Timeline Events

JD Vance Joins Peter Thiel's Mithril Capital as Principal

JD Vance joins Peter Thiel’s venture capital firm Mithril Capital as a principal, establishing a crucial financial and ideological relationship that would later shape his political career. The partnership connects Vance to Thiel’s techno-libertarian philosophy and provides the foundation …

Seventeen State Attorneys General Announce ExxonMobil Climate Fraud Investigations

On March 29, 2016, a coalition of 17 state attorneys general announced coordinated investigations into ExxonMobil for potential climate denial fraud at a daylong climate change conference in Manhattan. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and Virgin Islands Attorney General Claude Walker …

Obama Nominates Merrick Garland to Supreme Court, McConnell and Senate Republicans Refuse to Hold Hearings or Vote

On March 16, 2016, President Barack Obama nominated Merrick B. Garland, the widely respected Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Antonin Scalia’s death one month earlier. Garland was considered a …

CDC Issues First Opioid Prescribing Guidelines, Twenty Years After OxyContin Launch

On March 15, 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its first-ever “Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain”—twenty years after Purdue Pharma launched OxyContin with aggressive marketing based on false addiction claims, and nine years after …

Phyllis Schlafly Endorses Trump in Final Political Act, Passing Torch to Populist Movement

Phyllis Schlafly, 91 years old, endorses Donald Trump’s candidacy for president in March 2016, when the GOP primary has narrowed and conservatives are choosing between Trump and Texas Senator Ted Cruz. The endorsement becomes one of Trump’s earliest and most influential endorsements from …

FBI Works with Cellebrite to Crack San Bernardino Shooter's iPhone After Apple Refuses

The FBI engages Israeli mobile forensics company Cellebrite to crack the iPhone 5C used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook, after Apple refuses to create software to bypass the device’s security features. Following the December 2015 terrorist attack that killed 14 people, the FBI …

FBI Orders Apple to Break iPhone Encryption in San Bernardino Case

A federal magistrate judge ordered Apple to create special software to bypass security features on an iPhone 5C used by San Bernardino terrorist Syed Rizwan Farook, triggering the most public battle over encryption in U.S. history. The FBI sought to unlock the device after the December 2015 attack …

Justice Antonin Scalia Dies, McConnell Immediately Vows to Block Any Obama Nominee

On February 13, 2016, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died of apparent natural causes at a luxury resort in West Texas, creating a vacancy on the Court with nearly 11 months remaining in President Obama’s term. Within hours of Scalia’s death being announced, Senate Majority Leader …

West Virginia Becomes 26th Right-to-Work State, Overriding Governor Veto with ALEC Model

The West Virginia Legislature overrides Governor Earl Ray Tomblin’s veto of the “Workplace Freedom Act,” making West Virginia the 26th state to enact right-to-work legislation prohibiting mandatory union membership or fees. The override follows the coordinated Koch-backed playbook …

Trump Uses Charity Foundation for Iowa Campaign Event, Violating Tax Law

Donald Trump staged a campaign fundraiser in Des Moines, Iowa disguised as a charitable event, using the Trump Foundation in direct violation of federal tax law prohibiting 501(c)(3) charitable organizations from participating in political campaigns. The January 28, 2016 event occurred just days …

Snyder Finally Declares State of Emergency After Federal Investigation and Public Outcry

Governor Rick Snyder declares a state of emergency for Genesee County due to the ongoing health and safety crisis caused by lead in Flint’s drinking water—21 months after the initial water switch and three months after independent researchers forced the state to acknowledge the lead poisoning. …

Whistleblower Alleges Dialysis Giants DaVita and Fresenius Steer Patients Through American Kidney Fund in $247M Kickback Scheme

In 2016, a whistleblower who had worked for 12 years at the American Kidney Fund filed a lawsuit alleging that dialysis giants DaVita and Fresenius Medical Care—which together control over 80 percent of the $24.7 billion U.S. dialysis market—operated a years-long kickback scheme where they donated …

NRA Leaders Travel to Moscow on Trip Arranged by Maria Butina and Alexander Torshin, Meet High-Level Russian Officials

Maria Butina and Alexander Torshin arranged and hosted a delegation of National Rifle Association members in Moscow from December 10-15, 2015. The delegation included NRA leaders such as Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke and David Keene, a former NRA president. During the trip, the gun rights …

McKinsey Develops Saudi Vision 2030 Economic Blueprint for Crown Prince MBS

McKinsey Global Institute issues a comprehensive report titled ‘Moving Saudi Arabia’s Economy Beyond Oil’ in December 2015, which becomes the foundation for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 economic transformation plan. The Saudi government hires McKinsey as the …

NSA Officially Ends Bulk Phone Metadata Collection Under USA Freedom Act

The NSA officially ended its bulk collection of Americans’ telephone metadata at 11:59 PM on November 29, 2015, as required by the USA Freedom Act passed by Congress in June 2015. The program, which had operated under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act since 2006, systematically collected …

Johns Hopkins Study Exposes Orphan Drug Act Gaming - Seven of Top 10 Drugs Exploiting Tax Breaks for Rare Diseases

Johns Hopkins researchers published findings demonstrating that pharmaceutical companies were systematically gaming the 1983 Orphan Drug Act by obtaining orphan drug designations—intended for treatments of rare diseases affecting fewer than 200,000 Americans—for blockbuster drugs generating billions …

Education Management Corporation (EDMC) Settles Largest-Ever For-Profit Education Fraud Case for $95.5 Million, Forgives $103 Million in Student Loans

The United States Department of Justice and attorneys general from 38 states and the District of Columbia reached a landmark $95.5 million settlement with Education Management Corporation (EDMC) on November 16, 2015, resolving allegations that the nation’s second-largest for-profit education …

Valeant Pharmaceuticals Scandal Exposes Systematic Price Gouging Strategy - 3000% Increase on Syprine, Philidor Fraud Network

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 …

DaVita Pays $450 Million for Drug Wastage Fraud, Largest Unjoined Whistleblower Settlement in History

DaVita Healthcare Partners agrees to pay $450 million (ultimately $495 million) to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it knowingly created unnecessary waste in administering dialysis drugs Zemplar and Venofer, then fraudulently billed Medicare and Medicaid for the avoidable waste. …

Northrop Grumman Wins $80 Billion B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber Contract

The U.S. Defense Department awarded Northrop Grumman a development contract for the B-21 Raider Long Range Strike Bomber on October 27, 2015, with an initial value of $21.4 billion that could eventually reach $80 billion over the program’s lifetime, representing one of the largest defense …

Flint Switches Back to Detroit Water After 18 Months—But Damage to Children Is Permanent

Flint reconnects to the Detroit water system 18 months after the catastrophic switch to Flint River water, following Governor Rick Snyder’s approval of $9.35 million to restore the connection and provide relief. The switch comes only after independent researchers proved beyond doubt that the …

Wall Street Journal Exposes Theranos Blood-Testing Fraud in Landmark Investigation

Wall Street Journal reporter John Carreyrou publishes the first investigative article exposing Theranos’ fraudulent blood-testing technology, revealing that the company was using traditional blood testing machines instead of its proprietary ‘Edison’ devices and that test results …

U.S. Airstrike Destroys Doctors Without Borders Hospital in Kunduz, Kills 42

A U.S. Air Force AC-130 gunship launches sustained airstrikes against a Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, killing 42 people including 14 staff members, 24 patients, and 4 caretakers. The attacks continue for more than an hour despite frantic phone …

Michigan Finally Confirms Lead Problem and Advises Filters—18 Months After Poisoning Began

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) reviews data from Hurley Medical Center and finally verifies what residents have been saying for 18 months: Flint’s water is poisoning children with lead. The state begins testing drinking water in schools and distributing free water …

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha Reveals Elevated Blood Lead Levels in Flint Children

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician at Flint’s Hurley Medical Center, publicly releases research proving that children’s blood lead levels have doubled since the water switch, nearly tripling in the inner city. Her analysis compares blood lead data for children under 5 from …

Martin Shkreli Raises Daraprim Price by 5,000%, From $13.50 to $750 Per Pill

In September 2015, Turing Pharmaceuticals under CEO Martin Shkreli purchased the American marketing rights to Daraprim (pyrimethamine) and immediately raised the price from $13.50 to $750 per pill—a price increase of over 5,000%. The move became a symbol of pharmaceutical price gouging and exposed …

EPA Exposes Volkswagen Dieselgate: 11 Million Cars with Emissions Defeat Devices

On September 18, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a Notice of Violation to Volkswagen Group, exposing one of history’s largest corporate environmental frauds: VW had intentionally installed “defeat device” software in approximately 11 million diesel vehicles …

InsideClimate News Launches

On September 16, 2015, InsideClimate News began publishing an eight-month investigation revealing that Exxon’s own scientists warned executives as early as 1977 that burning fossil fuels was heating the planet, yet the company then worked at the forefront of climate denial for decades. The …

Chainalysis Secures First Federal Contract with FBI for $9,000

Chainalysis secures its first federal government contract, a $9,000 data software deal with the FBI, marking the beginning of the U.S. government’s systematic use of blockchain surveillance technology. In 2015, the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service are Chainalysis’s only federal …

Greece Accepts Third Bailout of €86 Billion Despite 61% Referendum Rejection Six Weeks Earlier

The European Stability Mechanism (ESM) board of governors approves a Memorandum of Understanding for Greece’s third bailout program worth up to €86 billion, specifying harsh reform policies Greece must fulfill despite Greek voters rejecting similar conditions by 61% to 39% in a referendum just …

ShotSpotter Gunshot Detection System Expands to Major U.S. Cities

ShotSpotter’s acoustic gunshot detection system undergoes major expansion across the United States during 2015, with significant deployments in New York City and Sacramento representing the technology’s growing adoption by major metropolitan police departments.

In August 2015, the New …

FBI Indianapolis Field Office Receives Nassar Allegations from USA Gymnastics, Fails to Open Investigation for 14 Months

On July 28, 2015, officials in the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office met with USA Gymnastics leadership who reported sexual abuse allegations against team doctor Larry Nassar from three young gymnasts. The FBI failed to formally document this meeting, failed to properly handle and document …

Russian Agent Maria Butina Questions Trump About Sanctions at FreedomFest, Trump Promises to "Get Along" with Putin

On July 11, 2015, at the FreedomFest libertarian conference in Las Vegas, Russian intelligence operative Maria Butina publicly questioned presidential candidate Donald Trump about US sanctions on Russia. Trump responded that he knew Putin and believed they would “get along very nicely” …

Greeks Vote 61% 'Oxi' (No) to Reject Troika Austerity in Historic Referendum

Greek citizens vote decisively 61% to 39% to reject a referendum on accepting more Troika bailout conditions in exchange for increased austerity measures, in the first referendum held in Greece since 1974 and the only one in modern Greek history not concerning the form of government. The …

McKinsey and NYC Corrections Officials Rig 'Restart' Program Data at Rikers Island

McKinsey tests its new anti-violence strategy in what the firm calls ‘Restart’ housing units at Rikers Island, implementing its centerpiece algorithm called the Housing Unit Balancer (HUB) designed to predict each inmate’s propensity for violence. By July 2015, eight Restart units …

NBC Fires Trump from The Apprentice Following Racist Comments About Mexican Immigrants

NBCUniversal announces on June 29, 2015, that it is ending its business relationship with Donald Trump, firing him from “The Apprentice” and cancelling the Trump-produced Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants in response to Trump’s racist comments about Mexican immigrants during his …

Supreme Court Rejects King v. Burwell Challenge to ACA Subsidies in Federal Exchanges

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in King v. Burwell that premium tax credits are available to qualifying individuals in all states, rejecting a challenge that would have eliminated subsidies for millions in the 34 states using the federal healthcare exchange (HealthCare.gov). The lawsuit, filed by …

Northrop Grumman Pays $11.4 Million for Illegally Billing Executive Compensation to Federal Contracts

Northrop Grumman Corporation paid the United States $11.4 million to settle government claims that it violated a 2002 settlement agreement with the Defense Contract Management Agency by improperly charging federal contracts for deferred compensation awards to key executives, demonstrating how …

White Supremacist Dylann Roof Murders Nine Black Worshippers at Historic Charleston Church - Confederate Flag Controversy Exposes South Carolina's Institutional Racism

On June 17, 2015, white supremacist Dylann Roof murdered nine Black worshippers during a Bible study session at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in a racially motivated terrorist attack that exposed the state’s ongoing institutional embrace of …

Trump Launches Presidential Campaign Calling Mexican Immigrants 'Rapists' and Criminals

Donald Trump formally announced his presidential candidacy with a speech demonizing Mexican immigrants in explicitly racist terms. Trump declared: ‘When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re …

Maine Governor LePage Threatens to Withhold School Funding to Block Political Opponent's Hiring

Maine Governor Paul LePage threatened to withhold $500,000 in state funding from Good Will-Hinckley, a nonprofit charter school serving at-risk youth, to force the organization to rescind a job offer to Democratic House Speaker Mark Eves. Good Will-Hinckley had announced on June 9, 2015 that it …

Obama Signs USA FREEDOM Act, Ending NSA Bulk Metadata Collection

President Barack Obama signed the USA FREEDOM Act into law on June 2, 2015, representing the most significant reform of U.S. surveillance programs since the 1970s and a direct response to Edward Snowden’s revelations about NSA mass surveillance. The Act prohibited bulk collection of all …

Russian Internet Research Agency begins Facebook ad campaign to influence U.S. politics

The St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency began purchasing Facebook ads and running coordinated influence operations. Senate Intelligence Committee reports and platform disclosures document spending (about $100,000 on ~3,000 ads) and reach in the tens of millions between 2015 and 2017.

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert Indicted for Bank Fraud and Lying to FBI

A seven-page federal indictment was unsealed charging former House Speaker Dennis Hastert with structuring bank withdrawals to evade reporting requirements and making false statements to the FBI. Hastert, who served as the longest-serving Republican House Speaker in history (1999-2007) and was third …

Second Circuit Rules NSA Bulk Phone Metadata Collection Illegal Under Patriot Act

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit unanimously ruled in ACLU v. Clapper that the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of telephone metadata was not authorized by Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act, effectively declaring the surveillance program …

Oklahoma Governor Signs HB 1749 Banning State Payroll Deductions for Teachers Union Dues Despite Technical Flaws

On May 6, 2015, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin signed House Bill 1749 into law, prohibiting state agencies from making payroll deductions for membership dues to public employee associations that engage in collective bargaining. The legislation, which took effect November 1, 2015, specifically …

Corinthian Colleges Files Bankruptcy After Federal Crackdown on For-Profit College Fraud

Corinthian Colleges, one of the nation’s largest for-profit college chains with over 100 campuses, filed for bankruptcy after federal and state regulators exposed systematic fraud against students. The company aggressively recruited low-income students with false promises of high job placement …

Corinthian Colleges Abruptly Closes All Remaining Campuses, Stranding 16,000 Students After Widespread Fraud Findings

Corinthian Colleges Inc., one of the largest for-profit college chains in the United States operating Everest College, Heald College, and WyoTech brands, announced on April 26, 2015, that it would immediately cease operations at all remaining campuses, abruptly closing 28 ground locations and …

Russian Agents Maria Butina and Alexander Torshin Attend NRA Annual Meeting, Meet Federal Reserve Vice Chairman

Russian operative Maria Butina and Alexander Torshin (member of Russia’s upper house of parliament and later sanctioned Russian official) traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to attend the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting from April 8-11, 2015. During this trip, Torshin met with …

Oklahoma Corporation Commission Orders 347 Disposal Wells to Prove Non-Contact with Basement Rock After Earthquake Surge

In April 2015, after years of earthquake increases that scientists conclusively linked to wastewater injection from oil and gas operations, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission finally issued directives requiring 92 operators of 347 Arbuckle formation disposal wells to prove their wells were not in …