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 "funds from corporations" ...
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Who Can Vote? Comprehensive Database of U.S. Voter Fraud Uncovers No Evidence That Photo ID Is Needed
“Who Can Vote?” is the 2012 project of News21, a multimedia investigative reporting initiative funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and headquartered at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. Twenty-four students from 11 universities across the country worked on the project under the direction of journalism professionals. The project, launched just before the 2012 political conventions, consists of more than 20 in-depth reports and rich multimedia content that includes interactive databases and data visualizations, video profiles and photo galleries. Student reporters conducted an exhaustive public records search and built a comprehensive data base of voter fraud cases that revealed: • Since 2000, while fraud has occurred, the number of cases is infinitesimal. • In-person voter impersonation on Election Day, which prompted 37 state legislatures to enact or consider tough voter ID laws, is virtually non-existent. Only 10 such cases over more than a decade were reported. • There is more fraud in absentee ballots and voter registration than any other category. The analysis shows 329 cases of absentee ballot fraud and 364 cases of registration fraud. A required photo ID at the polls would not have prevented these cases. • Voters make a lot of mistakes, from people accidentally voting twice to voting in the wrong precinct. However, few cases reveal a coordinated effort to change election results. • Election officials make a lot of mistakes, giving voters ballots when they’ve already voted, for instance. Election workers are often confused about voters’ eligibility requirements.
Tags: elections; fraud; public records; voters; ballot
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Under the Radar
Every year the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been given a grant, which then will be distributed to airports. The question is where does this money come from and how is it spent? The answer to the first half is the commercial-airline passengers, who pay the ticket taxes which in turn becomes the grant. The second part of the question is answered by not the improvement of airline travel, but rather the private pilots who fly corporate and recreational planes.
Tags: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); Federal fund; grants; airports; planes; airlines; commercial-airline; passengers; ticket taxes; pilots; private airplanes; flights
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Chris Dodd: Pac-Man
Democratic Presidential candidate and Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd took in more money, as a percentage total, from political action committess than any candidate running for the presidency.
Tags: campaign; corporate money; funding; 2008 election; electoral college
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Takings Initiatives Accountability Project: The Center for Public Integrity investigates ballot initiatives that would radically change land-use and environmental regulation in five Western states
The [non-partisan]Center for Public Integrity investigated 2006 "ballot initiatives that were designed to radically change land-use and environmental regulation in five Western states. They discovered that a trio of "secret donors" accounted for 99% of the propostions' bankrolls, and some of the initiatives did not comply with campaign-finance and other regulations. Then the Center revealed that 85 percent of the funding was coming from a single wealthy real estate investor and Libertarian activist, Howard RIch All but the Arizona inititative failed at the ballot. The Center for Public Integrity set up a stand-alone website-- www.takings initiatives.org-- and filed more than 50 articles on it. "Our general practice-- and a novel one as far as we can tell-- was to mount verbatim transcripts of the interviews on our website, including audio recordings where available. We sought to allow proponents, opponents funders and experts to have a chance to present their side of the story in their own words." The Center also checked with state and federal regulators for compliance of relevant laws and regulations.
Tags: Takings Initiatives; takings clause; ballot initiatives; land-use regulation; environmental regulation; tax-exempt organizations; Howard Rich; Andrea Millen Rich; Council for Responsible Government; William A. Wilson; state campaign-finance filings; public records requests; state freedom of information requests; America At Its Best; Americans for Limited Government; John Tillman; Howard Ahmanson; Fieldstead & Company; property rights; prefessional signature-gatherers; Colorado At Its Best; term limits; nonprofit advocacy organizations; Sam Adams Alliance; Sam Adams Foundation; Legislative Education Action Drive; Parents in Charge Foundation; Social Security Choice.org; Illinois Charitable Trust Bureau; educational vouchers; tuition tax credits; National Taxpayers Union; First Class Education; Susquehanna International Group; Jeffrey YAss; Cato Institute; Alliance for School Choice; Decision Education Foundation; Eric Brooks; Susan Mitchell; Pete Sepp; Kern Family Foundation; Generac Power Systems, Inc.; Milton Friedman; Taxpayer Bill of Rights; TABOR; Laird Maxwell; This House is MY Home; John Whitehead; Lower Manhattan Development Corporation; Exoxemis, Inc.; Family Farm Preservation Pact; Citizens for Community Protection; Kelo v. City of New London; eminent domain; New York Millionaires Assistance Act; Wallace Global Fund; Nicholas C. Dranias; PRNewswire; Eric O'Keefe; getliberty.com; George Soros
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Al's Secret Admirers
This story looks into irregularities and violations in Al Sharpton's campaign finances. Sharpton set up a meeting between two fund-raisers and a New York city official to arrange investments; Sharpton was caught on tape by the FBI for soliciting $25,000 from the fund-raisers. The story showed that Sharpton wound up on of the men's corporate payroll with a $25,000 salary. It also found reported donations that appear to never have occurred.
Tags: campaign finance; Federal Election Commission; Al Sharpton; corruption; hedge funds
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Failed Empire
Jack Kemp, a Buffalo congressman, initiated an enterprise project - the Empire Zone program to revitalize decaying urban areas. As the reporters from the Buffalo News found out the finances allotted for this project was used to provide tax breaks to law firms, fast-food restaurants and other corporations. After this series of articles were published, the speaker of the New York State Assembly proposed changes in the Empire Zone program
Tags: Jack Kemp; Buffalo congressman; Empire Zone program; tax breaks to firms; fraud with funds; New York Assembly
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A lavish lifestyle at teacher's expense.
Reporters from the Miami Herald found the president of the United Teachers of Dade of committing fraud and using corporate funds to finance personal assets. Followed by a FBI investigation on Pat Tornillo, the reporters used their contacts in the FBI to find out how the union leader had evaded taxes and used company finances. Tornillo was later sentenced by the courts.
Tags: Union Teachers of Dade; FBI investigation on Tornillo; Pat Tornillo; Union Leader of teachers of Dade; FOIA; tax evasion; mail fraud
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Conflicts of Interest in the Senate
The LA Times investigates five senators who were lobbying for certain companies and corporations. These companies were funding the senators or their immediate family members. The investigation revealed that all the senators had sons who had recently launched lucrative businesses as consultants for these corporations. Altogether the Times revealed that there were 28 US senators receiving funds form various corporations.
Tags: US senators; US senators and major corporations; funds from corporations; Ted Stevens; Harry Reid; Orrin Hatch; John Breaux; Trent Lott; FOI
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Behind One $42,000 Trip to Asia: The Story of Who Paid the Tab
Roll Call investigates trips to China by members of Congress and who is paying for them. "It appears that both Chinese government funds and funds from a corporate mogul whose business heavily lobbies Congress have indirectly, and legally gone toward paying for such travel."
Tags: Congress; travel; China; lobbyists; foreign governments
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Retirement Wrinkle: Employers Win Big With a Pension Shift; Employees Often Lose
The Journal reports how employees lose pension money while companies profit from a new pension system. "The switch to cash-balance pension plans ... is the biggest development in the pension world for years, so big that some consultants call it revolutionary. Certainly, many call it lucrative; one says such a pension plan ought to be thought of as a profit center. Not since companies dipped into pension funds in the 1980s to finance leveraged buyouts have corporate treasurers been so abuzz over a pension technique."
Tags: finance; employment benefits; banking; Central & South West Corp. (CSW)