and drastic actions taken by government officials to persuade and reward banks.
Tags: federal reserve; new york; banking; capitalism; bailout; government; united states; industry; intervention; regulation;
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A million LIttle Pixels
Kansas City's Pitch Weekly reporter David Martin pokes holes in claims made by entrepreneur John FLowers, who got $500,000 in venture capital support from Kansas state's Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation.
Tags: Kozoru; background checks; venture capital; skunk works; computer hacker; DefCon; network security; Hiverworld; nCircle; natural language; Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation; KTEC; OPen Prairie Equity Partners; David Warthen; Ridgely Evers; Ask Jeeves; open records; instant messaging; mobile devices; cell phone; Wikipedia; Industry Ventures; reality-challenged statements
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Life and Death
This analysis of Ohio's capital punishment system looked at 1900 crimes that were potentially capital crimes. It found that offenders who killed whites were twice as likely to be sentenced to death as those who killed blacks; that more than half of capital cases ended with plea bargains; and that the possibility of a death sentence varied depending on where the crime was committed. It also discovered numerous errors in the state's collection of death penalty data.
Tags: death penalty; capital punishment; law enforcement; crime; murder; criminal justice system; plea bargains; capital crimes; Ohio
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Personal Politics
Thirty nine states have lawmakers who meet part time. These lawmakers often pursue other careers, sometimes in sectors that are regulated by the government. The Center for Public Integrity recognized the huge potential for conflicts of interest, if lawmakers end up serving on committees or deciding legislation that could affect their outside interests. The only way to combat the conflict of interest is through full disclosure of lawmakers' private interests, however, many states do not make that information available to the public. But, this project by the Center for Public Integrity does that for them: in two years, reporters used thousands of documents and dozens of interviews to create a database, available online, that includes information on lawmakers; outside interests, as well as the committees they serve on in the legislature.
Tags: transparency; legislative ethics; private companies; lawyers; political fraud; conflict of interest; legislation; state capital; state government
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New York Slush Funds
The three men who run New York's state government have stuck state taxpayers with more than $1 billion in debt over the last seven years for a series of secretive slush funds under their tight control. State leaders use the money to reward political friends and punish enemies. They use the money to keep rank-and-file legislators obedient. The stories show many examples of millions spent on failed or dubious projects.
Tags: taxpayers; Gov. George Pataki; Sheldon Silver; Joseph Bruno; New York City Catholic art museum; debt; Empire State Development Corp.; State of New York; New York taxpayers; Carnegie Hall; National Baseball Hall of Fame; Carrier Dome; Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Centers for Excellence; Empire Opportunity Fund; Junior Museum; capital-improvement programs; Community Enhancement Facilities Assistance Program; Strategic Investment Program; Senate Majority leader; borrowing money; legislators; public money; Kraft Foods; Guardian Industries; Canadian American Transportation Systems; Division of Human Rights; National Museum of Catholic Art and History; New York Susquehanna and Western Railroad; Dormitory Authority; IRS; Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum; Bard College; YMCA; New York's Public Officers Law; Central New York Regional Market; campaign donations; borrowed-money grants
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Special Leadership Accounts
After reporters suspected a problem with two of Pennsylvania's House of Representative caucus leaders' accounts, they discovered that more than $24 million dollars were being wasted on fancy dinners and parties, campaign-style TV commercials, and flights to and from the state capital on the state plane. Using more than $120,000 from the Special Leadership Accounts, the leaders bought dinners for friends using taxpayer funds.
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Lawmakers fly free on taxpayers' tab
Alisa Ulferts of the St. Petersburg Times looked deeper into the travel expenses of state legislators, only to find out that the Senate President, Jim King, as well as other lawmakers were using state planes for unofficial business. In an effort to save their own personal time and money, lawmakers used the planes for vacation and commutes between the capital city and home district. They did all of this despite the specific state law which forbids the use of state planes for anything other than official state business, as well as excluding the legislators from using the planes to commute.
Tags: commuting; state planes