Featured Story

PACE
Why Did California Realtors Do an About Face on PACE?
2017-07-11
Checks and Balances Project received a reader tip in May alleging the California Association of REALTORS (C.A.R.) has subjected Bakersfield, California, among other localities, to an intense anti-PACE campaign. PACE or Property Assessed Clean Energy programs provide homeowners in California, Missouri and Florida with upfront financing for energy efficient and renewable energy improvements to their… Read more »
Read more
Neil Sharkey
New Tip Raises Questions About Penn State V.P. Neil Sharkey
2017-05-25
A Cover-Up of Play-to-Play Academic Research? We received an anonymous tip from a concerned member of Penn State community that raises a new question about how the relationship between Vice President Neil Sharkey, College of Health and Human Services Dean Ann C. “Nan” Crouter and School of Hospitality Management (SHM) Professor John W. O’Neill may… Read more »
Read more
Penn State Confirms Professor John O’Neill Under Ethics Investigation
2017-01-17
University Official’s Assurance Undercut by O’Neill, Raising New Questions It’s been three months since we began contacting officials at Penn State about potential ethics problems with School of Hospitality Management (SHM) Professor John W. O’Neill. On Jan. 9, 2017, a University official confirmed Conflict of Interest (COI) investigators are looking into questions we’ve raised about… Read more »
Read more
ethics
Unraveling Penn State’s Confusing Ethics Oversight
2017-01-9
Questions About Professor’s Ties to Hotel Lobby Uncover an Ethics Labyrinth Since October of last year, we’ve been reporting on the potential ethics violations of Professor John W. O’Neill of Penn State’s School of Hospitality Management (SHM). He appears to be operating a private consulting practice on campus, using the University’s prestige to increase the… Read more »
Read more
Penn State
Who Is Investigating Questions about Professor O’Neill’s Ethics?
2016-12-29
Our reporting has found strong evidence indicating Penn State Professor John W. O’Neill is using his position at the School of Hospitality Management to bolster his consulting practice and credibility of his hotel lobby-funded research. If true, this would violate the university’s ethics standards. So, we were encouraged to learn via a Dec. 17 Centre Daily Times… Read more »
Read more