Timeline Events

Monica Goodling Admits Political Screening of DOJ Lawyers

Monica Goodling, White House liaison and senior counsel to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, testified under immunity that she violated federal law by applying political loyalty tests to career Justice Department positions. A 1999 graduate of Pat Robertson’s Regent University Law School, …

Purdue Pharma Pleads Guilty to Criminal Misbranding, $600M Fine, Zero Executives Jailed

On May 10, 2007, Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty to a felony charge of illegally misbranding OxyContin in an effort to mislead and defraud physicians and agreed to pay $600 million—representing approximately 90 percent of OxyContin profits during the offense period. The company admitted to misleading …

Halliburton Completes Spin-Off of KBR to Distance from Iraq War Scandals, Fraud Investigations, and $2.7 Billion in Questioned Costs

Halliburton announced the completion of its spin-off of KBR on April 5, 2007, separating the subsidiary that had generated most of its Iraq War controversies after 44 years of corporate integration. The separation followed KBR’s initial public offering on November 16, 2006, which raised $470 …

New Century Financial Bankruptcy Signals Start of Subprime Mortgage Crisis

New Century Financial Corporation, the nation’s second-largest subprime mortgage lender, files for bankruptcy protection after its stock loses 90 percent of its value in weeks, marking the beginning of the subprime mortgage crisis. The company had originated $60 billion in subprime loans in …

FISA Court Judge Rejects NSA Warrantless Surveillance Expansion

FISA Court Judge Roger Vinson delivered a significant rebuke to the Bush administration by rejecting the government’s attempt to rewrite FISA statutes to permit expanded warrantless surveillance inside the United States. The government sought to stretch FISA’s definition of a …

Halliburton Moves CEO and Corporate Headquarters to Dubai for Tax Advantages and Distance from Iraq War Scandals, Weeks Before Completing KBR Spin-Off

Halliburton announced on March 12, 2007, that it was relocating its corporate headquarters and CEO David Lesar from Houston, Texas, to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, citing business opportunities in the Middle East where 38% of its $13 billion in oil field services revenue originated and 16,000 …

DOJ Inspector General Documents Systematic FBI Surveillance Abuse

Department of Justice Inspector General Glenn Fine releases comprehensive report documenting widespread FBI abuse of National Security Letters (NSLs) and surveillance authorities. The investigation found FBI systematically circumvented legal requirements, collected intelligence on Americans without …

Scooter Libby Convicted on Four Counts in CIA Leak Case

Lewis ‘Scooter’ Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff, is convicted on 4 of 5 federal counts related to the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame’s identity: obstruction of justice, two counts of perjury, and one count of making false statements to federal …

Stephen Miller and Richard Spencer Organize White Nationalist Speaker at Duke University

While students at Duke University, Stephen Miller and white nationalist leader Richard Spencer collaborated to organize a speaking event featuring Peter Brimelow, founder of anti-immigration hate site VDARE. Miller and Spencer, both members of Duke’s Conservative Union, arranged for Brimelow …

ALEC Launches 'Rich States, Poor States' Report with Arthur Laffer - Annual Corporate Tax Competition Manifesto to Drive Interstate Race-to-Bottom

In 2007, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) launched its first annual ‘Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index’ report, co-authored by economist Arthur Laffer, Stephen Moore, and ALEC staff. The report ranked all 50 states based on 15 …

AT&T Completes $86 Billion BellSouth Acquisition: Bell System Reassembled After 1984 Breakup

AT&T Inc. (formerly SBC Communications) completed its $85.8 billion acquisition of BellSouth Corporation with FCC approval, reassembling much of the former Bell System that was broken up in 1984 as an antitrust remedy. The merger consolidated control over telecommunications infrastructure across …

Bush Administration Fires 9 U.S. Attorneys for Political Reasons

The Bush administration fired 9 U.S. attorneys in an unprecedented midterm purge for what investigators determined were largely political reasons. Seven prosecutors were ordered to resign on December 7, 2006, including David Iglesias (New Mexico), Carol Lam (Southern California), and John McKay …

Jeffrey Skilling Sentenced to 24 Years for Enron Fraud

On October 23, 2006, former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling was sentenced to 24 years and four months in federal prison for his role in the Enron fraud, representing one of the harshest sentences ever imposed on a corporate executive. U.S. District Judge Sim Lake also ordered Skilling to forfeit …

Congressman Bob Ney Pleads Guilty in Abramoff Corruption Scandal

Representative Bob Ney (R-OH) pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and making false statements in connection with the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, becoming the first member of Congress convicted in the case. Ney admitted to receiving gifts including golf trips to Scotland, expensive meals, and …

Bush Publicly Acknowledges CIA Secret Prisons for First Time, Transfers Detainees to Guantanamo

President George W. Bush publicly acknowledges for the first time that the CIA has been operating secret prisons to hold and interrogate terrorism suspects, confirming what journalists and human rights organizations had been reporting for years. In a White House speech, Bush admits that “a …

Voting Rights Act Reauthorization of 2006: 25-Year Extension Passes with Bipartisan Supermajority Before Conservative Legal Assault

President George W. Bush signed the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006, extending Section 5 preclearance requirements for 25 years with overwhelming bipartisan support. The House passed the bill 390-33 and the Senate …

ABA Condemns Bush 800+ Signing Statements Nullifying Oversight

The American Bar Association Task Force condemned President Bush’s unprecedented use of signing statements to nullify congressional oversight, issuing more than 800 constitutional challenges by 2006 versus fewer than 600 by all previous presidents combined. Bush produced 150 signing statements …

Ken Lay Dies Before Sentencing, Conviction Later Vacated

On July 5, 2006, Kenneth Lay died of a heart attack at his vacation home in Aspen, Colorado, just six weeks after being convicted on all six counts of fraud and conspiracy in the Enron scandal. Lay, 64, was pronounced dead at Aspen Valley Hospital at 3:11 a.m. A preliminary autopsy reported he died …

Housing Bubble Peaks as Predatory Subprime Lending Reaches Maximum, Setting Stage for Collapse

The U.S. housing bubble reaches its peak in mid-2006, with national home prices having risen 124 percent since 1997. Subprime mortgage originations hit $600 billion, representing 23 percent of all mortgage originations, up from 8 percent in 2003. The bubble’s apex represents the culmination of …

Model Ruslana Korshunova, 18, flies to Epstein's island two years before suspicious death

Kazakhstani model Ruslana Korshunova, age 18, flew to Jeffrey Epstein’s Little St. James island on his private jet according to flight logs. Two years later on June 28, 2008, she died after falling from her 9th-floor Manhattan apartment in what was ruled a suicide, though friends disputed she …

Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling Convicted of Enron Fraud and Conspiracy

On May 25, 2006, a federal jury convicted Enron founder Kenneth Lay on all six counts of fraud and conspiracy, and former CEO Jeffrey Skilling on 19 of 28 counts of securities fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy. The verdicts marked a watershed moment in corporate accountability, holding top …

Competitive Enterprise Institute Launches "CO2 is Life" Advertising Campaign

The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) launched a national television advertising campaign on May 18, 2006, featuring two 60-second spots promoting carbon dioxide as beneficial and dismissing climate change concerns. The ads aired in 14 U.S. cities from May 18-28, 2006, strategically timed to …

eBay v. MercExchange: Supreme Court Limits Automatic Patent Injunctions, Enabling Patent Troll Business Model to Flourish

The Supreme Court unanimously rules in eBay Inc. v. MercExchange, L.L.C. (547 U.S. 388) that patent injunctions are not automatic upon finding infringement, requiring plaintiffs to meet a four-factor equitable test: (1) irreparable injury, (2) inadequate legal remedies, (3) balance of hardships, and …

Michael Hayden Nominated as CIA Director Despite NSA Surveillance Controversy

President Bush nominates Air Force General Michael Hayden as CIA Director despite his role in implementing illegal NSA warrantless surveillance programs. Hayden’s appointment represented unprecedented militarization of CIA leadership and sparked Senate concerns about further politicization of …

Dubai Ports World Abandons US Port Takeover Under Congressional Pressure

On March 9, 2006, Dubai Ports World (DPW) announced it would abandon its controversial plan to control US port operations, marking a pivotal moment in the Bush presidency’s foreign investment strategy. The decision came after the House Appropriations Committee voted 62-2 to block the $6.8 …

FBI Infiltrates Orange County Mosques with Informant in Dragnet Surveillance

The FBI ordered informant Craig Monteilh to infiltrate multiple large mosques in Orange County, California, in a dragnet surveillance operation that targeted entire Muslim communities rather than specific suspects. The operation exemplified the FBI’s post-9/11 practice of religious profiling …

Bush Threatens First Presidential Veto Over Dubai Ports Deal

President George W. Bush threatened to cast his first presidential veto if Congress blocked Dubai Ports World’s (DPW) acquisition of US port operations, sparking a major national security controversy. The $6.8 billion deal would have given a UAE state-owned company control of cargo terminals …

Jack Abramoff Pleads Guilty in 5M Corruption Scandal

Lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges, exposing one of the largest congressional corruption scandals in modern U.S. history. Abramoff and partner Michael Scanlon defrauded Native American tribes of 5 million through inflated lobbying fees and secret kickbacks. The …

Ares Management Acquires Aspen Dental: Private Equity Dental Roll-Up Strategy Launches Industry Consolidation

Private equity firm Ares Management acquired Aspen Dental in 2006, launching an aggressive roll-up strategy that would help consolidate the fragmented dental industry and establish the template for private equity’s systematic monopolization of healthcare sectors including dental, veterinary, …

New York Times Exposes NSA Warrantless Surveillance Program

James Risen and Eric Lichtblau published a groundbreaking front-page New York Times article revealing the NSA had been conducting warrantless surveillance of Americans since 2001 under President Bush’s secret authorization. The story exposed that the NSA, traditionally focused on foreign …

NSA Whistleblower Russell Tice Reports Illegal Domestic Surveillance

NSA intelligence analyst Russell Tice contacts the Senate Intelligence Committee and journalists to report illegal domestic surveillance programs targeting American citizens without warrants. Tice revealed that NSA was conducting mass surveillance of Americans’ communications under programs …

Rep. Duke Cunningham Pleads Guilty to $2.4 Million Bribery Scheme

Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-CA) pleaded guilty in federal court in San Diego to conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion. The decorated Vietnam War fighter ace admitted to accepting at least $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors in exchange for …

Energy Committee Hearings Expose Oil Industry Climate Denial Campaign and Regulatory Capture

Documents revealed that Vice President Dick Cheney’s Energy Task Force had met extensively with executives from major oil companies, though chief executives denied involvement when testifying before the Senate Energy and Commerce committees. The revelation exposed how the Energy and Commerce …

CIA Destroys 92 Torture Interrogation Videotapes to Conceal Evidence

CIA National Clandestine Service director Jose Rodriguez orders the destruction of 92 videotapes documenting hundreds of hours of brutal interrogations of Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri at secret CIA black sites. The tapes contain graphic evidence of waterboarding, stress positions, and …

Dick Cheney Lobbies Congress for CIA Exemption from McCain Torture Ban

Vice President Dick Cheney and CIA Director Porter Goss personally lobby Senator John McCain in an extraordinary attempt to exempt CIA officers from proposed legislation banning “cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment” of any detainee held by the U.S. government. Despite the Senate voting …

Harry Markopolos Submits 'The World's Largest Hedge Fund Is a Fraud' to SEC, Agency Ignores Detailed Evidence for Third Time

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 …

Washington Post Reveals CIA's Secret Prison Network in Eastern Europe

Washington Post journalist Dana Priest publishes a groundbreaking investigation revealing the CIA operates a “hidden global internment network” of secret prisons, including facilities in “several democracies in Eastern Europe.” The article exposes the existence of CIA black …

Karl Rove Orchestrates Political Prosecution of Don Siegelman

The Justice Department indicted Alabama Democratic Governor Don Siegelman on federal bribery charges in what experts consider a politically motivated prosecution orchestrated by Karl Rove. Republican whistleblower Jill Simpson testified under oath that Rove directed the targeting of Siegelman, …

Dubai Ports World Initiates Controversial CFIUS Review for US Port Management Acquisition

On October 15, 2005, Dubai Ports World (DPW), a UAE state-owned company, initiated a CFIUS review to acquire British firm P&O’s port management operations, which included six major U.S. ports. The 30-day review process involved 12 government agencies, with the Intelligence Community …

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay Indicted for Money Laundering and Conspiracy

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) was indicted by a Texas grand jury on one count of criminal conspiracy related to an alleged illegal campaign finance scheme. On October 3, a third grand jury indicted DeLay for the more serious offense of money laundering.

The charges stem from allegations …

Hurricane Katrina Enables .4B No-Bid Disaster Capitalism Takeover

Hurricane Katrina became the largest implementation of ‘disaster capitalism’ in U.S. history, with corporate interests using the crisis to advance privatization agendas previously blocked. Within 10 days of the levees breaking, .4 billion in no-bid contracts were awarded to four major …

Hans von Spakovsky Overrules DOJ Career Staff to Approve Georgia Voter ID Law Targeting Black Voters

Hans von Spakovsky, serving as Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, led the department’s approval of Georgia’s controversial photo ID law in August 2005 despite unanimous objections from career Justice Department attorneys and …

Jack Abramoff Indicted for Wire Fraud in SunCruz Casinos Purchase

Lobbyist Jack Abramoff and business partner Adam Kidan were indicted by a federal grand jury in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy related to their 2000 purchase of SunCruz Casinos, a fleet of Florida gambling boats. The indictment alleged that Abramoff and Kidan had …

Energy Task Force Recommendations Become EPA Policy Without Review

Vice President Cheney’s Energy Task Force recommendations were implemented as EPA environmental policy through executive orders, bypassing Congressional oversight and public comment periods required by the Administrative Procedure Act. Task force members from ExxonMobil, Chevron, and other oil …

FBI Finds $90,000 in Cash Hidden in Rep. William Jefferson's Freezer

FBI agents raided the home of Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-LA) in Northeast Washington and discovered $90,000 in cash hidden in his freezer, wrapped in aluminum foil in $10,000 increments and stuffed inside frozen-food containers. The serial numbers on the currency matched funds the FBI had provided …

KBR Employee Jamie Leigh Jones Alleges Gang Rape in Iraq, Exposes Systematic Use of Mandatory Arbitration to Shield Contractor Accountability

On July 28, 2005, KBR employee Jamie Leigh Jones, then 22 years old and working her fourth day on the job in Baghdad, alleged she was drugged and gang-raped by KBR coworkers at Camp Hope in the Green Zone. Army doctors examined Jones and found evidence of sexual assault “both vaginally and …

WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

On July 13, 2005, former WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for orchestrating the largest corporate accounting fraud in American history. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Barbara Jones in Manhattan, represented one of the harshest penalties ever …

Bain, KKR, and Vornado Acquire Toys 'R' Us for $6.6 Billion, Loading Company with $5 Billion Debt

Private equity firms Bain Capital, KKR, and Vornado Realty Trust acquire Toys ‘R’ Us for $6.6 billion in a leveraged buyout, with only 20% ($1.3 billion) from PE firms’ capital while 80% ($5.3 billion) is borrowed debt loaded onto Toys ‘R’ Us itself. This debt burden …

Investigation Reveals $15M in Lobbyist-Funded Congressional Travel and Fact-Finding Junkets

Center for Public Integrity investigation revealed that from January 2000 through June 2005, lawmakers and aides accepted at least 90 trips worth approximately $145,000 from sponsors matching firms registered to lobby the federal government. Analysis of privately funded congressional travel showed …

FAA Delegates Safety Certification Authority to Boeing Through Organization Designation Authorization Program

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) formally establishes the Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program, delegating unprecedented safety certification responsibilities to aircraft manufacturers, specifically Boeing. This regulatory capture mechanism expanded the scope of …