The Trump administration has dropped, withdrawn, or halted enforcement actions against over 100 corporations in its first year, establishing a systematic pattern of protection for companies that donated to Trump’s inauguration. Regulatory enforcement against financial services fell 37% in the …
Trump AdministrationDepartment of JusticeSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)Federal Trade Commission (FTC)corporate-impunityregulatory-captureenforcement-collapsecorruptionpay-to-play
Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, released a comprehensive staff report revealing that President Donald Trump and his family earned more than $800 million from cryptocurrency ventures in the first half of 2025 alone, with total crypto holdings valued at up to $11.6 …
Jamie RaskinDonald TrumpTrump OrganizationTrump FamilyPaul Atkins+21 morecryptocurrencycorruptionself-dealingforeign-influenceemoluments+13 more
The Securities and Exchange Commission moved to dismiss its civil fraud case against Trevor Milton, founder of Nikola Corporation, following his pardon by President Trump on March 28, 2025. Milton was convicted in October 2022 of securities fraud for misleading investors about Nikola’s …
Trevor MiltonSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)Donald TrumpNikola Corporationcorruptionregulatory-capturepay-to-playsecurities-fraudelite-impunity
Trump implements 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, 10% on China effective February 4, 2025, with plans for universal 10% tariffs. Senate Democrats later call for SEC investigation after Trump posts “GREAT TIME TO BUY” before announcing tariff pause in April, raising his net worth by $415 …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationSenate DemocratsChuck SchumerElizabeth Warren+2 moretariffsmarket-manipulationinsider-tradingsecond-administrationregulatory-capture
The SEC charged Cantor Fitzgerald $6.75 million for systematic disclosure violations in two SPAC transactions involving View, Inc. and Satellogic. The firm misled investors by claiming no substantive discussions with merger targets existed, despite already negotiating potential mergers. This …
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)Cantor FitzgeraldHoward LutnickView, Inc.Satellogicspac-frauddisclosure-violationssec-enforcementcantor-fitzgeraldhoward-lutnick+3 more
In November 2024, the cryptocurrency industry accelerated its self-regulatory efforts in response to intensifying global regulatory pressures. Following the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation and the Financial Stability Board’s global framework, crypto firms began …
Cryptocurrency Industry ConsortiumFinancial Stability BoardEuropean Securities and Markets AuthoritySecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)CFTCcryptoregulatory-capturefinancial-technologyself-regulationcompliance
The Securities and Exchange Commission files a federal lawsuit against Patrick Orlando, former CEO and Chairman of Digital World Acquisition Corporation, alleging securities fraud in connection with DWAC’s initial public offering and proposed merger with Trump Media. The SEC alleges Orlando …
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)Patrick OrlandoDigital World Acquisition CorpTrump Media & Technology Groupsec-lawsuitpatrick-orlandosecurities-frauddwactrump-media+1 more
Binance Holdings Limited, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Bank Secrecy Act, failure to register as a money transmitting business, and violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in the largest corporate criminal penalty in …
Changpeng ZhaoBinanceDepartment of JusticeMerrick GarlandLisa Monaco+5 morecryptoregulatory-capturemoney-launderingfraudsanctions-violations+4 more
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced settled fraud charges against Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC) for material misrepresentations to investors about merger discussions with Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG). The SEC found that individuals who would later become …
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)Digital World Acquisition CorpTrump Media & Technology Groupsec-chargesdwacsecurities-fraudtrump-mediaspac-fraud+1 more
Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC) terminated CEO Patrick Orlando’s employment, citing “unprecedented headwinds” that necessitated a leadership change. The board appointed Eric Swider as interim CEO after investigations by the SEC and federal prosecutors into potential …
Patrick OrlandoDigital World Acquisition CorpDWACTrump Media & Technology GroupSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)+1 moredwacpatrick-orlandotruth-socialspac-fraudsec-investigation+2 more
Sam Bankman-Fried is arrested in the Bahamas at the request of U.S. prosecutors and charged with eight criminal counts including wire fraud, securities fraud, commodities fraud, money laundering, and campaign finance law violations. The indictment alleges Bankman-Fried orchestrated a scheme to …
Sam Bankman-FriedFTXU.S. Department of JusticeSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)CFTC+1 morecorruptionfraudregulatory-capturetechcryptocurrency+3 more
U.S. District Judge Edward Davila sentences Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes to 135 months (11 years, 3 months) in federal prison plus three years supervised release for defrauding investors of over $140 million. Holmes is ordered to surrender on April 27, 2023 to begin serving her sentence. …
Elizabeth HolmesEdward DavilaU.S. Department of JusticeTheranosFDA+1 morecorruptionfraudregulatory-capturetechhealthcare+3 more
FTX cryptocurrency exchange, Alameda Research, and over 100 affiliated entities file for bankruptcy following the exposure of systematic fraud by founder Sam Bankman-Fried. The collapse was triggered on November 2 when CoinDesk revealed that Alameda Research—FTX’s affiliated trading firm owned …
Sam Bankman-FriedFTXAlameda ResearchChangpeng ZhaoBinance+2 morecorruptionfraudregulatory-capturetechcryptocurrency+3 more
Voyager Digital Holdings and affiliates file Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Southern District of New York after the collapse of crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC), which triggered a domino effect through the interconnected and unregulated crypto lending market. Voyager, like Celsius, …
Voyager DigitalThree Arrows CapitalSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)BlockFiCelsius Network+2 morecrypto-fraudregulatory-voidbankruptcysystemic-riskshadow-banking+3 more
Terraform Labs, led by Do Kwon, temporarily halted the Terra blockchain on May 13, 2022, after a catastrophic four-day collapse that wiped out nearly $45 billion in market capitalization and devastated hundreds of thousands of retail investors globally. LUNA, which traded at $119 in April and $87 on …
Do KwonTerraform LabsSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)CFTCPaul Engelmayer+2 morecryptoregulatory-capturefraudstablecoinsystemic-risk+4 more
TerraUSD (UST), the fourth-largest stablecoin with $18 billion market capitalization, began losing its dollar peg on May 7-9, 2022, triggering a catastrophic “death spiral” that would destroy $40 billion in value within days and crash the broader crypto market. The algorithmic …
Do KwonTerraform LabsSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)CFTCJanet Yellen+3 morecryptoregulatory-capturefraudstablecoinsystemic-risk+3 more
A federal jury convicts Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes on one count of conspiracy to commit investor fraud and three counts of wire fraud involving over $140 million in investments. The conviction follows a nearly four-month trial where prosecutors presented testimony from 29 witnesses …
Elizabeth HolmesTheranosU.S. Department of JusticeSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)FDAcorruptionfraudregulatory-capturetechhealthcare+3 more
The SEC settled fraud charges against Nikola Corporation for $125 million, finding the electric vehicle company made materially false and misleading statements about its products, technical capabilities, and partnerships during its 2020 SPAC merger. Founder Trevor Milton falsely claimed the Nikola …
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)Nikola CorporationTrevor MiltonVectoIQ Acquisition Corp (SPAC)spac-fraudelectric-vehiclessec-enforcementmaterial-misrepresentationretail-fraud+2 more
The Securities and Exchange Commission censured MIO Partners Inc. (McKinsey’s investment subsidiary) and ordered it to pay $18 million to settle allegations that it had access to material nonpublic information about Puerto Rico and other issuers while simultaneously overseeing investments that …
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)MIO PartnersMcKinsey & CompanyFinancial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Ricomckinseysec-enforcementmio-partnerspuerto-ricoconflict-of-interest+4 more
Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC), a special purpose acquisition company, announced its agreement to merge with Trump Media & Technology Group Corp (TMTG), bringing Trump’s Truth Social platform public. The announcement triggered massive trading volume and price volatility, with DWAC …
Donald TrumpDigital World Acquisition CorpTrump Media & Technology GroupSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)Bruce Garelick+1 morespac-fraudtruth-socialdwacregulatory-capturetrump-media+1 more
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission ordered Tether Holdings Limited to pay a $41 million civil penalty for making untrue and misleading statements about the reserves backing its USDT stablecoin, the world’s largest stablecoin with over $69 billion in circulation. The CFTC found that from …
Tether Holdings LimitedCFTCDawn StumpBitfinexSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)cryptoregulatory-capturefraudstablecoinsystemic-risk+3 more
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the SEC simultaneously charge Nikola Corporation founder Trevor Milton with securities and wire fraud for systematically deceiving investors about the company’s hydrogen truck technology. Milton made false claims that a …
Trevor MiltonNikola CorporationSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)DOJHindenburg Research+2 morefraudspac-erasecurities-fraudregulatory-gapssec+2 more
WeWork formally withdraws its S-1 filing and postpones its IPO after investor scrutiny reveals catastrophic governance failures and self-dealing by CEO Adam Neumann. The company’s valuation collapses from $47 billion (January 2019) to under $10 billion in months. The SEC investigation reveals …
Adam NeumannWeWorkSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)SoftBankJohn White+1 morefraudregulatory-capturecorporate-governancesecrevolving-door+2 more
On August 2, 2018, the Trump administration’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dropped its two-year investigation into how ExxonMobil factors climate change regulations into its calculations of asset values. The SEC informed the energy giant in a letter dated Thursday that it would …
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)ExxonMobilDonald TrumpRex Tillersonclimate-denialexxonknewregulatory-captureaccountability-failuretrump-administration
Valeant Pharmaceuticals’ October 2015 disclosure of its relationship with specialty pharmacy Philidor Rx Services triggered the unraveling of a systematic drug price gouging scheme that had raised prices on dozens of medications by 50-3000% over two years. Under CEO Michael Pearson, Valeant …
Valeant PharmaceuticalsJ. Michael PearsonPhilidor Rx ServicesWilliam AckmanSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)+2 morepharmaceutical-industrydrug-pricinghealthcarecorporate-fraudsystematic-corruption+1 more
On February 3, 2015, the Department of Justice, 19 states, and the District of Columbia reached a $1.375 billion settlement with Standard & Poor’s (S&P) over allegations that the credit rating agency knowingly inflated ratings on risky mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt …
Standard & Poor'sMoody's Investors ServiceFitch RatingsDepartment of JusticeSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)financial-crisisregulatory-captureconflict-of-interestfraudaccountability-crisis+1 more
BP reached a landmark $4.5 billion criminal settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, pleading guilty to 14 criminal charges including 11 felony counts of misconduct or negligent homicide related to the deaths of the 11 workers in the Deepwater Horizon explosion. The settlement included $4 …
BP (British Petroleum)Department of JusticeSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)Donald VidrineRobert Kaluza+3 morecriminal-settlementcorporate-prosecutionenvironmental-crimedeepwater-horizondoj-enforcement
On June 7, 2012, 38 Studios LLC—the video game development company founded by former baseball star Curt Schilling—files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy with $151 million in debt and just $22 million in assets, leaving Rhode Island taxpayers to absorb $38.6 million in losses from a $75 million state loan …
Curt Schilling38 Studios LLCRhode Island Economic Development CorporationLincoln ChafeeWells Fargo+1 morecorporate-welfareeconomic-developmentbankruptcytaxpayer-lossesrhode-island+3 more
An enforcement branch chief in the SEC’s San Francisco office left the agency in May 2010 to become in-house counsel at Wells Fargo & Co. Less than two weeks after joining Wells Fargo, she filed six disclosure statements indicating she would be representing the bank in connection with …
Wells FargoSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)SEC San Francisco Officerevolving-doorwells-fargosecregulatory-captureenforcement+1 more
On April 16, 2010, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged Goldman Sachs and Vice President Fabrice Tourre with securities fraud related to ABACUS 2007-AC1, a synthetic collateralized debt obligation (CDO) tied to subprime residential mortgage-backed securities. The SEC alleged that Goldman …
Goldman SachsFabrice TourreJohn PaulsonSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)Department of Justice+2 morefinancial-crisissecurities-fraudregulatory-capturesynthetic-cdoaccountability-crisis
On December 11, 2008, FBI agents arrested Bernard L. Madoff for orchestrating the largest Ponzi scheme in history, worth approximately $65 billion and affecting 37,000 victims across 136 countries. Madoff, former chairman of the Nasdaq Stock Market, confessed to his sons on December 9 that his …
Bernie MadoffFederal Bureau of InvestigationSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)Harry Markopolosfraudregulatory-capturesecponzi-schemefinancial-crime+3 more
Bank of America completed its acquisition of Countrywide Financial on July 1, 2008, purchasing the nation’s largest mortgage lender for approximately $4 billion in a Federal Reserve-approved transaction that would ultimately cost Bank of America and its shareholders at least $50 billion in …
Angelo MoziloCountrywide FinancialBank of AmericaSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)Department of Justice+1 morefinancial-crisisregulatory-capturepredatory-lendingfraudaccountability-crisis+1 more
On November 7, 2005, financial analyst Harry Markopolos submitted his third and most detailed complaint to the SEC, a report entitled ‘The World’s Largest Hedge Fund is a Fraud,’ outlining approximately 30 red flags indicating that Bernie Madoff was operating a Ponzi scheme, which …
Harry MarkopolosSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)Bernie Madofffraudregulatory-capturesecponzi-schemefinancial-crime+3 more
The Securities and Exchange Commission votes unanimously to allow the five largest investment banks to dramatically increase their leverage ratios, removing a 1970s-era rule that limited debt to 12 times capital. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, and Bear Stearns …
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)William DonaldsonGoldman SachsMorgan StanleyMerrill Lynch+2 moreregulatory-capturehousing-policyleverageinvestment-bankshousing
On October 22, 2001, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced it was formally investigating Enron’s suspicious dealings with partnerships controlled by CFO Andrew Fastow, characterizing them as “some of the most opaque transactions with insiders ever seen.” Enron’s …
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)Andrew FastowKenneth Laycorporate-fraudenronsecinvestigationregulatory-enforcement
The NASDAQ Composite stock market index peaks at 5,048.62 on Friday, March 10, 2000, marking the height of the dot-com bubble before collapsing 78% to 1,114 by October 2002, erasing all gains made during the bubble. Between 1995 and the March 2000 peak, NASDAQ investments rise 600% in what becomes …
Investment BanksSecurities AnalystsSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)NASDAQVenture Capitalists+1 morederegulationregulatory-capturesecurities-fraudanalyst-conflictsirrational-exuberance+2 more
Under Reagan administration SEC Chairman John Shad, former vice chairman of E.F. Hutton, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopts Rule 10b-18, creating a ‘safe harbor’ from manipulation liability for corporate stock repurchases. Prior to this rule, large-scale share repurchases were …
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)John ShadRonald Reaganseccorporate-powerwealth-extractionstock-buybacksderegulation+1 more
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Public Utility Holding Company Act (PUHCA) into law on August 26, 1935, based on the 1928-1935 Federal Trade Commission investigation of the electric industry that exposes widespread abuses by large multistate utility corporations. The Act addresses …
Franklin D. RooseveltFederal Trade CommissionElectric Utility IndustrySecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)utility-regulationnew-dealanti-monopolyregulatory-victorycorporate-restructuring+1 more
President Roosevelt appoints Joseph P. Kennedy, a wealthy Wall Street speculator known for stock manipulation and insider trading, as the first chairman of the newly-created Securities and Exchange Commission on July 2, 1934. The appointment shocks New Deal reformers and delights Wall Street, …
Franklin D. RooseveltJoseph P. KennedySecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)Wall Streetregulatory-capturenew-dealsecfinancial-regulationrevolving-door