Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering Archives

House Holds Epstein-Associate Leon Black in Contempt of Congress

17Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Types of News: Brief

House Holds Epstein-Associate Leon Black in Contempt of Congress

House Holds Epstein-Associate Leon Black in Contempt of Congress Billionaire Mogul Refused to Comply with House Panel Subpoenas September 17, 2026—The House approved a resolution by unanimous consent to hold billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with subpoenas by a committee investigating Jeffrey Epstein.If both chambers of Congress pass a contempt resolution, it goes to the Justice Department as a criminal referral. Who Is Leon Black? Leon Black is an American billionaire investor who became one of the most powerful figures on Wall Street. He co-founded Apollo Global Management, a private equity firm that now has $1.05 trillion in assets under management. Black made most of his money during economic recessions, often through leveraged buyouts ...

Trump to Headline Controversial Memecoin Event at Mar-a-Lago

14Apr

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Finance, Banks, Cryptocurrency, Metals, Types of News: Analysis, United States

Trump to Headline Controversial Memecoin Event at Mar-a-Lago

Event Highlights Questions About Pay-For-Access April 14, 2026—President Donald Trump is expected to headline an upcoming cryptocurrency memecoin conference giving top investors exclusive access at a luncheon at the Trump family’s Mar-a-Lago estate later this month, according to advertisements for the event. It’s an indication that even as the president implements public policy, he takes time off his official role to make money from sales of his personalized, celebrity memecoin. It is another sign of the merging of government and business. Furthermore, it raises concerns about political influence-for-sale amid the opaque world of cryptocurrency. Exclusive Gamified Invite The April 25 event is an exclusive, invite-only gala for people holding the $TRUMP token. It is the second ...

U.S. Shadow Diplomacy by Billionaire ‘Volunteers’

11Apr

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Diplomacy and International Law, Middle East, Types of News: Analysis, Types of News: Videos

U.S. Shadow Diplomacy by Billionaire ‘Volunteers’

Trump Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner Dominate U.S. Foreign Policy Making April 11, 2026—As the world remains on pins and needles, awaiting the outcome of peace talks mediated by Pakistan in a US-Israel-Iran war that has lasted nearly a month and a half, observers are beginning to question why diplomacy failed and who is responsible. One of the most apparent things is that U.S. diplomacy is largely outsourced to two billionaires serving as special envoys without government pay: Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Both are billionaires with interests that extend beyond U.S. priorities. Witkoff, President Trump’s assistant and special envoy for peace missions, receives no government salary. Kushner does not even have an official title other than the president’s son-in-law and un...

Pre-War, Hegseth Tried to Invest in Military Industrial ETF

31Mar

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Arms Sales, Military Industry, Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, United States, WAR: Dispatches & Dialogue

Pre-War, Hegseth Tried to Invest in Military Industrial ETF

March 31, 2026—Among the news reports about war profits by those in Washington with insider information comes a report about War Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Financial Times confirmed in its reporting today that Hegseth may have tried to invest millions of dollars in a fund specializing in the military industrial complex. Hegseth’s broker at Morgan Stanly reportedly contacted BlackRock, which flagged the request for the “high profile potential client.” The fund, iShare Defense Industrials Act (IDEF), has decreased in value by 9.7 percent over the past month but is up by 4 percent so far this year. Its largest holdings include: RTX, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman. The FT reported that the investment was not completed because the fund “was not yet available for Morgan Stanley...

Cross-Border Gun Trafficking to Cartels: The Legal Side of the Issue

19Mar

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Arms Sales, Military Industry, Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Legal Battles, International Law, Justice, Types of News: Analysis, Types of News: Videos

Cross-Border Gun Trafficking to Cartels: The Legal Side of the Issue

https://youtu.be/CnnpLrYnr_8?si=NKwSMDJZNQVE67E8 Interview with Attorney Jonathan Lowy of the Global Action on Gun Violence: March 19, 2026—In a landmark case that made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, Mexico and a team of lawyers sued U.S. gun manufacturers for crimes committed by criminals and cartels armed with military-grade U.S.-made weapons. The Supreme Court shut that case down last June, upholding immunity for gun makers. But the story didn't end there. The case garnered worldwide attention—a factor that impacts public interest and policymaking. Moreoever, the litigating team is still active. Mexico and its team of lawyers are litigating a separate case in Arizona against gun dealers. Jonathan Lowy, founder and president of Global Action on Gun Violence, provides an ...

What’s in the Epstein Files? Best Ways to Search

8Feb

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Types of News: Brief

What’s in the Epstein Files? Best Ways to Search

A Network of Global Influence and Corruption Reps. Khanna, Massie, and Greene pushed lawmakers on Capitol Hill to enact legislation to force the government to release the Epstein files. February 8, 2026—The Epstein files expose massive corruption at the highest levels of power, espionage, and geopolitics. It spans fields of high finance, philanthropy, real estate, and surveillance technologies. The corruption centers on the sex trafficking of thousands of victims, including minors. News reports and primary-source evidence suggest that Jeffrey Epstein often acted as an intermediary for high-level officials, including political leaders in the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Russia, and Norway, royalty, bankers, diplomats, and philanthropists. Drop Site’s news reports sugg...

EU Drafts Report on Transnational Repression

8Feb

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Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering

EU Drafts Report on Transnational Repression

February 8, 2026—The European Parliament recently published a paper on transnational repression—a method of authoritarianism that takes place when a government reaches beyond its national borders to intimidate, harass, or silence people living in another country. The topic relates to foreign interference, disinformation, and migration. It is a topic discussed by Human Rights Watch in its annual report. The European Union report examines instances where Russia, Chechnya, Iran, and China have targeted prominent financiers, oligarchs, or activists. The authors suggest that countries whose official status is limited by sanctions or visa restrictions might be more likely to persuade or coerce diaspora members perceived as loyal. “For example, members of the Uyghur community abroad have...

Banking, Cryptocurrency Industries Compete for Washington’s Attention

2Feb

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Finance, Banks, Cryptocurrency, Metals, Types of News: Brief, United States

Banking, Cryptocurrency Industries Compete for Washington’s Attention

Regulation of Stablecoins: Yield is the Issue February 2, 2026—The White House hosted a two-hour meeting today with representatives from the banking and cryptocurrency industry, two sectors that are likely to compete for capital. Though the meeting was not broadcast live, it reportedly included representatives from the American Bankers Association, the Crypto Council for Innovation, Blockchain Association, PayPal, Ripple, Tether, the Independent Community Bankers of America, and others. According to crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett, the two-hour meeting resulted in a “constructive discussion” on the risks and rewards of stablecoin yield. “Issues were framed so that both sides know where boundaries are,” Terrett posted on X on Monday. Regulations & The CLARITY Act Sinc...

Israel Spending Millions on U.S. Influence Campaign Targeting Christians

15Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Middle East, Types of News: Analysis, United States

Israel Spending Millions on U.S. Influence Campaign Targeting Christians

PR Campaign Plans to Bring the 10/7 Experience to Mega Churches and College Campuses October 15, 2025—The Israeli government is investing millions of dollars in an influence campaign targeting American Christians. The purpose, according to new filing reports in the Justice Department’s FARA system, is to encourage Christians in the United States to have a favorable view of the Israeli nation-state, question the longstanding U.S. policy of a two-state solution, and associate Palestinians with Hamas and extremism. The story is part of a larger PR blitz by the Israeli Foreign Ministry with an annual budget of $150 million, the Times of Israel reported. It is separate than a $1.5 million a month campaign called the Esther Project run by former Trump campaign strategist Brad Parscale thro...

Netanyahu Ally Aims to Delay Corruption Trial Due to ‘War’

15Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Domestic Politics, Middle East, Types of News: Brief

Netanyahu Ally Aims to Delay Corruption Trial Due to ‘War’

Proposal Creates Perverse Incentive to Restart Gaza War October 15, 2025—As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu testified today in court over longstanding corruption charges, a key political ally advanced plans to tie an exemption from that trial to wartime. It comes just days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war signified a “historic dawn of a new Middle East.” Netanyahu Ally: No Trial During War Yariv Levin is not just the Justice Minister, he is also the deputy prime minister, minister of the Interior, and minister of Religious Services. He’s also a key Netanyahu ally who, in January 2023, led the judicial overhaul plan to restrict the authority of the Supreme Court. It was a highly controversial reform that cri...