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 "Federal law violations" ...
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No. 9: The 1968 Farmington Mine Disaster
The 1968 Farmington Coal Mine Disaster prompted Congress to pass the 1969 Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act, the first law to set meaningful underground safety standards and fines for violations. Despite the importance of the tragedy, which took the lives of 78 men, neither federal nor the state government determined the cause of the disaster. The state did not produce a final report as was required by West Virginia law, and the federal government did not make public its final, inconclusive report until 1990. This book pieces the story together, documenting the dangerous conditions that plagued the No. 9 from 1935 through the first deadly disaster in 1954 that killed 16 men and up to the 1968 tragedy.
Tags: farmington coal mine; virginia; united states; safety; coal
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Fiesta Bowl Under Fire; BCS The Money. The Games
The Republic's investigation resulted in the discovery of violations of state and federal campaign finance laws at the Fiesta Bowl and widespread financial mismanagement, including employees being reimbursed for taking luxurious out-of-town trips and visits to strip clubs.
Tags: The Republic; State and Federal Campaign Finance Law; Fiesta Bowl; BCS
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"Fiesta Bowl Under Fire" "BCS The Money. The Games"
Discovery of violations of state and federal campaign finance laws at the Fiesta Bowl and widespread financial mismanagement, including employees being reimbursed for taking luxurious out-of-town trips and visits to strip clubs. The investigation of the BCS found that public universities lose money playing in BCS games; bowls spend heavily on gifts for schools' top athletic officials; pay for the highest executives at the BCS bowls more than doubled since they reunited in the late 1990s; and three of the top bowls accepted large government subsidies even as their revenue and assets have grown.
Tags: BCS; Fiesta Bowl; college; football; fraud; financial mismanagement
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Justice in the Balance
The investigation documents the occurrences of federal prosecutors violating the law to win cases while the Justice Department looks the other way. Rarely are the prosecutors punished, and often times their abuses set guilty people free and put innocent people in jail.
Tags: Justice Department; prosecutor; federal prosecutor; violation; federal court
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"Justice in the Balance"
USA Today started investigating the topic of potentially corrupt federal prosecutors after the case against Sen. Ted Stevens was dropped. Reporters looked at "tens of thousands"of "routine cases" that were filed in federal court to locate any mishandling of the proceedings. The outcome was startling. Federal prosecutors have "violated the law to win convictions," setting guilty people free and landing "innocent people in jail."
Tags: Ted Stevens; prosecutors; U.S. Justice Department; Nino Lyons; Lexis; PACER; database; FOIA
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Without warning
After an employee of a trucking company received a letter stating he no longer had a job and benefits, he found out the company was closing its doors. The company was in violation of the Warn Act, which requires companies to give their employees thirty days notice before shutting down. A number of companies have left other employees without a job and without notice. This is happening due to the poor economic conditions across the nation.
Tags: Sam Vaughn; employment; federal law; business; paycheck; Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act; worker rights; layoffs
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Public Works, Hidden Violations
Several construction companies were given "tens of millions in federal stimulus contracts," even though they violated several laws and regulations. Also, a few had been "convicted of defrauding taxpayers on previous projects" and others had previously paid fines for violating regulations. These should have been revealed when filling out the forms to be approved for the stimulus contracts.
Tags: transportation; workplace; safety; pollution; environment; FOIA; Highway Division; officials; federal government; federal funds
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A Tampa Case of Stolen Valor
“A local man has been joining veteran’s organizations around the Tampa area”. He often comes dressed in a marine uniform, showing off his “Navy Cross”, which he was awarded while serving his country. It turns out that he never won the award, was never a part of the Marines, and never even served for the US Military. Further, he was charged with violating the “Stolen Valor Act” and forging government documents.
Tags: US Justice Department; Angel Ocasio; federal law; medal; nation; service; American Legion; Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW); decorations
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Executive Privilege
The former governor of North Carolina, Mike Easley, is the focus of this series. Easley accepted a number of free items such as flights, golf club membership, and a discount on a coastal lot. Further, a new job was created strictly for his wife and Easley cleared a friend of DMV violations. He also was involved with a number of other dishonorable activities, which led to state and federal investigations.
Tags: state government; corruption; N.C. State University; administration; laws; first lady; state rules
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Forgive Us Our Debts
Increasing abuse by debt collectors not only violates federal law, but is indicative of a growing $60 billion market for reselling debt. The massive market resembles the unstable mortgage-security market, and collapse could put the economy on the brink again. Additionally, tactics used by debt collectors are abusive and often unfounded on any hard evidence of consumer debt. The debt resale market is plagued with problems that surface in this investigation.
Tags: collection; collectors; debtors; debt; consumers; practices; tactics; abuse; reselling; market; economy; debt; victims; lawsuits;