•
2003 Annual Report
Awards
Awards
Since 1996 the Center has been honored by journalistic organizations 21 times, including six awards
this year for work completed in 2002 and 2003.
Below is the list of those awards:
1996
Society of Professional Journalists
Sigma Delta Chi Award: Public Service in Online
Journalism (Independent)
Fat Cat Hotel: How Democratic High-Rollers are
Rewarded with Overnight Stays at the White House,”
The Public i staff and Margaret Ebrahim
Investigative Reporters and Editors
National Book Award Finalist
“The Buying of the President 1996,” Charles Lewis
1997
Investigative Reporters and Editors
National Book Award Finalist
“Toxic Deception: How the Chemical Industry
Manipulates Science, Bends the Law, and Endangers
Your Health,” Dan Fagin and Marianne Levelle
1998
Investigative Reporters and Editors
National Book Award Finalist
“The Buying of Congress: How Special Interests Have
Stolen Your Right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of
Happiness,” Charles Lewis
1999
Investigative Reporters and Editors
National Book Award
“Animal Underworld: Inside America’s Black Market for
Rare and Exotic Species,” Alan Green
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Online Reporting Award Finalist
“US Support for Tobacco Overseas: Going Out of
Business,” The Public i staff and Maud Beelman
2003
(continued)
2000
2003
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Association of Capital Reporters
and Editors
Online Reporting Award
“Our Private Legislatures — Public Service, Personal Gain,”
Diane Renzulli, Leah Rush, John Dunbar, Alex Knott, Robert
Moore, and Kenneth Vogel
Online News Association and USC
Annenberg School of Communication
First Prize in Enterprise Reporting (Independent Category):
“Well Connected,” a report on the frequent travels of the
FCC and other telecommunications issues, John Dunbar,
Bob Williams, Morgan Jindrich and Scott Singleton
Online Reporting: Public Service In-Depth Reporting
“State Secrets: An Investigation of Political Party Money in
the States,” Mary Jo Sylwester, Leah Rush, John Dunbar,
and Robert Moore
Finalist in General Excellence: The Center for Public Integrity
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Online Reporting Award Finalist
“Money, Influence and Integrity in the 2000 Election Year,”
The Public i staff
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Finalist in Enterprise Reporting (Independent Category):
The Water Barons: How a Few Powerful Companies Are
Privatizing Your Water, ICIJ
Project Censored
National Award: Top 25 Censored News Stories of
2002-2003 [2nd Place Ranking]
“Justice Department Drafts Sweeping Expansion of
Terrorism Act,” Chuck Lewis and Adam Mayle
Finalist in Feature Reporting (Independent Category):
Making a Killing: The Business of War, ICIJ
Society of Professional Journalists
Sigma Delta Chi Award: Public Service in Online
Journalism (Independent)
“Watchdogs on Short Leashes,” Kenneth Vogel and Leah Rush
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Online Reporting Award Finalist
“Tobacco Companies Linked to Criminal Organizations in
Lucrative Cigarette Smuggling,” ICIJ, Maud Beelman, Bill
Birmbauer, Duncan Campbell, William Marsden, Erik Schelzig,
and Leo Sisti
2002
Society of Professional Journalists
Sigma Delta Chi Award: Public Service in Online
Journalism (Independent)
“State Secrets: An Investigation of Political Party Money in the
States,” Mary Jo Sylwester, Leah Rush, John Dunbar, and
Robert Moore
Society of Professional Journalists
Sigma Delta Chi Award: Online Investigative Reporting
(Independent)
”Making a Killing: The Business of War,” ICIJ
Investigative Reporters and Editors
National Book Award
“Capitol Offenders: How Private Interests Govern Our States,”
Diane Renzulli, John Dunbar, Alex Knott, Robert Moore, and
Leah Rush
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Online Reporting Award Finalist
“Enron’s Big Political Donors,” John Dunbar, Robert Moore, and
Mary Jo Sylwester
The Center for Public Integrity
T
he Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonparti-
More importantly, there was evidence in both Washington
san organization supported by foundations and
and the country at large that Center reports made a differ-
individual contributors, was founded in 1989 by
ence: in at least two instances, for example, these investigations spawned changes to the law.
investigative reporter and former 60 Minutes producer
National Book Award Finalist
“The Buying of the President 2000,” Charles Lewis
2001
ANNUAL REPORT
Charles Lewis. Lewis’ idea behind establishing the Center
It was, in short, a banner year.
was quite simple: What needs to be investigated? What has-
funders
n’t been reported? What is significant to our society?
The Center for Public Integrity, which does not
accept contributions from anonymous donors or from
corporations, labor unions, or governments, gratefully
acknowledges the generous support of the following
individuals and foundations that contributed $500
or more in 2003:
William Backer
Robert D. Blain
Jack Block
David Braybrooke
The Carnegie Corporation of New York
Peter and Lucia Case
Charles S. Chapin Charitable Trust
C.S. Fund / Warsh Mott Legacy
The Nathan Cummings Foundation
Russell & Teruko Daniel
Victor Elmaleh
Edith and Henry Everett
Everett Philanthropic Fund
Ford Foundation
Foundation Open Society Institute
James Gleick & Cynthia Crossen
David B. Gold Foundation
Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund
Gunzenhauser-Chapin Fund
Robert Giles
The Lucy Gonda Foundation
Francis Hagan
Linda Hagan-Brandts
Hafif Family Foundation
John Hirschi Donor Advised Fund
Peter E. Homek
Jimmy W. Janacek
The Joyce Foundation
Katz Family Foundation
Kismet Foundation
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Jerry Knoll
Lear Family Foundation
Arthur D. Lipson
Donna Mae Litowitz
The Litowitz Foundation, Inc.
Bevis & Clara Longstreth
The Los Angeles Times Foundation*
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Michael Marston
Robert W. McChesney
McCormick Tribune Foundation
The Giles W. and Elise G. Mead Foundation
Gordon T. Moore
Mostyn Foundation Inc.
Stewart R. Mott Charitable Trust
The John and Florence Newman Foundation
Frances Nyce
Open Society Institute
Park Foundation, Inc.
Dr. Charles Perkins
The Pew Charitable Trusts
Charles Piller
Popplestone Foundation
Princeton Class of 1969
Donavan E. Rasmussen
V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation
Rockefeller Family Fund
Rockefeller Financial Services
Sandler Family Supporting Foundation
Dr. Jonathan & Gail Schorsch
Ben & Karen Sherwood
Fred & Alice Stanback
The Streisand Foundation
Mark S. Thompson
Tides Foundation
Town Creek Foundation
The Whitehead Foundation
Stacey Woodruff
* Matching gift
T HE C ENTER
FOR
P UBLIC I NTEGRITY
910 17th Street, N.W
7th floor
Washington, D.C. 20006
202-466-1300
www.publicintegrity.org
The Center’s work is based on the conviction that the public
has a right to know what its government, public officials, and
corporate leaders are doing. Its mission includes providing
the American people with information—often not available
elsewhere—about how these entities are performing their
duties. By providing thorough, thoughtful, and objective
analyses, the Center serves as an honest broker of information, which in turn leads to a more informed citizenry that
demands a higher level of accountability from its government and elected leaders.
Widely acknowledged as the preeminent online journalistic
enterprise in the United States, the Center does investigative reporting and research on public policy issues in the
United States and around the world. Virtually all of our findings are posted online at www.publicintegrity.org, while
many of our investigations are later published as books or
reports.
During 2003 the Center published more reports, received
more Web site hits, won more awards, and began more
projects than in any previous year. The numbers are telling:
more than 40 investigative reports posted online triggered
nearly 3 million unique visits and more than 75 million hits.
In addition, the Center was cited in some 1,500 print and
broadcast stories around the world.
© KAREN RUCKMAN
The Center for Public Integrity
The Center for Public Integrity
•
2003 Annual Report
“the paul revere of our times….”
“…a nonpartisan watchdog that keeps an eye on
how things really work in our nation’s capital.”
The Village Voice about Chuck Lewis and the Center for Public Integrity
Bill Moyers on Now with Bill Moyers.
Center Projects in 2003
PROJECT: NATIONAL GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY.
This project, which is the core of the Center’s activities,
includes both short-deadline investigations and longer-term
initiatives. Below are some of the stories and reports published by the Government Accountability team during 2003:
■ The Buying of the President
2004 is the third in a series of books
researched, reported, and written by
Center staff on money and politics in
a presidential campaign year. BoP,
as the book is known internally, was
a mammoth undertaking that drew
upon the resources of staff Centerwide. In their research, staffers
uncovered a number of incidents in
which presidential candidates failed
in their fund-raising efforts to meet
the spirit of the law.
■ Windfalls of War: U.S.
Contractors in Iraq and
Afghanistan, perhaps the most
publicized of all the Center reports
this year (Web traffic jumped from
132,000 daily hits to 862,456 hits
the day the report was released),
provided the most comprehensive
list of American contractors working
in those two foreign nations. The
report also showed that these 70plus companies and individuals collectively contributed
more money to the presidential campaigns of George
W. Bush—a little over $500,000—than to any other
politician or presidential campaign over the last dozen
years. Shortly after we issued the report, an official at
the Iraq Infrastructure Reconstruction Office requested
a meeting with the Center to discuss how the office
could perform its duties with more transparency.
■ Justice Department Drafts Sweeping Expansion of
Anti-terrorism Act, which made public a draft of the
secret sequel to the 2001 “Patriot Act,” was the Center’s
scoop of the year. Hours after the so-called Patriot II Act
was posted online, more than 100 Web sites had linked
to the Center; within two weeks, the leaked document
proved to be a magnet for more than 500,000 unique
Web site visits.
■ The Center’s report disclosing that nine members of the
Defense Policy Board have ties to companies that won
huge defense contracts (Advisors of Influence: Nine
Members of the Defense Policy Board Have Ties to
Defense Contractors) attracted enormous attention
from both the public and the media. In fact, the report
triggered so much criticism of former assistant defense
secretary Richard Perle that he resigned his chairmanship of this influential Pentagon advisory board.
■ The Politics of Energy, posted online during the final
days of congressional debate over energy policy, traced
the unprecedented influence that the coal, oil and gas,
and nuclear industries have in Washington. This study
also analyzed the industries’ lobbying, campaign contributions, and policy wish lists and how the Bush administration and Congress have granted those wishes.
PROJECT: GLOBAL ACCESS. Launched in early 2003,
Global Access assesses anti-corruption mechanisms and
accountability in 27 countries. This unprecedented research
has attracted the attention of such organizations as the
United Nations, which is eagerly awaiting the results of the
Center’s new methodology. The Center is leading a team of
international social scientists and investigative journalists,
who are measuring transparency, freedom of the press, and
the rule of law from Nicaragua to Nigeria, from Argentina to
Australia. Along with each country report is the country’s
ranking (in the new Public Integrity Index) as determined by
the project’s access indicator methodology. The report is
scheduled for completion in early 2004. In the future, this
project will be the springboard for more international projects focusing on
corruption.
PROJECT: INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM OF
INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS (ICIJ). This unique network was created in 1997 by the Center to extend its style
of watchdog journalism globally. ICIJ marshals the talents of
nearly 100 of the world’s leading investigative journalists in
almost 50 countries to produce collaborative, multinational
reports on issues that transcend borders, such as organized
crime, political corruption, international security, and environmental degradation. This year the Center published two
important books based on months of research conducted by
ICIJ reporters around the world:
■ The Water Barons: How A Few Powerful Companies
Are Privatizing Your Water shows that since 1990 the
world’s three largest private water utility companies have
expanded into nearly every region of the planet, raising
concerns that a handful of private companies could soon
control a large chunk of this vital natural resource. In
November the project was a finalist for the notable
Online News Award for Enterprise Reporting.
■ Making a Killing: The Business of War, winner of the
prestigious Sigma Delta Chi award for investigative
reporting, shows that at least 90 companies provide
services normally performed by national military forces.
In over 100 countries these companies provide everything from military training to logistics, and even engage
in armed combat. This project also was a finalist for the
Online News Award in the category of Feature Reporting.
These two books have brought worldwide attention and
acclaim to the Center, which in turn has both attracted new
members and motivated existing members to increase their
contributions in support of our work.
PROJECT: HARMFUL ERROR: INVESTIGATING
AMERICA’S LOCAL PROSECUTORS. This three-year
project on prosecutorial misconduct was conducted by a
team of researchers who studied state appellate court opinions throughout the 50 states going back to 1970. They
scrutinized more than 11,000 opinions and found that
judges had ruled in over 2,000 of them that prosecutors’
behavior inside or outside the courtroom prejudiced juries
or judges against the defendants. The report, which ran to
nearly 50,000 words, also documented cases in which
prosecutorial misconduct had played a role in convicting
innocent men and women. Response from both the media
and the general public demonstrated that this project struck
a nerve in the American psyche, and indicates that more
reporting on this subject needs to be done.
the year to come, “Well Connected”
will look into influence at the state
and local government levels.
“Well Connected” received enormous news coverage this year for a
story on the cozy relationship
between FCC officials and staff and
the industries they regulate, with
particular emphasis on industryfinanced travel. Days after release
of this story, Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate
Commerce Committee, introduced legislation addressing the
Center’s findings about privately funded trips taken by FCC
officials. In addition, Representative Frank Wolf, Republican
of Virginia, urged FCC Chairman Michael Powell to request
additional funds so that Commission officials would no
longer have to rely on industry sources to pay for travel—a
request with which Powell complied.
PROJECT: STATE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY.
Various portions of this ongoing project won major journalism awards in 2001 and 2002, and new reports are well on
their way to breaking new ground this year. Hired Guns, the
story of how lobbyists spend vast amounts of money to influence state legislators, was the most comprehensive effort
ever on this subject, while The New Soft Money detailed
how fund raisers use loopholes in all 50 states to raise
money for national and local candidates and showed how
special committees (known as “527s” to the finance
cognoscenti) violate the spirit, and sometimes the letter, of
the law on election fund raising. These unprecedented
reports have attracted a sizable number of readers from
across the country who are interested in lobbying at the
state level.
A complete list of reports follows:
PROJECT: WELL CONNECTED: A SERIES OF
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS ON THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY. This multi-faceted look at telecommunications has revealed and documented the influence of
the industry over officials at the Federal Communications
Commission. The project included an exhaustive database
showing who owns the television and radio stations, as well
as cable-TV and telephone companies, in every American
Zip Code. It also revealed startling new information about
control of broadcast outlets in various markets, industry contributions, and lobbying efforts at the congressional level. In
January:
■ A Most Favored Corporation: Enron Prevailed in Federal,
State Lobbying Efforts 49 Times
■ Phone Funds for Schools, Libraries, Riddled with Fraud
■ Relaxing Media Ownership Rules Conflicts with the
Public’s Right to Know
■ Congressmen Call for Proof of Fraud-Plagued Phone
Fund for School Libraries
■ It’s a Millionaires’ Race: New Financial Disclosure
■ Database Details Assets of 2004 Presidential Candidates
February:
■ The Water Barons: A Handful of Corporations Seek to
Privatize the World’s Water
■ Water and Power: The French Connection
■ Metered to Death: How a Water Experiment Caused Riots
and a Cholera Epidemic
■ The ‘Aguas’ Tango: Cashing in on Buenos Aires’
Privatization
■ Loaves, Fishes and Dirty Dishes: Manila’s Privatized
Water Can’t Handle the Pressure
■ Justice Dept. Drafts Sweeping Expansion of AntiTerrorism Act
■ Water and Politics in the fall of Suharto
■ A Tale of Two Cities
■ Low Rates, Needed Repairs Lure ‘Big Water’ to Uncle
Sam’s Plumbing
■ Even in Wartime, Stealth and Democracy Do Not Mix
■ Hard Water: The Uphill Campaign to Privatize Canada’s
Waterworks
■ The Big Pond Down Under
■ The FCC’s Rapidly Revolving Door
March:
■ Gore Spent Recount Money in Primary States Before
Bowing Out
■ Advisors of Influence: Nine Members of the Defense
Policy Board Have Ties to Defense Contractors
■ The Clinton Top 100: Where Are They Now?
April:
■ Privatizing Water: What the European Commission
Doesn’t Want You to Know
■ FCC Makes New Rules to Reform Troubled Program
May
■ Kerry Carries Water for Top Donor
■ Hired Guns: Lobbyists Spend Loads of Money to Influence
Legislators
■ Cigarette Company Documents Outline Strategy to Derail
Global Tobacco Treaty
■ Well Connected: FCC and Industry Maintain Cozy
Relationship on Many Levels
■ Behind Closed Doors: Top Broadcasters Met 71 Times
with FCC Officials
June
■ Bill Would Eliminate Industry-Sponsored Travel for FCC
■ The FCC’s Strange Nonprofit: FCC Chairman Michael
Powell Runs Venture Capital Firm That Claims It’s Private
■ Harmful Error: Investigating America’s Local Prosecutors
July
■ Trading in Favors: Soft Money Documents Imply Quid Pro
Quo between Donors and Politicians
■ Buying Influence: So-called 527 Committees Spend
Millions on Elections with Little Oversight or Accountability
September
■ FCC Plans to Nix Industry-Paid Travel
■ Silent Partners: How Political Nonprofits Work the System
October
■ Big Radio Rules in Small Markets
■ Prepaid Profit Plan for Wireless Companies: Top Firms
Have Banked $629 million for Services Not Yet Offered
■ Windfalls of War: U.S. Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq
November
■ The Politics of Energy: Coal
December
■ 527s Raised $29 million So Far in 2003
■ The Politics of Energy: Nuclear Power
■ The Politics of Energy: Oil & Gas
Web site Activity:
In 2003, our site had nearly three million unique visits and
over 75 million hits. Reader feedback has been on the rise,
with the public sending us over 3,500 e-mails this year
about our reports and investigations. The Center currently
has 10,209 listserv subscribers with an increase of 4,200
this year alone.
The Center for Public Integrity
•
2003 Annual Report
“the paul revere of our times….”
“…a nonpartisan watchdog that keeps an eye on
how things really work in our nation’s capital.”
The Village Voice about Chuck Lewis and the Center for Public Integrity
Bill Moyers on Now with Bill Moyers.
Center Projects in 2003
PROJECT: NATIONAL GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY.
This project, which is the core of the Center’s activities,
includes both short-deadline investigations and longer-term
initiatives. Below are some of the stories and reports published by the Government Accountability team during 2003:
■ The Buying of the President
2004 is the third in a series of books
researched, reported, and written by
Center staff on money and politics in
a presidential campaign year. BoP,
as the book is known internally, was
a mammoth undertaking that drew
upon the resources of staff Centerwide. In their research, staffers
uncovered a number of incidents in
which presidential candidates failed
in their fund-raising efforts to meet
the spirit of the law.
■ Windfalls of War: U.S.
Contractors in Iraq and
Afghanistan, perhaps the most
publicized of all the Center reports
this year (Web traffic jumped from
132,000 daily hits to 862,456 hits
the day the report was released),
provided the most comprehensive
list of American contractors working
in those two foreign nations. The
report also showed that these 70plus companies and individuals collectively contributed
more money to the presidential campaigns of George
W. Bush—a little over $500,000—than to any other
politician or presidential campaign over the last dozen
years. Shortly after we issued the report, an official at
the Iraq Infrastructure Reconstruction Office requested
a meeting with the Center to discuss how the office
could perform its duties with more transparency.
■ Justice Department Drafts Sweeping Expansion of
Anti-terrorism Act, which made public a draft of the
secret sequel to the 2001 “Patriot Act,” was the Center’s
scoop of the year. Hours after the so-called Patriot II Act
was posted online, more than 100 Web sites had linked
to the Center; within two weeks, the leaked document
proved to be a magnet for more than 500,000 unique
Web site visits.
■ The Center’s report disclosing that nine members of the
Defense Policy Board have ties to companies that won
huge defense contracts (Advisors of Influence: Nine
Members of the Defense Policy Board Have Ties to
Defense Contractors) attracted enormous attention
from both the public and the media. In fact, the report
triggered so much criticism of former assistant defense
secretary Richard Perle that he resigned his chairmanship of this influential Pentagon advisory board.
■ The Politics of Energy, posted online during the final
days of congressional debate over energy policy, traced
the unprecedented influence that the coal, oil and gas,
and nuclear industries have in Washington. This study
also analyzed the industries’ lobbying, campaign contributions, and policy wish lists and how the Bush administration and Congress have granted those wishes.
PROJECT: GLOBAL ACCESS. Launched in early 2003,
Global Access assesses anti-corruption mechanisms and
accountability in 27 countries. This unprecedented research
has attracted the attention of such organizations as the
United Nations, which is eagerly awaiting the results of the
Center’s new methodology. The Center is leading a team of
international social scientists and investigative journalists,
who are measuring transparency, freedom of the press, and
the rule of law from Nicaragua to Nigeria, from Argentina to
Australia. Along with each country report is the country’s
ranking (in the new Public Integrity Index) as determined by
the project’s access indicator methodology. The report is
scheduled for completion in early 2004. In the future, this
project will be the springboard for more international projects focusing on
corruption.
PROJECT: INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM OF
INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS (ICIJ). This unique network was created in 1997 by the Center to extend its style
of watchdog journalism globally. ICIJ marshals the talents of
nearly 100 of the world’s leading investigative journalists in
almost 50 countries to produce collaborative, multinational
reports on issues that transcend borders, such as organized
crime, political corruption, international security, and environmental degradation. This year the Center published two
important books based on months of research conducted by
ICIJ reporters around the world:
■ The Water Barons: How A Few Powerful Companies
Are Privatizing Your Water shows that since 1990 the
world’s three largest private water utility companies have
expanded into nearly every region of the planet, raising
concerns that a handful of private companies could soon
control a large chunk of this vital natural resource. In
November the project was a finalist for the notable
Online News Award for Enterprise Reporting.
■ Making a Killing: The Business of War, winner of the
prestigious Sigma Delta Chi award for investigative
reporting, shows that at least 90 companies provide
services normally performed by national military forces.
In over 100 countries these companies provide everything from military training to logistics, and even engage
in armed combat. This project also was a finalist for the
Online News Award in the category of Feature Reporting.
These two books have brought worldwide attention and
acclaim to the Center, which in turn has both attracted new
members and motivated existing members to increase their
contributions in support of our work.
PROJECT: HARMFUL ERROR: INVESTIGATING
AMERICA’S LOCAL PROSECUTORS. This three-year
project on prosecutorial misconduct was conducted by a
team of researchers who studied state appellate court opinions throughout the 50 states going back to 1970. They
scrutinized more than 11,000 opinions and found that
judges had ruled in over 2,000 of them that prosecutors’
behavior inside or outside the courtroom prejudiced juries
or judges against the defendants. The report, which ran to
nearly 50,000 words, also documented cases in which
prosecutorial misconduct had played a role in convicting
innocent men and women. Response from both the media
and the general public demonstrated that this project struck
a nerve in the American psyche, and indicates that more
reporting on this subject needs to be done.
the year to come, “Well Connected”
will look into influence at the state
and local government levels.
“Well Connected” received enormous news coverage this year for a
story on the cozy relationship
between FCC officials and staff and
the industries they regulate, with
particular emphasis on industryfinanced travel. Days after release
of this story, Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate
Commerce Committee, introduced legislation addressing the
Center’s findings about privately funded trips taken by FCC
officials. In addition, Representative Frank Wolf, Republican
of Virginia, urged FCC Chairman Michael Powell to request
additional funds so that Commission officials would no
longer have to rely on industry sources to pay for travel—a
request with which Powell complied.
PROJECT: STATE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY.
Various portions of this ongoing project won major journalism awards in 2001 and 2002, and new reports are well on
their way to breaking new ground this year. Hired Guns, the
story of how lobbyists spend vast amounts of money to influence state legislators, was the most comprehensive effort
ever on this subject, while The New Soft Money detailed
how fund raisers use loopholes in all 50 states to raise
money for national and local candidates and showed how
special committees (known as “527s” to the finance
cognoscenti) violate the spirit, and sometimes the letter, of
the law on election fund raising. These unprecedented
reports have attracted a sizable number of readers from
across the country who are interested in lobbying at the
state level.
A complete list of reports follows:
PROJECT: WELL CONNECTED: A SERIES OF
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS ON THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY. This multi-faceted look at telecommunications has revealed and documented the influence of
the industry over officials at the Federal Communications
Commission. The project included an exhaustive database
showing who owns the television and radio stations, as well
as cable-TV and telephone companies, in every American
Zip Code. It also revealed startling new information about
control of broadcast outlets in various markets, industry contributions, and lobbying efforts at the congressional level. In
January:
■ A Most Favored Corporation: Enron Prevailed in Federal,
State Lobbying Efforts 49 Times
■ Phone Funds for Schools, Libraries, Riddled with Fraud
■ Relaxing Media Ownership Rules Conflicts with the
Public’s Right to Know
■ Congressmen Call for Proof of Fraud-Plagued Phone
Fund for School Libraries
■ It’s a Millionaires’ Race: New Financial Disclosure
■ Database Details Assets of 2004 Presidential Candidates
February:
■ The Water Barons: A Handful of Corporations Seek to
Privatize the World’s Water
■ Water and Power: The French Connection
■ Metered to Death: How a Water Experiment Caused Riots
and a Cholera Epidemic
■ The ‘Aguas’ Tango: Cashing in on Buenos Aires’
Privatization
■ Loaves, Fishes and Dirty Dishes: Manila’s Privatized
Water Can’t Handle the Pressure
■ Justice Dept. Drafts Sweeping Expansion of AntiTerrorism Act
■ Water and Politics in the fall of Suharto
■ A Tale of Two Cities
■ Low Rates, Needed Repairs Lure ‘Big Water’ to Uncle
Sam’s Plumbing
■ Even in Wartime, Stealth and Democracy Do Not Mix
■ Hard Water: The Uphill Campaign to Privatize Canada’s
Waterworks
■ The Big Pond Down Under
■ The FCC’s Rapidly Revolving Door
March:
■ Gore Spent Recount Money in Primary States Before
Bowing Out
■ Advisors of Influence: Nine Members of the Defense
Policy Board Have Ties to Defense Contractors
■ The Clinton Top 100: Where Are They Now?
April:
■ Privatizing Water: What the European Commission
Doesn’t Want You to Know
■ FCC Makes New Rules to Reform Troubled Program
May
■ Kerry Carries Water for Top Donor
■ Hired Guns: Lobbyists Spend Loads of Money to Influence
Legislators
■ Cigarette Company Documents Outline Strategy to Derail
Global Tobacco Treaty
■ Well Connected: FCC and Industry Maintain Cozy
Relationship on Many Levels
■ Behind Closed Doors: Top Broadcasters Met 71 Times
with FCC Officials
June
■ Bill Would Eliminate Industry-Sponsored Travel for FCC
■ The FCC’s Strange Nonprofit: FCC Chairman Michael
Powell Runs Venture Capital Firm That Claims It’s Private
■ Harmful Error: Investigating America’s Local Prosecutors
July
■ Trading in Favors: Soft Money Documents Imply Quid Pro
Quo between Donors and Politicians
■ Buying Influence: So-called 527 Committees Spend
Millions on Elections with Little Oversight or Accountability
September
■ FCC Plans to Nix Industry-Paid Travel
■ Silent Partners: How Political Nonprofits Work the System
October
■ Big Radio Rules in Small Markets
■ Prepaid Profit Plan for Wireless Companies: Top Firms
Have Banked $629 million for Services Not Yet Offered
■ Windfalls of War: U.S. Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq
November
■ The Politics of Energy: Coal
December
■ 527s Raised $29 million So Far in 2003
■ The Politics of Energy: Nuclear Power
■ The Politics of Energy: Oil & Gas
Web site Activity:
In 2003, our site had nearly three million unique visits and
over 75 million hits. Reader feedback has been on the rise,
with the public sending us over 3,500 e-mails this year
about our reports and investigations. The Center currently
has 10,209 listserv subscribers with an increase of 4,200
this year alone.
The Center for Public Integrity
•
2003 Annual Report
“the paul revere of our times….”
“…a nonpartisan watchdog that keeps an eye on
how things really work in our nation’s capital.”
The Village Voice about Chuck Lewis and the Center for Public Integrity
Bill Moyers on Now with Bill Moyers.
Center Projects in 2003
PROJECT: NATIONAL GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY.
This project, which is the core of the Center’s activities,
includes both short-deadline investigations and longer-term
initiatives. Below are some of the stories and reports published by the Government Accountability team during 2003:
■ The Buying of the President
2004 is the third in a series of books
researched, reported, and written by
Center staff on money and politics in
a presidential campaign year. BoP,
as the book is known internally, was
a mammoth undertaking that drew
upon the resources of staff Centerwide. In their research, staffers
uncovered a number of incidents in
which presidential candidates failed
in their fund-raising efforts to meet
the spirit of the law.
■ Windfalls of War: U.S.
Contractors in Iraq and
Afghanistan, perhaps the most
publicized of all the Center reports
this year (Web traffic jumped from
132,000 daily hits to 862,456 hits
the day the report was released),
provided the most comprehensive
list of American contractors working
in those two foreign nations. The
report also showed that these 70plus companies and individuals collectively contributed
more money to the presidential campaigns of George
W. Bush—a little over $500,000—than to any other
politician or presidential campaign over the last dozen
years. Shortly after we issued the report, an official at
the Iraq Infrastructure Reconstruction Office requested
a meeting with the Center to discuss how the office
could perform its duties with more transparency.
■ Justice Department Drafts Sweeping Expansion of
Anti-terrorism Act, which made public a draft of the
secret sequel to the 2001 “Patriot Act,” was the Center’s
scoop of the year. Hours after the so-called Patriot II Act
was posted online, more than 100 Web sites had linked
to the Center; within two weeks, the leaked document
proved to be a magnet for more than 500,000 unique
Web site visits.
■ The Center’s report disclosing that nine members of the
Defense Policy Board have ties to companies that won
huge defense contracts (Advisors of Influence: Nine
Members of the Defense Policy Board Have Ties to
Defense Contractors) attracted enormous attention
from both the public and the media. In fact, the report
triggered so much criticism of former assistant defense
secretary Richard Perle that he resigned his chairmanship of this influential Pentagon advisory board.
■ The Politics of Energy, posted online during the final
days of congressional debate over energy policy, traced
the unprecedented influence that the coal, oil and gas,
and nuclear industries have in Washington. This study
also analyzed the industries’ lobbying, campaign contributions, and policy wish lists and how the Bush administration and Congress have granted those wishes.
PROJECT: GLOBAL ACCESS. Launched in early 2003,
Global Access assesses anti-corruption mechanisms and
accountability in 27 countries. This unprecedented research
has attracted the attention of such organizations as the
United Nations, which is eagerly awaiting the results of the
Center’s new methodology. The Center is leading a team of
international social scientists and investigative journalists,
who are measuring transparency, freedom of the press, and
the rule of law from Nicaragua to Nigeria, from Argentina to
Australia. Along with each country report is the country’s
ranking (in the new Public Integrity Index) as determined by
the project’s access indicator methodology. The report is
scheduled for completion in early 2004. In the future, this
project will be the springboard for more international projects focusing on
corruption.
PROJECT: INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM OF
INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS (ICIJ). This unique network was created in 1997 by the Center to extend its style
of watchdog journalism globally. ICIJ marshals the talents of
nearly 100 of the world’s leading investigative journalists in
almost 50 countries to produce collaborative, multinational
reports on issues that transcend borders, such as organized
crime, political corruption, international security, and environmental degradation. This year the Center published two
important books based on months of research conducted by
ICIJ reporters around the world:
■ The Water Barons: How A Few Powerful Companies
Are Privatizing Your Water shows that since 1990 the
world’s three largest private water utility companies have
expanded into nearly every region of the planet, raising
concerns that a handful of private companies could soon
control a large chunk of this vital natural resource. In
November the project was a finalist for the notable
Online News Award for Enterprise Reporting.
■ Making a Killing: The Business of War, winner of the
prestigious Sigma Delta Chi award for investigative
reporting, shows that at least 90 companies provide
services normally performed by national military forces.
In over 100 countries these companies provide everything from military training to logistics, and even engage
in armed combat. This project also was a finalist for the
Online News Award in the category of Feature Reporting.
These two books have brought worldwide attention and
acclaim to the Center, which in turn has both attracted new
members and motivated existing members to increase their
contributions in support of our work.
PROJECT: HARMFUL ERROR: INVESTIGATING
AMERICA’S LOCAL PROSECUTORS. This three-year
project on prosecutorial misconduct was conducted by a
team of researchers who studied state appellate court opinions throughout the 50 states going back to 1970. They
scrutinized more than 11,000 opinions and found that
judges had ruled in over 2,000 of them that prosecutors’
behavior inside or outside the courtroom prejudiced juries
or judges against the defendants. The report, which ran to
nearly 50,000 words, also documented cases in which
prosecutorial misconduct had played a role in convicting
innocent men and women. Response from both the media
and the general public demonstrated that this project struck
a nerve in the American psyche, and indicates that more
reporting on this subject needs to be done.
the year to come, “Well Connected”
will look into influence at the state
and local government levels.
“Well Connected” received enormous news coverage this year for a
story on the cozy relationship
between FCC officials and staff and
the industries they regulate, with
particular emphasis on industryfinanced travel. Days after release
of this story, Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate
Commerce Committee, introduced legislation addressing the
Center’s findings about privately funded trips taken by FCC
officials. In addition, Representative Frank Wolf, Republican
of Virginia, urged FCC Chairman Michael Powell to request
additional funds so that Commission officials would no
longer have to rely on industry sources to pay for travel—a
request with which Powell complied.
PROJECT: STATE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY.
Various portions of this ongoing project won major journalism awards in 2001 and 2002, and new reports are well on
their way to breaking new ground this year. Hired Guns, the
story of how lobbyists spend vast amounts of money to influence state legislators, was the most comprehensive effort
ever on this subject, while The New Soft Money detailed
how fund raisers use loopholes in all 50 states to raise
money for national and local candidates and showed how
special committees (known as “527s” to the finance
cognoscenti) violate the spirit, and sometimes the letter, of
the law on election fund raising. These unprecedented
reports have attracted a sizable number of readers from
across the country who are interested in lobbying at the
state level.
A complete list of reports follows:
PROJECT: WELL CONNECTED: A SERIES OF
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS ON THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY. This multi-faceted look at telecommunications has revealed and documented the influence of
the industry over officials at the Federal Communications
Commission. The project included an exhaustive database
showing who owns the television and radio stations, as well
as cable-TV and telephone companies, in every American
Zip Code. It also revealed startling new information about
control of broadcast outlets in various markets, industry contributions, and lobbying efforts at the congressional level. In
January:
■ A Most Favored Corporation: Enron Prevailed in Federal,
State Lobbying Efforts 49 Times
■ Phone Funds for Schools, Libraries, Riddled with Fraud
■ Relaxing Media Ownership Rules Conflicts with the
Public’s Right to Know
■ Congressmen Call for Proof of Fraud-Plagued Phone
Fund for School Libraries
■ It’s a Millionaires’ Race: New Financial Disclosure
■ Database Details Assets of 2004 Presidential Candidates
February:
■ The Water Barons: A Handful of Corporations Seek to
Privatize the World’s Water
■ Water and Power: The French Connection
■ Metered to Death: How a Water Experiment Caused Riots
and a Cholera Epidemic
■ The ‘Aguas’ Tango: Cashing in on Buenos Aires’
Privatization
■ Loaves, Fishes and Dirty Dishes: Manila’s Privatized
Water Can’t Handle the Pressure
■ Justice Dept. Drafts Sweeping Expansion of AntiTerrorism Act
■ Water and Politics in the fall of Suharto
■ A Tale of Two Cities
■ Low Rates, Needed Repairs Lure ‘Big Water’ to Uncle
Sam’s Plumbing
■ Even in Wartime, Stealth and Democracy Do Not Mix
■ Hard Water: The Uphill Campaign to Privatize Canada’s
Waterworks
■ The Big Pond Down Under
■ The FCC’s Rapidly Revolving Door
March:
■ Gore Spent Recount Money in Primary States Before
Bowing Out
■ Advisors of Influence: Nine Members of the Defense
Policy Board Have Ties to Defense Contractors
■ The Clinton Top 100: Where Are They Now?
April:
■ Privatizing Water: What the European Commission
Doesn’t Want You to Know
■ FCC Makes New Rules to Reform Troubled Program
May
■ Kerry Carries Water for Top Donor
■ Hired Guns: Lobbyists Spend Loads of Money to Influence
Legislators
■ Cigarette Company Documents Outline Strategy to Derail
Global Tobacco Treaty
■ Well Connected: FCC and Industry Maintain Cozy
Relationship on Many Levels
■ Behind Closed Doors: Top Broadcasters Met 71 Times
with FCC Officials
June
■ Bill Would Eliminate Industry-Sponsored Travel for FCC
■ The FCC’s Strange Nonprofit: FCC Chairman Michael
Powell Runs Venture Capital Firm That Claims It’s Private
■ Harmful Error: Investigating America’s Local Prosecutors
July
■ Trading in Favors: Soft Money Documents Imply Quid Pro
Quo between Donors and Politicians
■ Buying Influence: So-called 527 Committees Spend
Millions on Elections with Little Oversight or Accountability
September
■ FCC Plans to Nix Industry-Paid Travel
■ Silent Partners: How Political Nonprofits Work the System
October
■ Big Radio Rules in Small Markets
■ Prepaid Profit Plan for Wireless Companies: Top Firms
Have Banked $629 million for Services Not Yet Offered
■ Windfalls of War: U.S. Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq
November
■ The Politics of Energy: Coal
December
■ 527s Raised $29 million So Far in 2003
■ The Politics of Energy: Nuclear Power
■ The Politics of Energy: Oil & Gas
Web site Activity:
In 2003, our site had nearly three million unique visits and
over 75 million hits. Reader feedback has been on the rise,
with the public sending us over 3,500 e-mails this year
about our reports and investigations. The Center currently
has 10,209 listserv subscribers with an increase of 4,200
this year alone.
•
2003 Annual Report
Awards
Awards
Since 1996 the Center has been honored by journalistic organizations 21 times, including six awards
this year for work completed in 2002 and 2003.
Below is the list of those awards:
1996
Society of Professional Journalists
Sigma Delta Chi Award: Public Service in Online
Journalism (Independent)
Fat Cat Hotel: How Democratic High-Rollers are
Rewarded with Overnight Stays at the White House,”
The Public i staff and Margaret Ebrahim
Investigative Reporters and Editors
National Book Award Finalist
“The Buying of the President 1996,” Charles Lewis
1997
Investigative Reporters and Editors
National Book Award Finalist
“Toxic Deception: How the Chemical Industry
Manipulates Science, Bends the Law, and Endangers
Your Health,” Dan Fagin and Marianne Levelle
1998
Investigative Reporters and Editors
National Book Award Finalist
“The Buying of Congress: How Special Interests Have
Stolen Your Right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of
Happiness,” Charles Lewis
1999
Investigative Reporters and Editors
National Book Award
“Animal Underworld: Inside America’s Black Market for
Rare and Exotic Species,” Alan Green
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Online Reporting Award Finalist
“US Support for Tobacco Overseas: Going Out of
Business,” The Public i staff and Maud Beelman
2003
(continued)
2000
2003
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Association of Capital Reporters
and Editors
Online Reporting Award
“Our Private Legislatures — Public Service, Personal Gain,”
Diane Renzulli, Leah Rush, John Dunbar, Alex Knott, Robert
Moore, and Kenneth Vogel
Online News Association and USC
Annenberg School of Communication
First Prize in Enterprise Reporting (Independent Category):
“Well Connected,” a report on the frequent travels of the
FCC and other telecommunications issues, John Dunbar,
Bob Williams, Morgan Jindrich and Scott Singleton
Online Reporting: Public Service In-Depth Reporting
“State Secrets: An Investigation of Political Party Money in
the States,” Mary Jo Sylwester, Leah Rush, John Dunbar,
and Robert Moore
Finalist in General Excellence: The Center for Public Integrity
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Online Reporting Award Finalist
“Money, Influence and Integrity in the 2000 Election Year,”
The Public i staff
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Finalist in Enterprise Reporting (Independent Category):
The Water Barons: How a Few Powerful Companies Are
Privatizing Your Water, ICIJ
Project Censored
National Award: Top 25 Censored News Stories of
2002-2003 [2nd Place Ranking]
“Justice Department Drafts Sweeping Expansion of
Terrorism Act,” Chuck Lewis and Adam Mayle
Finalist in Feature Reporting (Independent Category):
Making a Killing: The Business of War, ICIJ
Society of Professional Journalists
Sigma Delta Chi Award: Public Service in Online
Journalism (Independent)
“Watchdogs on Short Leashes,” Kenneth Vogel and Leah Rush
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Online Reporting Award Finalist
“Tobacco Companies Linked to Criminal Organizations in
Lucrative Cigarette Smuggling,” ICIJ, Maud Beelman, Bill
Birmbauer, Duncan Campbell, William Marsden, Erik Schelzig,
and Leo Sisti
2002
Society of Professional Journalists
Sigma Delta Chi Award: Public Service in Online
Journalism (Independent)
“State Secrets: An Investigation of Political Party Money in the
States,” Mary Jo Sylwester, Leah Rush, John Dunbar, and
Robert Moore
Society of Professional Journalists
Sigma Delta Chi Award: Online Investigative Reporting
(Independent)
”Making a Killing: The Business of War,” ICIJ
Investigative Reporters and Editors
National Book Award
“Capitol Offenders: How Private Interests Govern Our States,”
Diane Renzulli, John Dunbar, Alex Knott, Robert Moore, and
Leah Rush
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Online Reporting Award Finalist
“Enron’s Big Political Donors,” John Dunbar, Robert Moore, and
Mary Jo Sylwester
The Center for Public Integrity
T
he Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonparti-
More importantly, there was evidence in both Washington
san organization supported by foundations and
and the country at large that Center reports made a differ-
individual contributors, was founded in 1989 by
ence: in at least two instances, for example, these investigations spawned changes to the law.
investigative reporter and former 60 Minutes producer
National Book Award Finalist
“The Buying of the President 2000,” Charles Lewis
2001
ANNUAL REPORT
Charles Lewis. Lewis’ idea behind establishing the Center
It was, in short, a banner year.
was quite simple: What needs to be investigated? What has-
funders
n’t been reported? What is significant to our society?
The Center for Public Integrity, which does not
accept contributions from anonymous donors or from
corporations, labor unions, or governments, gratefully
acknowledges the generous support of the following
individuals and foundations that contributed $500
or more in 2003:
William Backer
Robert D. Blain
Jack Block
David Braybrooke
The Carnegie Corporation of New York
Peter and Lucia Case
Charles S. Chapin Charitable Trust
C.S. Fund / Warsh Mott Legacy
The Nathan Cummings Foundation
Russell & Teruko Daniel
Victor Elmaleh
Edith and Henry Everett
Everett Philanthropic Fund
Ford Foundation
Foundation Open Society Institute
James Gleick & Cynthia Crossen
David B. Gold Foundation
Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund
Gunzenhauser-Chapin Fund
Robert Giles
The Lucy Gonda Foundation
Francis Hagan
Linda Hagan-Brandts
Hafif Family Foundation
John Hirschi Donor Advised Fund
Peter E. Homek
Jimmy W. Janacek
The Joyce Foundation
Katz Family Foundation
Kismet Foundation
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Jerry Knoll
Lear Family Foundation
Arthur D. Lipson
Donna Mae Litowitz
The Litowitz Foundation, Inc.
Bevis & Clara Longstreth
The Los Angeles Times Foundation*
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Michael Marston
Robert W. McChesney
McCormick Tribune Foundation
The Giles W. and Elise G. Mead Foundation
Gordon T. Moore
Mostyn Foundation Inc.
Stewart R. Mott Charitable Trust
The John and Florence Newman Foundation
Frances Nyce
Open Society Institute
Park Foundation, Inc.
Dr. Charles Perkins
The Pew Charitable Trusts
Charles Piller
Popplestone Foundation
Princeton Class of 1969
Donavan E. Rasmussen
V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation
Rockefeller Family Fund
Rockefeller Financial Services
Sandler Family Supporting Foundation
Dr. Jonathan & Gail Schorsch
Ben & Karen Sherwood
Fred & Alice Stanback
The Streisand Foundation
Mark S. Thompson
Tides Foundation
Town Creek Foundation
The Whitehead Foundation
Stacey Woodruff
* Matching gift
T HE C ENTER
FOR
P UBLIC I NTEGRITY
910 17th Street, N.W
7th floor
Washington, D.C. 20006
202-466-1300
www.publicintegrity.org
The Center’s work is based on the conviction that the public
has a right to know what its government, public officials, and
corporate leaders are doing. Its mission includes providing
the American people with information—often not available
elsewhere—about how these entities are performing their
duties. By providing thorough, thoughtful, and objective
analyses, the Center serves as an honest broker of information, which in turn leads to a more informed citizenry that
demands a higher level of accountability from its government and elected leaders.
Widely acknowledged as the preeminent online journalistic
enterprise in the United States, the Center does investigative reporting and research on public policy issues in the
United States and around the world. Virtually all of our findings are posted online at www.publicintegrity.org, while
many of our investigations are later published as books or
reports.
During 2003 the Center published more reports, received
more Web site hits, won more awards, and began more
projects than in any previous year. The numbers are telling:
more than 40 investigative reports posted online triggered
nearly 3 million unique visits and more than 75 million hits.
In addition, the Center was cited in some 1,500 print and
broadcast stories around the world.
© KAREN RUCKMAN
The Center for Public Integrity
•
2003 Annual Report
Awards
Awards
Since 1996 the Center has been honored by journalistic organizations 21 times, including six awards
this year for work completed in 2002 and 2003.
Below is the list of those awards:
1996
Society of Professional Journalists
Sigma Delta Chi Award: Public Service in Online
Journalism (Independent)
Fat Cat Hotel: How Democratic High-Rollers are
Rewarded with Overnight Stays at the White House,”
The Public i staff and Margaret Ebrahim
Investigative Reporters and Editors
National Book Award Finalist
“The Buying of the President 1996,” Charles Lewis
1997
Investigative Reporters and Editors
National Book Award Finalist
“Toxic Deception: How the Chemical Industry
Manipulates Science, Bends the Law, and Endangers
Your Health,” Dan Fagin and Marianne Levelle
1998
Investigative Reporters and Editors
National Book Award Finalist
“The Buying of Congress: How Special Interests Have
Stolen Your Right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of
Happiness,” Charles Lewis
1999
Investigative Reporters and Editors
National Book Award
“Animal Underworld: Inside America’s Black Market for
Rare and Exotic Species,” Alan Green
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Online Reporting Award Finalist
“US Support for Tobacco Overseas: Going Out of
Business,” The Public i staff and Maud Beelman
2003
(continued)
2000
2003
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Association of Capital Reporters
and Editors
Online Reporting Award
“Our Private Legislatures — Public Service, Personal Gain,”
Diane Renzulli, Leah Rush, John Dunbar, Alex Knott, Robert
Moore, and Kenneth Vogel
Online News Association and USC
Annenberg School of Communication
First Prize in Enterprise Reporting (Independent Category):
“Well Connected,” a report on the frequent travels of the
FCC and other telecommunications issues, John Dunbar,
Bob Williams, Morgan Jindrich and Scott Singleton
Online Reporting: Public Service In-Depth Reporting
“State Secrets: An Investigation of Political Party Money in
the States,” Mary Jo Sylwester, Leah Rush, John Dunbar,
and Robert Moore
Finalist in General Excellence: The Center for Public Integrity
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Online Reporting Award Finalist
“Money, Influence and Integrity in the 2000 Election Year,”
The Public i staff
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Finalist in Enterprise Reporting (Independent Category):
The Water Barons: How a Few Powerful Companies Are
Privatizing Your Water, ICIJ
Project Censored
National Award: Top 25 Censored News Stories of
2002-2003 [2nd Place Ranking]
“Justice Department Drafts Sweeping Expansion of
Terrorism Act,” Chuck Lewis and Adam Mayle
Finalist in Feature Reporting (Independent Category):
Making a Killing: The Business of War, ICIJ
Society of Professional Journalists
Sigma Delta Chi Award: Public Service in Online
Journalism (Independent)
“Watchdogs on Short Leashes,” Kenneth Vogel and Leah Rush
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Online Reporting Award Finalist
“Tobacco Companies Linked to Criminal Organizations in
Lucrative Cigarette Smuggling,” ICIJ, Maud Beelman, Bill
Birmbauer, Duncan Campbell, William Marsden, Erik Schelzig,
and Leo Sisti
2002
Society of Professional Journalists
Sigma Delta Chi Award: Public Service in Online
Journalism (Independent)
“State Secrets: An Investigation of Political Party Money in the
States,” Mary Jo Sylwester, Leah Rush, John Dunbar, and
Robert Moore
Society of Professional Journalists
Sigma Delta Chi Award: Online Investigative Reporting
(Independent)
”Making a Killing: The Business of War,” ICIJ
Investigative Reporters and Editors
National Book Award
“Capitol Offenders: How Private Interests Govern Our States,”
Diane Renzulli, John Dunbar, Alex Knott, Robert Moore, and
Leah Rush
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Online Reporting Award Finalist
“Enron’s Big Political Donors,” John Dunbar, Robert Moore, and
Mary Jo Sylwester
The Center for Public Integrity
T
he Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonparti-
More importantly, there was evidence in both Washington
san organization supported by foundations and
and the country at large that Center reports made a differ-
individual contributors, was founded in 1989 by
ence: in at least two instances, for example, these investigations spawned changes to the law.
investigative reporter and former 60 Minutes producer
National Book Award Finalist
“The Buying of the President 2000,” Charles Lewis
2001
ANNUAL REPORT
Charles Lewis. Lewis’ idea behind establishing the Center
It was, in short, a banner year.
was quite simple: What needs to be investigated? What has-
funders
n’t been reported? What is significant to our society?
The Center for Public Integrity, which does not
accept contributions from anonymous donors or from
corporations, labor unions, or governments, gratefully
acknowledges the generous support of the following
individuals and foundations that contributed $500
or more in 2003:
William Backer
Robert D. Blain
Jack Block
David Braybrooke
The Carnegie Corporation of New York
Peter and Lucia Case
Charles S. Chapin Charitable Trust
C.S. Fund / Warsh Mott Legacy
The Nathan Cummings Foundation
Russell & Teruko Daniel
Victor Elmaleh
Edith and Henry Everett
Everett Philanthropic Fund
Ford Foundation
Foundation Open Society Institute
James Gleick & Cynthia Crossen
David B. Gold Foundation
Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund
Gunzenhauser-Chapin Fund
Robert Giles
The Lucy Gonda Foundation
Francis Hagan
Linda Hagan-Brandts
Hafif Family Foundation
John Hirschi Donor Advised Fund
Peter E. Homek
Jimmy W. Janacek
The Joyce Foundation
Katz Family Foundation
Kismet Foundation
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Jerry Knoll
Lear Family Foundation
Arthur D. Lipson
Donna Mae Litowitz
The Litowitz Foundation, Inc.
Bevis & Clara Longstreth
The Los Angeles Times Foundation*
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Michael Marston
Robert W. McChesney
McCormick Tribune Foundation
The Giles W. and Elise G. Mead Foundation
Gordon T. Moore
Mostyn Foundation Inc.
Stewart R. Mott Charitable Trust
The John and Florence Newman Foundation
Frances Nyce
Open Society Institute
Park Foundation, Inc.
Dr. Charles Perkins
The Pew Charitable Trusts
Charles Piller
Popplestone Foundation
Princeton Class of 1969
Donavan E. Rasmussen
V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation
Rockefeller Family Fund
Rockefeller Financial Services
Sandler Family Supporting Foundation
Dr. Jonathan & Gail Schorsch
Ben & Karen Sherwood
Fred & Alice Stanback
The Streisand Foundation
Mark S. Thompson
Tides Foundation
Town Creek Foundation
The Whitehead Foundation
Stacey Woodruff
* Matching gift
T HE C ENTER
FOR
P UBLIC I NTEGRITY
910 17th Street, N.W
7th floor
Washington, D.C. 20006
202-466-1300
www.publicintegrity.org
The Center’s work is based on the conviction that the public
has a right to know what its government, public officials, and
corporate leaders are doing. Its mission includes providing
the American people with information—often not available
elsewhere—about how these entities are performing their
duties. By providing thorough, thoughtful, and objective
analyses, the Center serves as an honest broker of information, which in turn leads to a more informed citizenry that
demands a higher level of accountability from its government and elected leaders.
Widely acknowledged as the preeminent online journalistic
enterprise in the United States, the Center does investigative reporting and research on public policy issues in the
United States and around the world. Virtually all of our findings are posted online at www.publicintegrity.org, while
many of our investigations are later published as books or
reports.
During 2003 the Center published more reports, received
more Web site hits, won more awards, and began more
projects than in any previous year. The numbers are telling:
more than 40 investigative reports posted online triggered
nearly 3 million unique visits and more than 75 million hits.
In addition, the Center was cited in some 1,500 print and
broadcast stories around the world.
© KAREN RUCKMAN
The Center for Public Integrity