2019 Finalist, Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting

Alabama’s ‘Beach House Sheriff’

This investigation revealed extensive wrongdoing by an Alabama sheriff, including improper use of millions of dollars’ worth of public funds, and the mistreatment of inmates in the county jail he runs. Amid threats to his family’s personal safety, reporter Connor Sheets uncovered a history of misconduct that resulted in the ‘Beach House Sheriff’ losing his reelection bid, the launch of investigations into his conduct at the federal, state and local level, and proposed legislation to prevent Alabama sheriffs from pocketing public funds for personal enrichment.

Read more about the story behind the investigation in this piece by The Journalist’s Resource.

View the story

More Recent Winners and Finalists