Resource Center

Stories

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 "online finance" ...

  • Big Money 2012

    Big Money 2012 is an unprecedented multi-platform project to investigate campaign finance in the post-Citizens United era. Spanning television documentary, radio and online news outlets, this initiative draws on the award-winning talents of some of the best in the industry to dig deep into a story that goes to the foundations of our democracy. FRONTLINE’s pre-election TV broadcast of Big Sky, Big Money in partnership with American Public Media’s Marketplace formed the center of this multiplatform investigation, Big Money 2012, which continued on the radio and on the web. Further coverage of this timely story also continued online as part of ProPublica’s Dark Money series featuring reporting by ProPublica investigative reporter Kim Barker with Rick Young and Emma Schwartz reporting for FRONTLINE. Big Money 2012 tells a tale of money, politics, and intrigue in the remote epicenter of campaign finance, Montana. The investigation led the teams from big sky country—to a meth house in Colorado and to a UPS store in D.C. as they followed a trail of documents. What they find exposes the inner-workings of a dark money group. In all, it’s a unique collaboration a year in the making, which has led to robust journalism with real impact. And, the story is still unfolding.

    Tags: campaign finance; politics; politicians

    By Raney Aronson-Rath along with many from American Public Media’s Marketplace & ProPublica

    PBS Frontline

    2012

  • Scam-At-Home

    A number of online scams are offering work at home opportunities to consumers. In this economic recession, many people are looking for ways to make money and these scams seem to be the perfect way. Some of the major scams are mystery shopping, stuffing envelopes, and rebate processing. The investigation into this story discovered these scams among the many and along the way found the scammers who were running these operations.

    Tags: Internet; employment; finances; con job; credit; wealth; debt; website; Better Business Bureau; Federal Trade Commission

    By Jim Avila; Ann Varney; Ruth Reiss; Bram Harris; Carla Delandri; David Sloan

    ABC News

    2009

  • Cybercrime

    This series provides "one of the first in-depth looks at how the online criminal community operates and how law enforcement moles are used to ensnare them, using sometimes questionable methods that allow many crimes to flourish under the watch of law enforcement agents and go unpunished."

    Tags: cybercrime; online thieves; law enforcement moles; cybercrook; FBI; online finance; data breaches; identity theft; Internet; computer security;

    By Kim Zetter; Kevin Poulsen

    Freelance

    2007

  • Gold Rush

    This story uncovered the tale of cyber-criminals' favorite payment vehicle: e-gold. The story of e-gold -- one of a growing number of obscure, unregulated, Web-based companies issuing their own money, known as "digital currencies" -- shows how cyber-criminals are finding new sources of financial fuel to power their nefarious activities.

    Tags: money; internet; hacking; online crime; finance; economy; scandal; e-gold; cyber criminals; digital currencies

    By Brian Grow;Michael Mandel;John Cady;Susann Rutledge;David Polek

    Business Week

    2005

  • Silent Partners: How political non-profits work the system

    This online story from the Center for Public Integrity looks at the working of the Section 527 Committees. These tax-exempt associations raised and spent almost half-billion dollars in 2003-04. The increase in the fundraising was driven by 53 committees that focus largely on presidential elections.

    Tags: Section 527; nonprofits; presidential campaign; campaign finance; presidential elections; America Coming Together; Media Fund; political non-profits

    By Derek Willis;Aron Pilhofer;Daniel Lathrop

    Center for Public Integrity (Washington, D.C.)

    2004

  • Conseco

    Conseco was charged with using lax lending practices to hide bad loans according to former employees of the company. They also supplied documents to support the accusation. The claims helped bring about the financial ruin of the company due to its use of tricky accounting and other back room deals.

    Tags: finances; corporate ethics; business ethics; accounting; loans; lending; online; CD

    By Peter Eavis

    The Street.Com (New York)

    2002

  • State Secrets: An investigation of political party money in the states

    An campaign finance investigation by the Center for Public Integrity revealed, among other things, that the Democratic and Republican state party committees raised $570 million in the 2000 election cycle and that nearly half -- 46 percent -- of that money came in the form of "soft money" transfers from national party organizations.

    Tags: Republicans; Democrats; campaign finance; 2000; election cycle; soft money; online; CD

    By Mary Jo Sylwester;Leah Rush;John Dunbar;Katy Lewis;Robert Moore

    Center for Public Integrity

    2002

  • Enron Top Brass Accused of Dumping Stock Were Big Political Donors

    The Center for Public Integrity deals with the extensive record of campaign giving by the top directors and executives at Enron. They found that 24 of the company's directors and executives contributed $800,000 to the Bush campaign, members of Congress and others overseeing investigations of the company from 1999-2001. "Perhaps the most important revelation was that former Enron CEO Kenneth Lay had donated $25,000 to Attorney General John Ashcroft when Ashcroft ran for U.S. Senate."

    Tags: Enron; campaign finance; online; CD; Enron's big political donors

    By John Dunbar;Robert Moore;Mary Jo Sylwester

    Center for Public Integrity

    2002