
Dale Russell
As the senior investigative reporter, Dale Russell is the FOX 5 I-Team’s government watchdog. He has spent more than 30 years investigating some of Atlanta’s biggest stories. His investigations have helped shape Georgia’s political history; toppling people in power, exposing waste and corruption, sparking criminal investigations, and changing laws.
Dale’s entire journalism career has been right here in Atlanta, where he began as a freelance newspaper and magazine writer. He went on to work as a reporter for WGST News Radio and then moved into television as an investigative reporter.
Dale has broken important stories while covering some of the nation’s biggest events, including the Atlanta Child Murders, the Olympic Park bombing, and the September 11th terrorist attacks. His exposes on Georgia’s Speaker of the House, Glenn Richardson, and presidential candidate Herman Cain led to dramatic changes in the state and nation’s political landscape. His examination of racial profiling by US Customs agents at Atlanta’s airport led to a nationwide overhaul of customs searches. In 2005, he traveled to Iraq to embed with the Georgia National Guard during its historic wartime deployment.
Dale has won more than 50 journalism awards, including broadcasting's highest honor, the George Foster Peabody Award. Atlanta Magazine, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Creative Loafing, and The Atlanta Press Club have all named him as the city’s top TV journalist. Georgia Trend Magazine selected him as one of Georgia’s 100 Most Influential People. He has been inducted into the NATAS Southeast Silver Circle, honoring the state’s top television professionals.
A former high school counselor, Dale is a board member of the First Amendment Foundation, which fights for openness in government. Dale attended the University of Georgia and graduated from Georgia State with a BS in education. The Atlanta native has two children and lives with his wife in the DeKalb County neighborhood where he was raised.
The latest from Dale Russell
Campaign Finance Commission fines Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms $37,000
Ethics Commission fines Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms $37,000
Man accused of murdering his mother and running from the law now headed to state prison
Richard Merritt, accused of murdering his mother and running from the law for eight months, is now headed into the state prison system to serve time for violating terms of his probation.
Woman voted in presidential race, requested absentee ballot using Georgia election official's address
A woman used the home address of Georgia's election supervisor to vote in the presidential election, and request an absentee ballot for the Senate runoffs in Georgia.
Judge rules probate judge was 2 votes shy of overturning election results
A Long County probate judge candidate falls two votes shy of overturning an election he lost by nine votes.
Sen. David Perdue bought stock in bank that was helped by legislation he backed
A FOX 5 I-Team investigation has found more stock trades made by U.S. Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) involving a regional bank that benefited from legislation he supported and helped write.
While dealing with death threats, Raffensperger says recount tracking toward Biden win in Georgia
Georgia Secretary of State and his wife receive death threats. He announces recount is tracking toward a Biden win.
For the first time ever the Carter Center will monitor an American election
The Carter Center is monitoring Georgia's audit of its presidential race.
Grand Jury to decide whether to charge state lawmaker and others after deadly accident
A grand jury will soon decide whether to bring charges against a state lawmaker, a police chief, and a driver involved in a deadly accident.
Georgia Secretary of State finds no sign of widespread fraud in election
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger says votes were fairly and accurately counted and there is no sign of widespread fraud.
Common Cause calls for investigation of Georgia Ethics Commission's conflict of interest policies
Good Government group Common Cause wants the Georgia Ethics Commission to investigate its own conflict of interest policy.