The Chicago NPR station, with help from RCFP attorneys, unsealed court records detailing the company’s profits and political connections.
On April 4, WBEZ, Chicago’s NPR-affiliate, published an in-depth investigation into allegations that a company led by a politically connected lobbyist bilked Illinois taxpayers out of millions of dollars through a controversial state program that allows private companies to buy state debt.
The news outlet’s story, reported by Dan Mihalopoulos and Dave McKinney, explores accusations against the company, Vendor Assistance Program, in a newly unsealed whistleblower lawsuit that claims the state has been victimized by fraud.
But the investigation also draws heavily from court records Reporters Committee attorneys, along with attorneys at Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP, helped WBEZ unseal two years ago stemming from an earlier lawsuit filed by VAP investors. Those records revealed new information concerning the company’s finances and depositions of the CEO about the company’s campaign contributions to Chicago politicians.
WBEZ used all of the unsealed court records to shine a spotlight on the Illinois debt program as state officials consider bringing it to a close. To learn more about WBEZ’s investigation, we recently spoke to Mihalopoulos about the origins of the story, how RCFP attorneys helped and the significance of the records WBEZ ultimately obtained through litigation.
(This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)
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