Democracy Now’s own Juan Gonzalez has won a George Polk Award for his columns in the New York Daily News exposing the scandal behind Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s attempt to create a new computerized payroll system called CityTime. Juan’s reporting helped lead to the federal indictment of four consultants and two associates on charges that they orchestrated a fraud that cost city taxpayers more than $80 million.

One of seven people so far arrested in the fraud pleaded guilty two weeks ago and is cooperating. The director of New York City’s Office of Payroll has been forced to resign. So far federal agents have recovered more than $27 million in cash from dozens of bank accounts of dummy companies connected to the scheme. Juan also won a Polk Award in 1998.

Full List of the 2010 George Polk Award Winners

Juan’s prize-winning articles:

“Technology chief received millions devising controversial new timekeeping system” (1/13/10)

“New City Controller John Liu says big bucks stop here for wasteful, hi-tech payroll system CityTime” (2/12/10)

“'Consultants' getting $722M from city for doomed CityTime computer project” (3/26/10)

“Vehicle locator consultants bill city enough to keep firehouse open” (3/19/10)

“As time keeps ticking, CityTime, New York’s monstrous $700M money pit, still growing by the day” (6/4/10)

“Bloomberg and Liu spar over CityTime as contract deadline looms for $176 million extension” (8/13/10)

“Controller John Liu orders firm to fix disastrous CityTime payroll system–or ELSE!” (9/29/10)

“City might get shaft once again by company involved with CityTime fiasco” (10/13/10)

“Gonzalez: CityTime project scandal finally begins to unravel” (12/16/10)

“City executive in charge of overseeing botched CityTime project is suspended amid $80M scandal” (12/17/10)

“Ex-payroll boss blew whistle on CityTime in scathing 2003 letter and nothing was done” (12/21/10)