John Dougherty (journalist)

John Dougherty's May 21, 1989 front page piece in the Dayton Daily News broke the story of the Keating Five.[4] His source was Edwin J. Gray, former chair of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board.[5][6] The subsequent congressional ethics committee hearings of Senators Alan Cranston, Dennis DeConcini, John Glenn, John McCain, and Donald W. Riegle began in November of that year.[7]

Two years later in 1991, John Dougherty was working for the East Valley Tribune in Mesa, Arizona and was still very interested in the connections between politicians and the S&L crisis. He began looking into Arizona governor Fife Symington III and his role as a board member of Southwest Savings and Loan.[4] He continued his coverage of Symington for over ten years, writing more than 66 articles on Symington. His coverage foreshadowed Symington's 1997 conviction on federal bank and wire fraud charges and resignation as Arizona governor.[8]

John Dougherty began covering Joe Arpaio for the Phoenix New Times when he became sheriff in 1993. Dougherty was involved in a series of court cases with Arpaio that culminated in a 2008 decision[9] to award the Phoenix New Times $40,000 in legal fees.[10]

From 2002 through 2008, Dougherty investigated and reported heavily on the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and exposed the actions of their leader Warren Jeffs. He wrote over 35 articles, appearing in the Phoenix New Times, The New York Times, and The Arizona Republic.[11] This series garnered him national attention, including an interview on National Public Radio,[12] and won him the Casey Medal in 2006.[13]