Students in Professor Mike Beaudet’s investigative reporting seminar obtained behind-the-scenes emails from Boston City Hall about the city’s efforts to woo General Electric’s headquarters to Boston. The emails were acquired through a public records request submitted by the class. The emails revealed that an official in the Walsh administration had serious concerns about the property tax relief being offered to GE by the city. “It’s the number I’m choking on,” wrote city assessor Ron Rakow. The records show that tax relief package was first valued at $8-$12 million, but eventually reached $25 million. Watch the news report and read the story, “Emails reveal Boston official ‘choking’ on generous incentives to GE,” aired on April 6 and posted on WCVB’s online website.

The following students who contributed to the report were graduate students Stephen Daly, Adam Glanzman, Matthew Ingersoll, Diana Novakovic, Shondiin Silversmith, Emily Turner, and undergraduate students Kelly Kasulis, Catherine Lindsay, Alexandra Malloy, Daniel McLoone,  Owen Pence, Alejandro Serrano,  and Miharu Sugie.