Scott Friedman is NBC 5's Senior Investigative Reporter leading the "NBC 5 Investigates" team, exposing critical safety concerns, and holding officials accountable.
Scott’s investigative reporting has been recognized with broadcasting’s top national honors including the duPont-Columbia Award - the broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize - a Peabody Award, five national Edward R. Murrow Awards, the Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Award, two national SPJ Sigma Delta Chi Awards and a national News and Documentary Emmy for outstanding regional investigative report. Scott's investigations have also been featured on NBC Nightly News and TODAY on NBC.
Scott’s Peabody Award-winning investigation of financial troubles at Dallas County Schools (DCS) exposed a web of corruption, staggering financial mismanagement, hidden personal relationships and conflicts of interest inside an agency that transported tens of thousands of children to school each day. The Texas Legislature, governor and voters acted swiftly to close DCS and the superintendent who ran the agency pleaded guilty to federal charges for accepting $ 3 million of bribes and kickbacks in exchange for government contracts. The NBC5 reports also sparked an FBI public corruption investigation which led to the conviction of the second-highest-ranking elected official in the City of Dallas.
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In 2023, Scott received the prestigious Alfred I. du-Pont-Columbia Award for his series “Paper Tag Nation” which exposed how criminals were able to infiltrate the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles registration system in order to sell vast numbers of fraudulent temporary license plates illegally. The series revealed how those fraudulent paper plates were often used by criminal organizations looking to create “ghost cars” used in cross-border smuggling, human trafficking, and the commission of violent crimes. NBC5’s reporting helped spark leadership changes at the Texas DMV, legislative action to change the temporary tag system, and a new system for car dealer licensing background checks.
For more than a year, Scott’s team investigated care for injured, active-duty U.S. Army soldiers, in partnership with The Dallas Morning News. The series uncovered hundreds of complaints from injured troops describing mistreatment, harassment, verbal abuse and a lack of care from commanders of U.S. Army Warrior Transition Units (WTUs). Within days of the station’s first reports, the U.S. Army ordered new training for commanders of all 25 WTUs worldwide, aimed at better treating injured troops with dignity and respect. The U.S. House Armed Services Committee also ordered a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation.
Scott’s nine-month-long investigation of crashes and injuries caused by police officers using dashboard-mounted computers while driving led to changes in local police department policies and became training material for law enforcement agencies nationwide.
Scott joined KXAS-TV in 2006 reporting, later anchoring the station’s weekday morning newscast, NBC 5 Today. In 2012, he helped launch “NBC 5 Investigates.”
Previously Scott was an investigative reporter and news anchor at WTMJ-TV (NBC) in Milwaukee and a reporter at WNDU-TV (NBC) in South Bend, Indiana. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame.
The Latest
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‘Completely unacceptable,' FWPD chief apologizes to rape victims for testing delays
The chief of police in Fort Worth, Texas vowed Tuesday that all options were on the table as his department works to clear a backlog of rape kits, brought to light by NBC 5 Investigates.
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North Texas police departments change process of rape kits
Two North Texas police departments are changing how they handle sexual assault evidence in the wake of an NBC 5 investigation. We found departments across the DFW area failing to process some rape testing kits in the time required by state law. Senior investigative reporter Scott Friedman has the news.
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Irving, Arlington update procedures for handling rape kits after NBC 5 investigation
Two North Texas police departments are changing how they handle evidence in sexual assault cases after NBC 5 Investigates reported last week that rape testing kits used in investigations in Fort Worth were not being processed in the time required by state law.
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New safety measures planned for Loop 12 in South Dallas: What you need to know
The top transportation leaders have announced new plans to address the most dangerous street in Dallas, prompted by the NBC 5 investigation, Driven to Death, which highlighted dangers on Loop 12 in South Dallas. Senior investigative reporter Scott Friedman has the new details.
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New safety measures planned for deadliest street in Dallas
It’s a conversation prompted by an NBC 5 investigation, Driven to Death, which highlighted dangers on Loop 12 in southern Dallas, a road that continues to lead the city in traffic deaths and injuries.
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City leaders vow to take action on rape kit backlog issues
NBC 5 Investigates told you how Fort Worth Police have failed to comply with state deadlines for testing sexual assault evidence — hundreds of times. Now — one day later — city leaders are promising action to tackle the rape kit backlog that’s left justice shelved for so many victims.
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Fort Worth leaders pledge action after NBC 5 investigation finds 901 untested rape kits
Fort Worth city leaders are promising to fix the problems uncovered in an NBC 5 investigation that found, hundreds of times, Fort Worth police have missed state deadlines for testing sexual assault evidence kits.
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‘We will fix this': Fort Worth leaders react to rape kit backlog
Fort Worth city leaders are promising to fix the problems uncovered in an NBC 5 investigation Wednesday night. NBC 5 senior investigative reporter Scott Friedman has the immediate reaction to our reporting that found Fort Worth police have missed state deadlines for testing hundreds of sexual assault evidence kits.
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Fort Worth faces crisis as rape kit backlog surges due to severe understaffing
An NBC 5 investigation has raised questions about the Fort Worth Police Department’s handling of sexual assault cases. The department has failed to test sexual assault evidence kits in a timely manner as required by state law, leaving victims without justice. Senior investigative reporter Scott Friedman reveals why it’s happening and how the delays can leave victims without “justice...
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Woefully understaffed, Fort Worth's rape kit backlog climbs to more than 900
The Fort Worth Police Department has failed hundreds of times to test sexual assault evidence kits in the amount of time required by state law. NBC 5 Investigates raises serious questions about how the department handles the cases and how the delays impact victims.
