Sometimes the crimes are so bad that extreme measures for witness intimidation must be taken.

Data of 2004–2023 convictions of public officials shows huge regional differences in corruption. DC, New Orleans, Virgin Islands & Montana topped the list; New Hampshire & Utah ranked lowest. Larger areas, federal aid & oversight gaps drive most corruption. #Corruption www.cato.org/blog/where-p...

LA City Councilmember Curren Price Jr. faces 12 felony corruption charges after sufficient evidence was found he voted on projects benefiting his wife. With embezzlement, conflicts & perjury charges if found guilty he faces up to 11 years in prison. https://tinyurl.com/34kvr5d4 #LA #Corruption

Prosecutors say former NYC mayoral aide Ingrid Lewis-Martin took diamond earrings and other bribes in exchange for using her City Hall position to benefit associates, adding new details to an ongoing corruption case. #Corruption #Bribery

Baton Rouge Metro Councilman Cleve Dunn Jr. indicted on 9 felony counts for steering $50K CATS contract to firm he secretly controlled & pocketing most of the money: widening state & federal corruption investigation into city’s transit system. #Corruption #Transit

LA corruption continues: Alexander Soofer allegedly stole $10M from homeless aid to fund luxury homes and jets. Councilman C. Price faces ethics and embezzlement charges for steering $800K to his wife’s firm, joining a long line of local officials in trouble. https://tinyurl.com/5498wr7s

Hackensack, N.J. school officials revealed a $17 million budget shortfall after years of bookkeeping failures and illegal spending practices. The deficit may trigger layoffs and a tax hike. https://tinyurl.com/yc8demn5

Ex-NYC Mayor Eric Adams defended indicted ex-aide Ingrid Lewis-Martin amid bribery charges. Critics slammed his loyalty to embattled aides who volunteered for his campaign, while Adams cited due process and refused to condemn them. https://tinyurl.com/bdpdpk37

Alexander Soofer of Westwood LA faces federal and state charges for stealing $23M in homeless funds for luxury goods and travel. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in federal and 17 years in state prison. https://tinyurl.com/yy53626v

CA audit found over $5M wasted or unreported by state agencies. Issues included overpayments, unreported benefits & vehicle misuse. Lawmakers called for stronger oversight and accountability. https://tinyurl.com/yp2b4m76

Private equity founder Jay Lucas, 71, was charged with securities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering for allegedly raising over $50 million from investors and diverting the funds to personal expenses, his wife’s business, and Ponzi-like payments.

Former NYC mayoral aide Tony Herbert was charged with bribery, wire fraud, and extortion for allegedly taking $11K from a security company and $5K from a funeral home in pay-to-play schemes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3peLGwh3SXQ

Video exposed Minnesota daycare fraud; similar issues now seen in CA, OH, ME. Confirmed losses: $32.6B unemployment fraud, 1.2M fake college applications, $24B in homelessness programs, $18B on an unfinished train. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzmbUGij6Zw

L.A. Councilman Curren Price faces trial over embezzling $33.8K in city funds for his wife’s benefits & approving $829K in contracts benefiting her firm. He could face 11+ years in prison. https://tinyurl.com/tnv8fmu3

San Francisco appoints first Inspector General, former federal prosecutor Alex Shepard, to lead voter-created watchdog office to investigate City Hall fraud, waste & abuse with a new public tip line. #SanFrancisco #AntiCorruption https://tinyurl.com/48ctj54p

Ohio has suffered from corruption for decades, with failed policies & taxpayer giveaways to wealthy donors, including billion-dollar stadium subsidies. Recent elections show Democrats winning local races, signaling Ohioans are pushing back hoping for better governance. #Ohio tinyurl.com/585zp9cc

NYC continues to reel from Eric Adams’s scandal-plagued tenure: aides face bribery & contract-fraud charges, no-bid contracts worth 100s of millions are under review, & NYPD corruption claims persist. City Council hearings & prosecutions aim to uncover everything. #NYC nymag.com/intelligence...

"TJ" Jackson Jr. & Erica Jackson have been charged in a Baton Rouge bus system corruption probe, joining charges against former COO Pearlina Thomas & contractor "Jay" Colar: theft of $25,000 + conspiracy; Thomas also faces malfeasance & misuse of public funds. #BatonRouge tinyurl.com/2ykcnu9r

Nevada has launched a Public Corruption Task Force within its Criminal Division to investigate and prosecute bribery, election crimes & other government misconduct. The unit will hold officials accountable and protect Nevadans from corruption. #Nevada #AntiCorruption www.kolotv.com/2026/01/21/n...

LA Council member Curren Price faces preliminary hearing on embezzlement, conflict of interest & perjury charges for collecting city health benefits for a woman he wasn’t married to & voting on projects that benefited her. Conviction could mean up to 11 years in prison. #LA tinyurl.com/4weurdc7

UNODC finds corruption fuels human trafficking at every stage. Bribes, complicit officials & weak oversight let victims be moved and exploited. Stronger laws, safe reporting, & tools like Moldova’s Passenger Info Unit aim to break the cycle. news.un.org/en/story/202...

Hawaii statehouse scandal resurfaces. After hundreds signed petition Gov. Green & AG announced state investigation into $35K cash payment to an unnamed lawmaker delivered in brown paper bag 4 years ago. Lawmakers welcome probe. #Hawaii #Bribery #Corruption www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VMq...

San Leandro City Council member Brian Azevedo was charged with felony honest services/wire fraud, making false statements to investigators, accepting a $2,000 cash bribe tied to a housing developer. He faces up to 25 years in prison, $500,000 in fines. #Corruption abc7news.com/post/bryan-a...

Former city official Tony Herbert was arrested accused of embezzling $16,000 from the IBES program in NYC during 2022–2025. Herbert had been earlier fired for insensitive remarks. #NYC #Corruption #Accountability #Transparency #MisuseOfFunds www.youtube.com/watch?v=3peL...

Michelle Stent-Hilton pleaded guilty in Charleston’s federal corruption probe, admitting she gave ex-Councilman Heyward 20% of her nonprofit’s city grant funds. The case exposed bribery, kickbacks, and misuse of city funds. She could face 20 years. #Bribery www.postandcourier.com/charleston_s...

Former NYC Mayor Adams aide Tony Herbert was arrested for bribery & fraud, allegedly taking $16K in kickbacks, steering city contracts & burial funds, & filed a fake loan. He was fired last Sept . U.S. Att: "Blatant pay-to-play schemes to enrich himself." #Bribery www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news...

Two LA developers allegedly exploited homeless housing funds. Former affordable-housing CFO faked finances to secure $25.9M in Homekey money, some spent on luxury goods. Another real estate investor faces bank fraud charges. Prosecutors say it’s just the beginning. #Fraud abc7.com/post/2-la-co...

Former NYC mayor Eric Adams is facing scrutiny after his NYC Token memecoin briefly soared, then crashed following an apparent rug pull. An account linked to Adams pulled millions in crypto shortly after launch. The market cap collapsed soon after. #CryptoScam #NYC www.jpost.com/crypto-curre...

Santa Clara County Office of Education say probes into former superintendent Mary Ann Dewan found contract favoritism and improper use of public funds. The board fired her in Oct. 2024 and is now advancing governance reforms for transparency & oversight. sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-...

Transparency International researches corruption worldwide using independent, comparative data. Main tools are The Corruption Perceptions Index (expert & business views on public-sector corruption) & Global Corruption Barometer (citizens' experiences & attitudes). www.transparency.org/en/research

Disgraced ex-LA Deputy Mayor R Chan is serving 12 years for orchestrating bribes from developers with J Huizar’ including $600K to settle a sexual harassment claim, lining his own pockets & helping Huizar profit from downtown high-rises. Huizar is serving 13 years. #LA abc7.com/post/raymond...

Disgraced former Senator B. Menendez’s wife, Nadine Menendez, was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for selling his political influence for cash, gold bars, & a luxury car, acting as a go-between for businessmen seeking favors. $480K in $, $150K in gold, & a convertible were found home. #Corruption

Walgreens' future is uncertain under PE ownership, CPA firms face cost-cutting and loss of trust, and PE landlords now own 20–25% of rental housing in cities like Atlanta and Austin, using fees and algorithms to inflate rents (2/3) #HousingCrisis #VultureCapitalism www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6MS...

Private equity buys companies using borrowed money, shifts the debt onto the company, strips assets, & cuts staff to maximize profits. ToysRUs & Sears were loaded with debt and gutted, leading to bankruptcy & tens of thousands of job losses (1/3) #VultureCapitalism www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6MS...

Disgraced former Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do reported to prison for 5 year term for bribery, diverting $10M in pandemic relief funds meant to feed seniors to enrich himself. He was ordered to pay $878K in restitution. Investigations into co-conspirators continue. laist.com/news/crimina...

Former Compton council member Isaac Galvan pleaded guilty to bribery and tax evasion for paying $70K to Baldwin Park’s councilman to secure marijuana permits, and evading $560K in taxes and conspired with of his opponents. #Bribery #Corruption #LosAngeles www.latimes.com/california/s...

Unlike Venture Capitalism, Private Equity buys full control of companies using debt the company must repay. Profits come from asset sales, fees, and rent extraction even if the business collapses. Toys "R" Us is the case study. Workers lose; PE still wins. #PE #VC www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUyZ...

A private-equity takeover at Gizmodo shows how cost-cutting, clickbait, and clueless management hollowed out real journalism and destroyed Deadspin. Drawing on Bad Company, it shows PE profits by stripping companies than saving them. #PrivateEquity #Scams #Fraud newrepublic.com/article/1983...

Former senior SF city official was sentenced to 3 years in state prison for long-running corruption scheme that stole $627K+ from the city's workers' comp system using a sham auditing company, fake claims, and money laundering. #SanFrancisco #Corruption #PublicTrust www.sfgate.com/bayarea/arti...

Former clerk-treasurer & fire chief was charged for theft & possession of stolen property, misappropriating $72K in town funds spending on personal purchases, keeping equipment. Potts resigned but continued to access town accounts making additional unauthorized payments. sao.wa.gov/the-audit-co...

Former Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes-Anderson was released after serving less than a month in prison following guilty plea to federal corruption charges tied to a kickback scheme involving city funds. Her seat has since been filled. #Corruption #Boston www.boston25news.com/news/local/e...

DOI Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber resigned after a tenure marked by sweeping corruption probes that led to the historic indictment of Mayor Eric Adams. The search for a successor begins with Strauber citing the need for DOI’s independence. #NYC #Anti-Corruption #DOI www.thecity.nyc/2026/01/08/j...

An investigation found 81 fake online trading platforms were a scam operation, run from Europe. The sites used fake Swiss addresses, endorsements, and "expert" advisors to lure victims, then funneled money through shell companies. #InvestigativeJournalism #Scam #Fraud www.occrp.org/en/project/s...

Multiple investigations underway into the Town of Cary’s finances amid public concern over spending & oversight. Residents voiced distrust at a town meeting, questioning various payments & land deals totaling over $1M. State Auditor probe & internal review ongoing. www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9r_...

Former official in SF Workers’ Compensation Division sentenced to 3 years in prison after pleading guilty to defrauding the city of over $627,000, using a fake company to bill for work never done and charging personal items as city expenses. #SanFrancisco www.californiacitynews.org/2026/01/ex-s...

Corruption in big cities often flows from discretion over permits and contracts. NYCHA is a recent example: after the largest one day federal bribery bust in DOJ history, employees were convicted. Yet the city still contracts with vendors who admitted paying bribes. www.cato.org/blog/new-yor...

A sobering look at how local government corruption actually operates. From city contracts in NYC to rezoning deals in N. Charleston, these cases show the direct link between bribes and the misuse of public resources. (2 of 2) www.cato.org/blog/local-g... #LocalGov #Corruption

Drake has been accused in a federal class-action RICO lawsuit of using the online sweepstakes casino to boost the play counts of his music across the major streaming platforms.

NEW from me: Currently on tap for Tony Dokoupil on his first day as CBS Evening News anchor -- taking a private plane to Miami to so he can go jet skiing with DJ Khaled and play soccer with David Beckham. Take that, elites! www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...