Meghann Cuniff's government and politics reporting

Vacation, groceries, hotels: Supervisor's obscure fund raises questions

I investigated a previously unknown campaign account that a prominent Orange County politician had been using for years to fund expensive dinners, travel and gifts. The article involved weeks of interviews, document digging and spreadsheet-assisted number crunching.

Supervisors seek less oversight of $60-an-hour assistant jobs

I turned a Board of Supervisors' discussion about oversight of high-paying government jobs into an in-depth look at how Orange County's leaders managed the positions.

Boat ban could jeopardize Irvine Lake's fishing, finances

I was working a Sunday breaking news shift when a man drowned in a lake, and I discovered a history of questionable conduct while digging through the lake's operating background. The resulting article published on a Sunday and led to the County of Orange seeking control of the lake.

Orange County officials battle over audit control

The county's newly elected auditor-controller raised serious questions about the ethics of his colleagues while calling for more power to examine what's going on in county government.

Militias in the Inland Northwest: A passion rising

The rise of the Tea Party movement nationally was reflected in the Inland Northwest, where a long-established militia network used the momentum as a call to arms.

Can app tied to Orange County school shutdown be controlled?

I examined the rise of new technology and how school officials combat it after a new phone app called Yik Yak was the source of a bomb threat that closed an OC high school.

Ombudsman questions Spokane police use-of-force case

When Spokane's police ombudsman refused to certify a use-of-force investigation but public documents didn't reveal details of the case, I used my courthouse contacts to find the victim and write a front-page article.

OC Supervisor Shawn Nelson caught between pension, campaign promise

I got a tip that a county supervisor had backed out of a longstanding campaign promise not to take a pension. I used public records and interview to score a scoop that published the next day.

Former Arizona sheriff Richard Mack to speak in Spokane

When controversial militia icon Richard Mack was invited to speak in North Idaho, a debate started that led to his invite being cancelled and served as a microcosm about the national shift to the right the GOP was undertaking.

San Juan Capistrano's devolving discourse comes amid tumultuous times in local politics

I looked at what the devolving discourse meant for government and residents as San Juan Capistrano city politics became dominated by name-calling and Hitler references.

In San Juan Capistrano elections, how much do past transgressions matter?

Bankruptcies, law license suspensions, drunken driving arrests. I examined how candidates' past transgressions could affect local elections.

Latinos vs. Vietnamese: Ethnicity trumping money in 1st District Board of Supervisors race

A special election for the Orange County Board of Supervisors highlighted the influence of ethnicity amid the heavily Vietnamese district that includes Little Saigon.

Government & Politics

I've reported on everything from contentious political disputes to questionable finance issues at a water district.