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 "bribery" ...
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Concealing County Corruption: Anatomy of a Cover-Up
Wayne Dolcefino saves the best for last. In his final investigation for KTRK-TV, he and the 13 Undercover Unit demonstrated relentless persistence as they attempted to shake up a county government with an abysmal record of policing itself. This submission begins with four reports detailing shocking evidence of corruption inside the downtown precinct of Constable Jack Abercia. 13 Undercover spent several months doing painstaking surveillance -- catching the Constable’s deputies running his personal errands, working extra jobs on the clock and stockpiling never driven county patrol cars while lawmen were being laid off. 13 Undercover then managed to get a hidden camera inside the chief deputy’s office as he and two deputies talked openly about corruption inside the precinct. The language is often foul mouthed and always revealing. The FBI nabbed Aberica and two top commanders in a bribery sting weeks later. The veteran former constable is now awaiting trial. Eventually, 13 Undercover turned our cameras on county leaders to say “enough is enough.” Not only was action not forthcoming, it quickly became clear that many in positions of power wanted this all to go away without getting their hands dirty, without ending decades of a patronage system that made deputies feel required to give money to their boss’s campaigns and charities to keep their jobs. That was not an option. This investigation demanded accountability and we held leaders to the promises they made to the public. In late summer, 13 Undercover scored a major public records victory that revealed what one commentator dubbed "a cover-up of Nixonian proportions." The series culminated with the long awaited, and previously unimaginable, indictment of one of the county’s most popular elected officials – precinct 6 Constable Victor Trevino. New county directives now prohibit constables from soliciting money from their deputies and legislation is expected to filed in Austin to protect county employees from further shakedowns.
Tags: Corruption; county government; officials
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Wal-Mart Abroad: How a Retail Giant Fueled Growth With Bribes
Part One revealed how Wal-Mart’s highest executives shut down an internal investigation that had uncovered strong evidence of systemic bribery by Wal-Mart’s largest foreign subsidiary, Wal-Mart de Mexico. As a result, authorities were never notified and no one was punished. Instead, the executive identified as the driving force behind years of bribery was promoted to vice chairman of Wal-Mart. Part Two offered an in depth examination of precisely how Wal-Mart de Mexico used bribes to accelerate its growth. The article described Wal-Mart as “an aggressive and creative corruptor” in Mexico, and it focused on how Wal-Mart paid more than $200,000 in bribes to build a single supermarket in the town of Teotihuacán, not far from two ancient pyramids.
Tags: Wal-Mart; bribery; corruption
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Wall Street Money Machine
This series of stories reveals that several Wall Street bankers saw indications of the housing market meltdown "long before the public and policy makers." The three-part series offers a different look at the all too familiar results of bigger payouts for the bankers and huge job and savings losses for the public. The series covers the hedge fund Magnetar and the "mechanics" behind the failure of Merrill Lynch.
Tags: Merrill Lynch; Magnetar; CDOs; Wall Street; bankers; gains; payouts; economic crisis; BankAmerica; hedge fund; housing market; bribery
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"Black Money"
This investigative report reveals that a "trillion dollars in bribes," are paid each year regardless of an international anti-bribery treaty that is in place. The bribes, also known as "black money," are used by "multinational companies" to get overseas business. The bribes cause a break in the "stability of governments" and "distort the marketplace."
Tags: Margaret Thatcher; British Aerospace; Department of Justice; Saudi Arabia; bribery; bribes; World Bank; Securities and Exchange Commission; Jimmy Carter
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"Document Dilemma"
In a series of stories, a group of reporters investigates the illegal handling of passports and visas by criminals, the wealthy and the politically connected. Corruption and bribery often overshadow the legal process of global travel and obtaining citizenship.
Tags: Visa; Fraud; Russia; Bulgaria; Macedonia; Moldova; Ukraine; passports; travel; forgery; bribery
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Cause of Death: Negotiable
This investigation focused on the practice of a death investigator in Bosnia. Despite questions of his practice, he continued to work and was documented soliciting money in exchange for favorable cause of death findings.
Tags: forensics; death investigation; bribery; evidence tampering; Zeljko Karan;
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Professional Victim
This journalistic investigation is about using an agent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Prosecutor General's Office as a "victim." The office uses the "victim" in order to forge various criminal cases. There had always been rumors that the police used such agents, but the public in the country of Georgia did not have any real information about these agents. The faked victim in this case was Vagarshak (Gaikovich) Loris-Ruso. He has been used by the General Inspection of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in order to "disclose" criminal cases of bribery. From July 2004 to 2007, he took part in six criminal cases. The journalists became interested in his past and found him in four other criminal cases. The investigation showed that he had been cooperating with the police and helped them to arrest undesirable people. The investigation consisted of two parts. The first part of the story was about Alexhandre Mkheidze, and his detention, trial and verdict. In this case, Vagarshak admitted to cooperating with the police and receiving money for it. The second part of the investigation is about eight other criminal cases and shows the accusation, official grounds and certain objections for each case.
Tags: Georgia; international journalism; bribery; police departments; misconduct
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The Prosecution of Governor Siegelman
Seven U.S. Attorneys were fired in December 2006 by the Bush Justice Department not because of poor performance, but because of the refusal to engage in politically-driven prosecutions. Former Governor of Alabama Don Siegelman was convicted of bribery and sentence to serve seven years in jail.
Tags: President George W. Bush; Circuit Court of Appeals; imprisonment; allegation; Grant Woods;
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Air Marshals: Undercover and Under Arrest
The Federal Air Marshal Service presents the image of an elite undercover force charged with making life-and-death decisions that demand sound judgment. ProPublica found that dozens of air marshals have been charged with crimes, including 18 felonies, and hundreds more have been accused of misconduct. Cases include smuggling drugs past airport security, aiding a human trafficking ring, child sex abuse, bribery, drunken driving, domestic violence, holding an escort against her will during an overnight layover, solicitation to commit murder and voyeurism after one air marshal was caught taking photos of women's genitals on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Tags: air marshals; Transportation Safety Agency; human trafficking; child sex abuse; drunken driving; domestic violence; criminal convictions
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Leonard Lawson
State taxes payers were forced to pay tens of millions of dollars because of the influence of blacktop contractors over the Kentucky Department of Highways. The man who headed the largest blacktop monopoly was Leonard Lawson who was indicted on charges of bribery, conspiracy and obstruction of justice.
Tags: contract; asphalt; Elmo Greer & Sons; transportation; roads; Phillip Dufour;