Michael Wolff’s 2019 book ‘Siege’ and later interviews/podcast episodes raised various allegations and speculations around Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. These claims have been disputed and are not substantiated by official investigations or court records; treat as disputed commentary …
Special Counsel Robert Mueller publicly clarified his investigation\u0027s constraints, stating that DOJ policy prohibits charging a sitting president with a federal crime. Mueller emphasized that \u0027under long-standing Department policy, a President cannot be charged with a federal crime while …
Robert MuellerWilliam Barrconstitutional-lawrobert-muellertrump-investigationlegal-constraintsdoj-policy
On May 24, 2019, the Trump administration invoked a rarely-used emergency provision of the Arms Export Control Act to bypass congressional review and ram through 22 separate arms sales worth $8.1 billion to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Jordan. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared an …
Donald TrumpMike PompeoRaytheonLockheed MartinBoeing+2 moreraytheonsaudi-arabiatrumparms-salesyemen-war+3 more
A U.S. grand jury added 17 counts under the Espionage Act to the federal indictment against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, marking the first time in American history that the government used the 1917 anti-spying law to prosecute a publisher for receiving and publishing truthful classified …
Julian AssangeWikiLeaksDepartment of JusticeTrump Administrationespionage-actpress-freedomwikileaksfirst-amendmentextradition
Federal Judge Lucy Koh issues a 233-page decision finding Qualcomm violated antitrust laws (Sherman Act Sections 1 and 2) through its ’no license, no chips’ policy for standard essential patents (SEPs) covering cellular modem technology, which Qualcomm had committed to license on Fair, …
FTCLucy KohQualcommNinth Circuit Court of AppealsDepartment of Justice+1 moreintellectual-propertypatent-abusestandard-essential-patentsfrandantitrust+3 more
Utah Representative Ryan Wilcox and Senator Daniel McCay championed HB 474, legislation requiring legislative approval for “major” agency rules with significant economic impact, modeled directly on ALEC’s Targeted Legislative Review Act. The law created a Legislative Economic …
Ryan WilcoxDaniel McCayAmerican Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Utah State Legislatureinstitutional-capturecorporate-influenceregulatory-capturealecderegulation
President Trump ordered the recall of Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch from her post in Ukraine on April 24, 2019, with her recall becoming public on May 7, following a coordinated smear campaign orchestrated by Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, corrupt Ukrainian prosecutor Yuriy Lutsenko, …
Marie YovanovitchDonald TrumpRudy GiulianiYuriy LutsenkoLev Parnas+2 moreinspector generalwhistleblower retaliationobstruction of justiceaccountability crisisukraine+1 more
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan sentenced Maria Butina to 18 months in federal prison on April 26, 2019 for conspiring to act as a Russian agent without registering with the Justice Department. The sentencing took place in Washington, D.C. federal court. Butina had been in custody since her arrest …
Maria ButinaTanya ChutkanDepartment of JusticeNational Rifle Associationrussian-influencesentencingforeign-agentsnrafara-violations+2 more
President Donald Trump explicitly declares blanket resistance to congressional oversight, stating “We’re fighting all the subpoenas” and dismissing House Democrats as not “impartial people.” This systematic escalation represents an unprecedented challenge to legislative …
Donald TrumpWhite HouseHouse DemocratsCongressional InvestigatorsDon McGahn+2 moretrump-administrationcongressional-obstructionsubpoena-defianceconstitutional-crisissystematic-corruption+2 more
President Trump filed a federal lawsuit to block a House Oversight Committee subpoena seeking eight years of his financial records from accounting firm Mazars USA, challenging Congress’s investigative authority. The lawsuit sought to prevent the release of tax returns and financial statements, …
Donald TrumpMazars USAHouse Oversight CommitteeElijah CummingsMichael Cohen+1 moretrump-administrationfinancial-recordscongressional-subpoenalegal-challengeoversight-obstruction+1 more
The Department of Justice released Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s 448-page Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, the culmination of a 22-month investigation that issued more than 2,800 subpoenas, executed nearly 500 search warrants, and …
Robert MuellerDonald TrumpWilliam BarrRussian Governmentmueller investigationobstruction of justicerussia interferencepresidential accountabilityimpeachment+1 more
On April 16, 2019, President Trump vetoes S.J. Res. 7, a bipartisan congressional resolution invoking the War Powers Resolution to end U.S. military support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The veto protects Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman six months after the CIA concluded with high confidence that …
Donald TrumpMohammed bin SalmanU.S. CongressSaudi Arabia governmentdonald-trumpsaudi-arabiayemenwar-powerscongress+3 more
Russian aluminum giant Rusal announces a $200 million investment in Kentucky’s Braidy Industries aluminum mill project, taking a 40 percent equity stake just three months after the Trump administration lifts sanctions on the company. Rusal was sanctioned in April 2018 because its major …
RusalOleg DeripaskaEn+ GroupBraidy IndustriesMitch McConnell+2 morecorruptionkentuckyrussiasanctions-evasionpolitical-influence+3 more
The Senate confirmed David Bernhardt as Interior Secretary on April 11, 2019, by a vote of 56 to 41 despite extensive conflicts of interest from his career as an oil and gas lobbyist. A Center for American Progress analysis determined Bernhardt had the dubious distinction of being the most …
David BernhardtDonald Trumpcabinet corruptionethics violationsdavid bernhardtinterior departmentconflicts of interest+2 more
The HUD Office of Inspector General investigated allegations that Secretary Benjamin Carson used his office for the personal benefit of his son, Benjamin Carson Jr., a federal contractor, by allowing him to participate in official Department matters including a June 2017 HUD “listening …
Ben CarsonBen Carson Jr.cabinet corruptionethics violationsben carsonhudnepotism+1 more
Attorney General William Barr released a four-page letter to Congress purporting to summarize the 448-page Mueller Report’s “principal conclusions” just 48 hours after receiving it. Barr’s summary fundamentally mischaracterized the report’s findings on obstruction of …
William BarrRobert MuellerDonald TrumpRod Rosensteinmueller investigationobstruction of justiceattorney general corruptiondisinformationaccountability crisis+1 more
On March 15, 2019, a white nationalist terrorist killed 51 people and wounded 40 others in attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in the first major mass casualty event demonstrating 8chan’s radicalization infrastructure producing real-world terrorism. The shooter announced his …
The Federal Aviation Administration finally grounded the Boeing 737 MAX on March 13, 2019, three days after the Ethiopian Airlines crash and only after 51 other countries had already banned the aircraft. China acted first on March 11, followed by Indonesia, Singapore, India, the European Union, …
Federal Aviation AdministrationBoeingActing FAA Administrator Dan ElwellEuropean Union Aviation Safety AgencyCivil Aviation Administration of China+2 morefaaboeing737-maxregulatory-captureaviation-safety+1 more
Federal prosecutors unveiled Operation Varsity Blues, the largest college admissions fraud case ever prosecuted, charging 50 people including wealthy parents and university coaches. Mastermind Rick Singer ran a $25 million bribery scheme (2011-2018) through his firm The Key, facilitating fraudulent …
Rick SingerLori LoughlinFelicity HuffmanU.S. Attorney Andrew LellingFBIfraudcorruptioneducationinstitutional-capturewealth-inequality
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, crashed six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, killing all 157 people aboard from 35 countries. The crash was caused by the same MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System) malfunction that downed Lion Air Flight 610 five …
Ethiopian AirlinesBoeingFederal Aviation AdministrationMCAS system157 victims from 35 countries+1 moreboeing737-maxmcasethiopian-airlinesaviation-safety+3 more
Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort received a combined sentence of 7.5 years (90 months) in federal prison across two separate criminal cases stemming from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, representing the longest prison term imposed on any defendant in the Mueller …
Paul ManafortDonald TrumpJudge T.S. Ellis IIIJudge Amy Berman JacksonRobert Muellermueller investigationpaul manafortsentencingjudicial biaspresidential pardons+2 more
While seeking federal approval of the T-Mobile–Sprint merger, T-Mobile executives sharply increased spending at Trump International Hotel in Washington—about $195,000 on rooms, meeting space, and services—according to company letters and reporting. The company said the stays did not affect the …
T-Mobile USSprintTrump International Hotel WashingtonFCCDOJ Antitrust Division+2 moremerger-reviewlobbyingconflictscorporate-influenceregulatory-capture
In March 2019, just months after Jamal Khashoggi’s October 2018 assassination by Saudi agents on orders from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a reporter asks McKinsey Managing Director Kevin Sneader what McKinsey would do if they found out their client was a murderer. Sneader replies: …
Kevin SneaderMcKinsey & CompanySaudi ArabiaMohammed bin SalmanJamal Khashoggimckinseysaudi-arabiacorporate-ethicskhashoggimbs+2 more
The North Carolina State Board of Elections voted 5-0 (including Republicans) to order a new election in the 9th Congressional District after discovering a ‘coordinated, unlawful and substantially resourced absentee ballot scheme’ orchestrated by Republican operative McCrae Dowless on …
Mark HarrisMcCrae DowlessDan McCreadyNorth Carolina State Board of Electionselection manipulationrepublican partyelection fraudcriminal justice
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra rules that federal prosecutors violated the Crime Victims’ Rights Act by failing to inform victims about the 2008 non-prosecution agreement with Jeffrey Epstein. The ruling found that prosecutors deliberately concealed the agreement from victims and their …
On February 17, 2019, YouTuber Matt Watson published a viral investigation exposing how YouTube’s recommendation algorithm facilitated what he called a “wormhole into a soft-core pedophile ring”—systematically clustering videos of minors and serving them to predators while …
YouTubeGoogleMatt Watson (investigative YouTuber)Pedophile networksDisney+3 moreyoutubechild-exploitationalgorithm-harmcontent-moderation-failurepedophile-networks+2 more
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation agreed to pay $5.2 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it fraudulently billed the United States Postal Service for personnel who lacked the required education and experience qualifications specified in their contract labor categories. The …
Northrop GrummanDepartment of JusticeU.S. Postal ServiceUSPS Office of Inspector Generaldefense contractorsfraudfalse claims actcontractor abuseaccountability+1 more
President Trump overrode security clearance denials for at least 25 individuals including Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, despite FBI and CIA objections citing foreign influence, conflicts of interest, personal conduct, financial problems, and drug use. Kushner’s clearance was denied due to …
Donald TrumpJared KushnerIvanka TrumpJohn KellyCarl Kline+1 moresecurity-clearancesnational-securitynepotismforeign-influencewhistleblower-retaliation
Frontier Services Group announced plans to build a training facility in Xinjiang province, the western Chinese region where as many as 1 million Uyghur Muslims had been placed in extrajudicial detention camps under comprehensive surveillance. FSG’s Chinese website posted a statement saying the …
Erik PrinceFrontier Services GroupChang ZhenmingCITIC Grouphuman-rights-violationschinaprivate-militarysurveillance-technologyethnic-cleansing+1 more
Dream Center Education Holdings (DCEH), a California-based religious nonprofit with no prior experience operating colleges, entered receivership on January 18, 2019, less than two years after acquiring the Art Institutes, Argosy University, South University, and Western State College of Law from the …
Dream Center Education HoldingsArt InstitutesArgosy UniversitySouth UniversityWestern State College of Law+4 morefor-profit-educationnonprofit-conversionfraudcollege-closurestudent-aid-theft+2 more
A damning report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General revealed on January 17, 2019 that the Trump administration had separated thousands more children from their parents than previously disclosed, beginning as early as summer 2017—nearly a year before the …
HHS Office of Inspector GeneralDonald TrumpKirstjen NielsenJeff SessionsStephen Miller+1 morefamily-separationhuman-rightschild-abuseimmigrationcrimes-against-humanity+1 more
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi joined Ballard Partners, the powerful Trump-connected lobbying firm, as chairwoman of the Corporate Regulatory Compliance practice immediately after leaving office in January 2019. Over the next five years, Bondi would lobby on behalf of more than 30 clients …
The Intercept published an investigation on January 10, 2019 revealing that beginning in 2016, Ring provided its Ukraine-based research and development team with virtually unfettered access to a folder on Amazon’s S3 cloud storage service containing every video created by every Ring camera …
RingAmazonJeff Bezossurveillanceringamazonprivacyemployee-misconduct+3 more
By 2019, research documented the cumulative impact of ALEC’s systematic corporate tax-cutting campaign: the effective state and local tax rate on corporate profits had declined from 5.9% in 1989 to 3.9% in 2019—a 33% reduction representing the successful culmination of three decades of …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)State LegislaturesCorporate LobbyGood Jobs FirstEconomic Policy Institute+1 morealeccorporate-corruptiontax-policyrace-to-bottomfiscal-crisis+5 more
On December 18, 2018, federal Judge Emmet Sullivan delivered a scathing rebuke to Michael Flynn during what was scheduled to be his sentencing hearing, telling Trump’s former National Security Advisor “arguably you sold your country out” for working as an unregistered foreign agent …
Michael FlynnJudge Emmet SullivanRobert MuellerDonald Trumpmueller investigationmichael flynnsentencingforeign agentturkey lobbying+2 more
The New York Times publishes a major investigation by Walt Bogdanich and Michael Forsythe titled ‘How McKinsey Has Helped Raise the Stature of Authoritarian Governments’ based on interviews with 40 current and former McKinsey employees and dozens of clients. The investigation reveals …
McKinsey & CompanyWalt BogdanichMichael ForsytheThe New York TimesSaudi Arabia+4 moremckinseyauthoritarian-consultinginvestigative-journalismsaudi-arabiachina+3 more
Maria Butina pleaded guilty in federal court on December 13, 2018 to one count of conspiracy to act as an agent of the Russian Federation without registering with the U.S. government, while the original charge of failing to register as a foreign agent was dropped. She became the first Russian …
Maria ButinaAlexander TorshinDepartment of JusticePaul EricksonNational Rifle Associationrussian-influenceguilty-pleasforeign-agentsnrafara-violations+3 more
The University of Phoenix’s enrollment collapsed from a peak of 470,000 students in 2010 to approximately 95,000 by fall 2018—an 80% decline—as federal and state investigations exposed systematic fraud including deceptive advertising that falsely promised job opportunities with major companies …
University of PhoenixApollo Education GroupFederal Trade Commissionfor-profit-collegesfraudstudent-debtuniversity-of-phoenix
The New York Police Department signed a nondisclosure agreement with Clearview AI on December 6, 2018, beginning a secret trial period that would run through March 6, 2019. The trial marked one of the first major law enforcement deployments of Clearview’s controversial facial recognition …
Centro de Periodismo Investigativo revealed that McKinsey’s conflict of interest in Puerto Rico extended beyond its own bond holdings to include connections with major creditors through hedge fund Whitebox Advisors, which held over $140 million in Puerto Rico bonds through various investment …
McKinsey & CompanyMIO PartnersWhitebox AdvisorsFinancial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto RicoCentro de Periodismo Investigativomckinseypuerto-ricoconflict-of-interesthedge-fundsconsulting-scandal+4 more
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney and longtime fixer, pleaded guilty on November 29, 2018, to making false statements to Congress about the Trump Organization’s negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. This was Cohen’s second guilty plea in 2018 …
Michael CohenDonald TrumpDmitry PeskovRobert Muellermueller investigationtrump tower moscowcongressional liesmichael cohenrussia business dealings+1 more
Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp’s office purged approximately 1.4 million voters from registration rolls between 2012-2018 using an ’exact match’ system that required perfect alignment between voter registration and DMV/Social Security records. Discrepancies as minor as a …
Brian KempStacey AbramsGeorgia Secretary of State OfficeCommon Cause GeorgiaACLU of Georgia+1 morevoter-purgesexact-matchconflict-of-interestracial-disparityvoter-registration+1 more
On November 20, 2018, President Trump issues an extraordinary written statement titled “Statement from President Donald J. Trump on Standing with Saudi Arabia” that explicitly rejects CIA findings and defends Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman despite the intelligence community’s …
Donald TrumpMohammed bin SalmanCIAKing SalmanGina Haspeldonald-trumpsaudi-arabiajamal-khashoggiciaintelligence+4 more
On May 15, 2017, award-winning Mexican journalist Javier Valdez Cárdenas, co-founder of the investigative outlet Río Doce and renowned for reporting on drug trafficking and organized crime in Sinaloa, is assassinated in broad daylight in Culiacán. Just two days later, on May 17, two of his …
Javier Valdez CárdenasAndrés VillarrealIsmael BojórquezCitizen LabNSO Group+1 morenso-grouppegasus-spywaremexicojournalist-targetingpress-freedom+2 more
Amazon announced on November 13, 2018 that it would split its HQ2 project between Long Island City in Queens, New York and Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia (rebranded as “National Landing”). While Amazon claimed the combined subsidies totaled approximately $2.8 billion, analysis by …
AmazonJeff BezosAndrew CuomoBill de BlasioGood Jobs Firstcorporate-welfareeconomic-extractionbillionaire-impunitywealth-extraction
Michigan voters approve Proposal 2 with 61% support, amending the state constitution to create an independent redistricting commission that removes politicians from the line-drawing process. The grassroots “Voters Not Politicians” initiative directly responds to Michigan’s status …
Voters Not PoliticiansMichigan votersgerrymanderingmichigandirect-democracyvoting-rightsballot-initiative
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation agreed to pay $31.65 million to settle civil and criminal charges for systematically defrauding the U.S. Air Force by overbilling labor hours on battlefield communications contracts between January 2011 and October 2013. The settlement included $27.45 million for …
Northrop GrummanDepartment of JusticeU.S. Air ForceDefense Criminal Investigative ServiceFBI+1 moredefense contractorsfraudmilitary-industrial complexfalse claims actpentagon contracts+2 more
A fatal aviation disaster revealing critical design flaws in Boeing’s 737 MAX aircraft. The crash of Lion Air Flight 610 exposed systemic issues in aircraft design, maintenance, and pilot training, resulting from a malfunctioning Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). …
Lion AirBoeingMCAS system189 victimsNational Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC)+1 moreboeing737maxmcaslion-airaviation-safety+3 more
On October 23, 2018, three weeks after Jamal Khashoggi’s murder inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, President Trump publicly acknowledges the killing was orchestrated by Saudi Arabia but makes clear he will not hold Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman accountable. Despite calling Saudi …
Donald TrumpMohammed bin SalmanMike PompeoSaudi Arabia governmentdonald-trumpsaudi-arabiajamal-khashoggiaccountabilitymohammed-bin-salman+2 more