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 "auction" ...
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Behind Closed Doors, Kentucky City Buys Controversial Building For $1.3 Million
Danville, Kentucky’s purchase of the former Boyle County Industrial Storage Facility, better known as the BISCO building, drew a lot of controversy along with legal battles during the second half of 2012. During its Aug. 13 meeting, Danville City Commission unanimously voted to buy the building at auction for $1,237,550. However, a bidder hired by the city had already won the property in auction three days before. Also, on the day of the auction city officials had cut a check for 10 percent of the BISCO building’s purchase price. Residents raised concerns about the secretive nature of the purchase, especially since then-Commissioner Ryan Montgomery’s father, Mike, had a long-standing business relationship with the building’s former owner Mitchell Barnes. After being publicly prodded, Mayor Bernie Hunstad also acknowledged that his wife, Susan, worked for the bidder the city hired to handle the auction process.
Tags: City officials; city government; auction
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The Faking of the Russian Avant-Garde
The Russian modern art market is saturated with fake works. Many European museums and auction houses are completely filled with fraudulent pieces. Once source says that phony modern art from Russian far outnumbers authentic pieces. The problem is exacerbated by a network of experts and professionals who accept large fees to validate Russian modern art as authentic.
Tags: Russian; artwork; modern; fraud; false; fake; phony; bogus; avant-garde; collector; art market
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Database Delay
Unethical car sellers putting salvage vehicles on the road has presented a danger to those on the road. KGTV shows how a database could have saved billions of dollars while preventing unnecessary deaths on the road.
Tags: CARFAX; auction; rental car; John Ashcroft; Attorney General; resale; history report;
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Jefferson County (Ala.) Sewer Bonds: Penetrating the Fog of Municipal Debt
Until early 2008, no one paid attention to Jefferson County sewer debt. That is when auction-rate-security auctions began to fail and two municipal bond insurers for county bonds were downgraded. Soon, the most populous county in Alabama faced the threat of the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.
Tags: bond; municipal; auction; insurer; Alabama; sewer; county; bankruptcy; debt
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The Guetzloe Files
"A political consultant who illegally spent money affecting Florida elections is exposed after his unpaid storage unit is auctioned off for $10 and given to investigative reporter Tony Pipitone." The broadcasts that resulted led to the consultant indicted on perjury. WKMG-TV also had to fight off an injunction in order to broadcast their stories based off of the files.
Tags: politics; political consultant; injunction; campaigning; campaign funds; Doug Guetzloe
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The Dr. Files
KTUL was able to buy 6,971 medical files at an auction after a doctor retired, for just $5. The records included social security numbers, addresses and medical information.
Tags: health care; privacy; records; medical records; patient information; social security numbers; identity
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Property auctions abused, critics content; Anatomy of a deal
"Property in North Texas subject to foreclosure by a housing property tax lender and is sold at auction by its trustee." Evidence showed that the sales may not have been done at a public bidding as required by law.
Tags: foreclosure; housing; Texas; public bidding; auction;
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The Highwaymen
This investigation explores a recent trend: auctioning the maintenance of public highways and bridges to private companies. The article shows how privatization benefits the companies far more than the public. Private road operators charge high tolls and insist on non-compete clauses, so the government can't build other roads in the area.
Tags: transportation; privatization; bridges; roads; constructions; infastructure; driving; transit; state government
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Lemon Cars
Freedman and Kubinec examined how cars that were declared lemons in the United States, "are being sold in Canada as 'clean' cars." "As a result of the story, several provinces, including Manitoba, are in the process of drafting similar laws..."
Tags: car; lemon laws; car auction; dealership; consumer
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Bad Deed
This investigation followed a botched land auction by the El Paso Sheriff's Office. The story revealed that the sheriff auctioned off a parcel of land with a deed problem. The buyer lost $20,000 and was not compensated by the government.
Tags: El Paso; real estate; property auction; deeds; sheriff; contest entry