DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A small-town Iowa newspaper editorial writer has won the Pulitzer Prize for taking on powerful agricultural organizations after a water utility sued the paper’s home county and two others over farm pollution. Art Cullen, who owns the Storm Lake Times with his brother John, says his editorials were about government transparency.

The counties sued by the Des Moines Water Works secretly received money from agricultural groups to fight the lawsuit and the 3,000-circulation twice-weekly newspaper pushed in its reporting to lift the veil of secrecy on who was paying to fight the lawsuit.

The 59-year-old Cullen says he feels vindicated the information was released and he’s proud of the Pulitzer, which recognized him for “tenacious reporting, impressive expertise and engaging writing that successfully challenged powerful corporate agricultural interests in Iowa.”