Investigative reporter Wayne Barrett, a scourge of city power brokers during his longtime career with the Village Voice who gained renewed attention recently for his decades of reporting on Donald Trump, died Thursday at the age of 71. NY1's Bobby Cuza filed the following report.

For four decades, Wayne Barrett, best known for the Village Voice column he wrote for more than 30 years, was a tormentor of public figures, including Ed Koch and Rudy Giuliani, both the subjects of books, as was Donald Trump.

The city's preeminent investigative reporter, Barrett's exposés led to indictments and earned him threats, and worse. He also got politicians' attention. He liked to tell the story how Mario Cuomo would call and offer his wife representation.

"'If you ever need a divorce lawyer, I want you to know that I will represent you.' So this continued for so many years that when Andrew was elected AG, he told Fran, 'By the way, my father has passed the case on to me,'" Barrett said.

Known for maintaining an army of interns, many who went on to their own distinguished careers, Barrett was laid off from the Voice in 2010 but continued writing for outlets like The Daily Beast.

His unrivaled reporting on Trump recently brought a flood of attention. His 1992 biography was re-issued with a new forward; the Voice reprinted his 1979 profile; and he offered commentary for outlets including NY1, where he was a frequent and colorful guest.

"I think it's about time we looked at the Republican Party on the national level as just a gang," Barrett said.

Barrett grew up largely in Virginia, attended Columbia Journalism School and worked as a teacher and community activist in Brownsville before joining the Voice full-time in 1978. More recently, he continued reporting even in failing health, producing pieces on Trump right up till Election Day.

"I'm in a sick bed a lot, but he gets me up out of it," Barrett said to Democracy Now! in July 2016.

Cuomo issued a statement on the news of Barrett's death.

"Wayne Barrett’s passing is a tremendous loss for the people of the great state of New York. Wayne was a lion in the field of journalism. For decades, Wayne was the conscience of New York. He had a profound impact on policy and government because of his dogged determination to hold those in power accountable," Cuomo's statement reads.

"As a public official who was subjected to Wayne’s scrutiny many times, I can attest that his intellect, tenacity, and knowledge were second to none. He did his job without malice and with an absolute dedication to the facts.

"Wayne was a truth finder and a truth teller regardless of whether it was convenient, popular, or easy. Wayne was never afraid to speak truth to power, and those who listened were the better for it.

"At a time in the world in which substantive and respected journalism is vital, today is a painful loss. My heart goes out to Wayne’s family, including his son Mac and his beloved wife Fran who is a valuable member of my team, performing crucial work on behalf of the most vulnerable people of New York each and every day."

Mayor Bill de Blasio paid tribute to Barrett in a post to Twitter.

Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg also issued a statement on Barrett's death.

"Wayne Barrett was a tenacious reporter in the tradition of the old muckrakers who could sniff out corruption and special interest politics a mile away. No elected official always saw eye-to-eye with Wayne, including me. But I always respected his deep sense of moral purpose and encyclopedic knowledge of city politics, accumulated through a lifetime of tireless research. I had the chance to break bread with him on occasion, and behind the scathing pen he wielded was a good guy with a big heart who loved New York City. His death is major loss for New York journalism, but students of our city’s history will be reading his work for decades to come," Bloomberg said.