The 2006 Pulitzer Prize for national reporting has been awarded to the staff of the San Diego Union-Tribune for revealing the corruption scandal that led to the bribery conviction of Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham. Karin Winner (pictured), a USC Annenberg journalism alum, is editor of the Union-Tribune. "We did it - and it's just the first of many," Winner said. "Prizes aren't everything. But when they honor and they respect great work, it's just fabulous. I am just so proud of this great group of people." The Union-Tribune broke the story when Washington correspondent Marcus Stern first reported the sale of Cunningham's Del Mar home to a defense contractor and campaign contributor at an inflated price. The Union Tribune continued to uncover more details about Cunningham's relationship with lobbyists, contributors and contractors. A federal investigation followed and he ultimately pleaded guilty to accepting bribes. In March 2006, he was sentenced to prison. This is the first Pulitzer for the Union-Tribune.
Coverage of the announcement
Read the Union-Tribune's Cunningham investigation
Complete list of Pulitzer Prize winners