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 "trip" ...

  • Murder, Money and Politics

    A $54.5 million program touted by Illiinois Gov. Pat Quinn to reduce violence consisted of teens handing out fliers to promote inner peace, take field trips to museums, march in a parade with the governor and even attend a yoga class to reduce stress. Two years after the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative began, the murder rate was nearly 20 percent in Chicago.

    Tags: broadcast; violence; stress; neighborhood; murder rate

    By Scott Zamost

    Community

    2012

  • Fiesta Bowl Under Fire; BCS The Money. The Games

    The Republic's investigation resulted in the discovery of violations of state and federal campaign finance laws at the Fiesta Bowl and widespread financial mismanagement, including employees being reimbursed for taking luxurious out-of-town trips and visits to strip clubs.

    Tags: The Republic; State and Federal Campaign Finance Law; Fiesta Bowl; BCS

    By Craig Harris, Dennis Wagner, Pat Flannery, Bill Pliske

    Arizona Republic (Phoenix)

    2011

  • 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

    By Debra Hale-Shelton

    Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock

    2011

  • E-470 Expenses

    After a public records request, KUSA-TV found that toll money covered massages, expensive trips, and stays at luxury hotels for some E-470 staff members and board members.

    Tags: E-470; Public Records

    By Jeremy Jojola, Anna Hewson, Nicole Vap

    KUSA-TV (Denver, CO)

    2011

  • "Fiesta Bowl Under Fire" "BCS The Money. The Games"

    Discovery of violations of state and federal campaign finance laws at the Fiesta Bowl and widespread financial mismanagement, including employees being reimbursed for taking luxurious out-of-town trips and visits to strip clubs. The investigation of the BCS found that public universities lose money playing in BCS games; bowls spend heavily on gifts for schools' top athletic officials; pay for the highest executives at the BCS bowls more than doubled since they reunited in the late 1990s; and three of the top bowls accepted large government subsidies even as their revenue and assets have grown.

    Tags: BCS; Fiesta Bowl; college; football; fraud; financial mismanagement

    By Craig Harris; Dennis Wagner; Pat Flannery; Bill Pliske

    Arizona Republic (Phoenix)

    2011

  • Beneath the Surface of Political Expense

    The Kukmin Daily finds that several lawmakers in South Korea's National Assembly used campaign contributions to fund golf outings, trips to the sauna and even haircuts.

    Tags: South Korea; campaign contributions; greed; campaign finances

    By Seunghoon Jung; Jibang Kim; Dongkwon Chung

    Kukmin Daily

    2011

  • The Fight for Public Records: Pinnacol v. KMGH-TV

    The story documents the seven month legal battle launched by a quasi-state agency against KMGH-TV. This came after the television station planned to disclose records indicating board members within the agency were given all-expense paid trips to the California coast.

    Tags: KMGH-TV; Pinnacol; luxury resort; vacation; legal battle

    By Tony Kovaleski; Tom Burke; Arthur Kane; Jason Foster; Jeff Harris

    KMGH-TV (Denver)

    2010

  • Councilmen on Tourism

    The RBS-TV news crew followed city council members from seven Brazilian states as they attended 6 training courses over 40 days. They found that many of them enjoyed tourist day trips instead of the courses they were supposed to be attending. They also found that the politicians could purchase certificates of completion even when they did not attend the courses.

    Tags: Brazil; city government; city council; fraud; tax dollars; abuse of power;

    By Giovani Grizotti; Ciancarlo Barzi; Jefferson Pacheco; Luciano Luccas; Dimitri Caldeira; Lairssa Bitencourt

    RBS-TV/Globo TV (Brazil)

    2010

  • WESD's Web of Deals

    A 16-month investigation of a regional education service agency showed that employees were charging the district for luxury rental cars, expensive hotels, Starbucks trips, and more as the district was struggling to stay afloat. It also found that numerous red flags raised over the past 10 years had been ignored.

    Tags: education; tax abuse; corruption; county government; oversight

    By Tracy Loew; Michelle Maxwell; Amy Read; Rick Lyons; Matt Garton

    Statesman Journal (Salem, Ore.)

    2010

  • Trip to Nowhere

    On the eve of a vote to raise taxes nearly 10 percent and cut spending, the stories laid out in detail how auto allowances routinely granted to dozens of county officials were not justified by their documented needs. Commissioners, department heads, and 15 of their secretaries and staff were receiving what amounted to bonuses that often exceeded more than 10 times what they could document in obscure but required forms. In a followup story, the county administrator reversed course and said he would study discontinuing auto allowances that exceeded the documented needs for two recently hired county watchdogs who were supposed to guard against waste and abuse. Finally, in a third story, the county acknowledged it had failed to meet states and local requirements to document "typical" mileage before all employees began receiving allowances, and said it would change its policy.

    Tags: Tax; budget cut; finance; documents; fraud; corruption; auto allowances; bonuses; county

    By Charles Elmore; Jennifer Sorentrue; Adam Playford

    Post (Palm Beach, Fla.)

    2010