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 "government 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 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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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
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"Bexar Housing Director Resigns"
This series of stories showed how a housing authority director abused her position. She spent time on personal matters while on the clock, approved mortgage assistance for her daughter-in-law through a program that had yet to be approved and bought a truck for $100 from the authority for her son before the truck could go up for public auction. The reports prompted a housing authority investigation of the director and she later resigned.
Tags: housing authority; watchdog; government; mismanagement
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Treasury Leak Exposed
A Dow Jones investigation reveals that a private consultant has attended supposedly press-only briefings at the Treasury Department and, during the news embargo time set by the Treasury, has told clients that the government is about to cancel bond auctions. The stories report on how the inside and possibly illegal knowledge has "wildly" affected the price of a key government bond well ahead of the news release. The series resulted in tightening up of the Treasury Department's news disseminating policy. The SEC opened an investigation.
Tags: Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); press conferences; finance; interest rates; consumer loans; Golden Sachs
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Losing Signal
"..the advent of the information economy has turned the FCC from a minor D.C. player into one of the government's most powerful agencies. As the de facto czar of the nation's communications infrastructure, the commission now makes daily decisions affecting America's technological destiny-reviewing megamergers like AOL Time Warner union, evaluating the Baby Bells' expansion plans, determining whether cable companies should decide what Web content their Internet customers can view. And no one appreciates the FCC's newfound authority better than the communications industry, whose lobbying expenses now stand at roughly $125 million, more than twice the amount spent by defense firms."
Tags: FCC; lobbying; telecommunications; "Big Media; " broadband; Internet; cable; telephone; radio; broadcast licenses; deregulation; digital transition; telcos; CFIC; Dingell; Tauzin; McCain; Lott; open access; First Amendment; location-based services (LBS); privacy; Digital Democracy; National Association of Broadcasters; NAB; analog spectrum; consolidation; government auction
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Getting Squeezed
This news story reveals the hidden world of dealers-only car auctions where government certified lemons that manufacturers were forced to buy back are distributed to dealers for resale to the public. The story exposes the illegal practice of selling these vehicles without informing customers they are government certified lemons.
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The Cuban Counterfeits
ARTnews finds that a boom in the market for Cuban art has generated an explosion of fakes, which now greatly outnumber the genuine works. An investigation finds that low-level government bureaucrats are aiding the export of fakes from the island.
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Making crime pay
First, the big drug bust gets a baddie off the street. Then Joe Citizen can bid on his trove of gold and cars, tasteless though they may be. Inquirer Magazine looks at auctions of government-seized material.
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Going, Going, Gone
This year-long investigation uncovered companies operating fraudulent "seized property and government" auctions. Dateline learned the companies in question had no ties to the government, despite their advertising. Their merchandise rarely comes from government auctions, instead the companies buy volumes of mass-produced items and sell them as rare, high-quality treasures.
Tags: TAPE