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 "misappropriation of funds" ...
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Gift With Strings Trips UCA President
Investigation of the misappropriation of funds by a former UCA President.
Tags: University of Central Arkansas; Gifts; College; President
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Selling Saint Louis
Investigation of how the Saint Louis region's power brokers are selling Saint Louis to the world, focusing on the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association and its misappropriation of funds. KMOV-TV also uncovered a $360 million taxpayer funded proposal to create China Hub at Lambert International Airport.
Tags: China Hub
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Ohio Attorney General: Price of Corruption
WBNS-TV (Columbus, Ohio) revealed a pattern of corruption inside the state's highest law enforcement office including cronyism, misuse of state funds and property, improper use of campaign funds, ethics violations and cover-up. The reporters found that the Attorney General had used campaign funds to rent a condominium for two of his friends/employees that was later tied to sexual harassment,alleged crimes involving state vehicles and the hub for cronyism. Their reporting revealed that the Attorney General created a "transition fund" as an unregulated 501 c4 non-profit account. Through law enforcement, the station learned that this fund funneled at least $2,000 in inappropriate payments to the Attorney General's friend/employee/condo-mate.
Tags: Ohio Attorney General's Office; corruption; 501 c4 non-profit; cronyism; abuse of public funds; misappropriation of funds; abuse of power
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Corruption in the 2-million-member Service Employees
This investigation of the nation's fastest-growing labor union uncovered corruption in its largest California local as well as questionable financial practices at several affiliated organizations and its national headquarters. The stories revealed that the president of the California chapter - who represented nearly 200,000 working poor people, caregivers making about $9 an hour - had funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars in dues money to himself his relatives, and spent similar sums on golf resorts, expensive restaurants and a Beverly Hills cigar lounge. They also showed that Tyrone Freeman misused two nonprofits for financial gain and political purposes, and that the head of the SEIU's largest Michigan local misappropriated funds from one of the charities. In addition, the stories reported that the SEIU's national office, while holding itself up as a model of reform, paid millions of dollars to consulting firms, nonprofits, and individuals with family ties and other personal connections to the union's top leaders.
Tags: Unions; SEIU; corruption; California; Michigan; Tyrone Freeman
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Robert Felner
Former University of Louisville Dean Robert Felner was involved in a money laundering scheme that led to the misappropriation of $2.3 million in contract and federal grant funds.
Tags: Thomas Schroeder; mail fraud; University of Rhode Island; education; graduate school;
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Ketek
Dr. David Ross, who reviewed the safety of an antibiotic called Ketek for the Food and Drug Administration, tells the CBS Evening News that he warned them the drug was a "timebomb". Yet, the concerns were kept quiet, and the drug was approved, enjoying sales of $193 million worth in 2005. The drug's list of side effects, including possible liver problems, have been added to continuously since 2004. Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) is conducting an investigation into the situation, and there is another congressional investigation of the drug and "possible misappropriation of CIA funding."
Tags: Ketek; antibiotics; side effects; Food and Drug Administration
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Aloha Al Qaeda
This story delves into wasteful spending by the Department of Homeland Security. Among other scenes are outgoing secretary Tom Ridge lounging by the pool at a resort hotel in Hawaii while other staffers swim and snorkel nearby, all on a working day and at taxpayers' expense.
Tags: government waste; war on terror; misappropriation of public funds
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Missing the Target: A flawed plan to protect the homeland
Throughout its counties, California officials deal with the misappropriation of homeland security funding. Some of the smaller counties used the anti-terrorism funding for such minor repairs such as fixing courthouse doors, instead of becoming better prepared for future terrorist attacks. The money, approved by Congress to help officials better prepare for potential terrorist attacks, was distributed to the states following Sept. 11. "The federal government gave money to states ito parcel out in an attempt to get everyone talking about how to prepare for another terror attack. But that level of planning isn't happening."
Tags: terror funding; September 11; Determined Promise '04; homeland security grants
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"City Pensions"
Reporters from KTRK-TV's 13 Undercover unit go behind the scenes to find out the reason for the increased cost of providing pensions for city workers in Houston. What they found was an extravagant misappropriation of funds, illegal gifts to members of Houston Firefighter Pension Board , as well as the Houston Municipal Employees Pension System. Board members were accused of taking trips around the world with their spouses, using money from the workers' pension funds. As a result of their investigation, Houston's mayor notified board appointees of the consequences of illegal gifts, and an investigation has been initiated for one pension board.
Tags: municipal workers; illegal gifts; Houston Firefighter Pension Board; Houston Municipal Employees Pension System
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Build Indiana
The Star reports on misappropriations of money from the Build Indiana Fund, created from gambling proceeds and with the primary objective to pay for capital projects in local communities. The ongoing coverage reveals that Build Indiana has turned into a slush fund that paid for politicians' pet projects. The analysis of a database of cancelled checks and a list of projects has shown that at least $40 million had been spent on projects that were not authorized by the law, personally benefited lawmakers, or did not even exist on paper. The investigation caused the Marion County Prosecutor's Office, the FBI and the State Board of Accounts to launch their own investigation into the spending from the fund.
Tags: state government; budget; construction; legislature; CAR