[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 65 (Wednesday, May 9, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E751]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING AWARD-WINNING BROADCAST JOURNALIST STEPHEN DEAN

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                            HON. KEVIN BRADY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 9, 2012

  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor award-winning 
broadcast journalist Stephen Dean, whose dedicated investigative 
reporting exposes abuses of power and government missteps. Arrests and 
indictments tend to follow his in-depth reporting of shady dealings, 
including those by judges and other elected officials.
  A master of the hidden camera, Stephen Dean and his team at Local 2 
Investigates get results from Houston to Austin to Washington, DC. Even 
the venerable Washington Post has reported on one of his award-winning 
investigations.
  From catching seven Houston law enforcement officers cheating in a 
traffic investigation class to reporting that Houston police were using 
mentally ill prisoners to practice drawing blood for DWI arrests, 
Stephen Dean has never been afraid to dig for information no one else 
will.
  For nearly three decades, Stephen Dean's hard work has earned him 
award after award including the highest honor in broadcasting. He was 
honored with a Peabody Award for his series of reports on how the U.S. 
military used to investigate crimes. Dean's reporting documented how 
the armed services were ignoring crucial evidence in crimes against 
their own soldiers, prompting Congress to force changes with a law that 
was signed by the President.
  For nearly two decades from radio to television, the Houston area has 
counted on Dean's watchdog eye on law enforcement. His dogged pursuit 
of M.U.D. policing led to a change in Texas law.
  In addition to the Peabody Award, his national investigative 
reporting honors include the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma 
Delta Chi Award, the Radio Television News Directors Edward R. Murrow 
Award and several State Bar of Texas ``Gavel Awards'' for legal 
reporting. In 2005, Dean was named Best Reporter by the Texas 
Associated Press Broadcasters for his live coverage of breaking news. 
The TAPB also named him the sole winner of its ``Freedom of Information 
Award'' four years in a row for his ability to overcome obstacles in 
digging through public records.
  A nationally published author, Dean's 2011 book ``PR Misfires Under 
the Gun'', detailed costly public relations mistakes that people make 
in emergencies. Stephen Dean, his wife Cindy, and his precious Harley 
Davidson will soon ride out of Houston to start a new journalistic 
chapter in their home state. We wish them safe travels and we feel 
obligated to warn Ohio wrongdoers, he is on the way.

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