FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 2, 2006

CONTACT: Jay Stewart - (312) 427-8330

The Better Government Association (BGA) has honored the Blade of Toledo with the 2006 George Bliss Award for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. The award was presented at the BGA's annual reception and benefit Friday, September 29 at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago.

On April 3, 2005, The Blade broke one of the nation’s leading stories of government corruption, “Coingate,” in which rare coin dealer and GOP fund-raiser Tom Noe was determined to have skimmed $13.5 million from state funds at the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. The trail of corruption in the Noe case ultimately led to Governor Bob Taft, who has since been convicted of four misdemeanor ethics violations and fined $4,000.

The Blade ran over 400 stories about the case, and prompted prominent politicians to pay back funds donated by Noe. President Bush, Governor Taft, and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger have all returned money.

A team of six reporters worked in unison to post daily updates of the case:

• James Drew
• Mike Wilkinson
• Steve Eder
• Christopher D. Kirkpatrick
• Joshua Boak
• Jim Tankersley

“The Blade has demonstrated why investigative journalism is so vital in our country,” said Jay Stewart, Executive Director of the BGA. “Elected officials must be held are accountable for their actions, and journalists have an obligation to dig and ask tough questions. ‘Coingate’ is the perfect example of how good reporting can lead to significant change in government.”

Honorable Mention to The Daily Southtown

Honorable Mention for the George Bliss Excellence in Journalism Award went to the Daily Southtown for its coverage of corruption in the Harvey Police Department and Mayoral Office. Jonathan Lipman, Chris Hack, Lauren FitzPatrick, William Lee and Editor Jean Hodges contributed ten stories documenting dubious accounting and policing policies.

About the George Bliss Award

The award is named for George Bliss, one of the BGA’s most storied investigators. In 1961, then Chicago Tribune reporter Bliss worked with the BGA on an investigation of the Metropolitan Sanitary District, which earned him a Pulitzer Prize and resulted in city savings of $38 million over four years. Continuing their collaborative efforts, Bliss and the BGA produced award-winning investigative pieces that resulted in legislative action and judicial proceedings. Bliss became the BGA’s Chief Investigator, most famously portraying a heart attack victim in a sting operation on private, unscrupulous ambulance services which won a Pulitzer Prize for Bill Jones at the Tribune.

About the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation

The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation is a family foundation formed in 1992. It makes grants primarily to organizations working in Chicago to enhance the urban environment. The foundation also supports the performing and visual arts and makes grants to organizations that provide opportunities for economically disadvantaged individuals. The Bliss Award represents a new direction for the foundation in promoting government accountability in the effective use of public resources.