The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched an investigation into the unprecedented manipulation of its public comment system during the net neutrality repeal process. An estimated 18 million out of 22 million comments were found to be fake, generated through coordinated campaigns by …
Ajit PaiFederal Communications Commission (FCC)New York Attorney General's Officedigital-democracyregulatory-capturetelecommunicationscorporate-manipulationtechnology-policy
Hackers begin systematically exfiltrating personal data of 147.9 million Americans from Equifax systems through an unpatched Apache Struts vulnerability (CVE-2017-5638). The breach, which Equifax would not disclose until September 7, 2017, represents one of the largest cybercrimes related to …
EquifaxRichard SmithApache Software FoundationConsumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)corruptionregulatory-capturetechcybersecuritydata-breach+2 more
McKinsey’s influence at ICE grows to such an extent that McKinsey staff ghostwrite a government contracting document that defines the consulting team’s own responsibilities and justifies the firm’s retention—a contract extension worth $2.2 million. When an ICE official discovers …
McKinsey & CompanyImmigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)ICE contracting officersmckinseyconsulting-scandalgovernment-captureprocurement-abuseconflict-of-interest+2 more
President Trump signed a sweeping executive order at the EPA that effectively dismantled Obama’s climate change policies, targeting the Clean Power Plan and lifting restrictions on carbon emissions. The order represented a significant regulatory rollback, prioritizing fossil fuel industry …
Donald TrumpScott PruittLee ZeldinMurray Energy Corporationepa-rollbackclimate-changeregulatory-capturefossil-fuel-industryenvironmental-policy
Burisma Holdings, the Ukrainian energy company, announced the appointment of Joseph Cofer Black to its board of directors on February 15, 2017, less than one month after Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration. Black, the former vice chairman of Blackwater (the private military contractor …
Joseph Cofer BlackErik PrinceNikolay ZlochevskyiHunter BidenMitt Romneyconflicts-of-interestforeign-influenceprivate-intelligenceregulatory-captureukraine
Just four days after taking office, President Donald Trump signed an executive memorandum on January 24, 2017, directing the Army Corps of Engineers to expedite approval and review of the Dakota Access Pipeline, reversing the Obama administration’s December 2016 decision to halt construction …
Donald TrumpEnergy Transfer PartnersKelcy WarrenArmy Corps of EngineersStanding Rock Sioux Tribeenvironmentalregulatory-capturecorporate-corruptionlobbyingenvironmental-justice+2 more
President Donald Trump designates Ajit Pai as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, elevating the sitting Republican commissioner and former Verizon Communications associate general counsel to lead the agency responsible for regulating his former employer and the broader …
Donald TrumpAjit PaiVerizon CommunicationsFederal Communications Commission (FCC)Tom Wheelerrevolving-doorregulatory-capturefccnet-neutralityverizon+2 more
In January 2017, diabetes patients filed a federal antitrust class action lawsuit alleging that the three pharmaceutical manufacturers controlling 99% of the U.S. insulin market—Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi—conspired to raise insulin prices in near-lockstep coordination, increasing prices by …
Eli LillyNovo NordiskSanofiCVS CaremarkExpress Scripts+1 morehealthcarepharmaceutical-price-gougingantitrustcorporate-crimeregulatory-capture
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) became instrumental in advocating for the Financial CHOICE Act, legislation aimed at significantly restructuring financial regulation by repealing major parts of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Shelby, who had …
Richard ShelbySenate Banking CommitteeWall StreetDodd-Frank Actregulatory-capturefinancial-sectorbanking-committeederegulationcongressional-corruption
Anheuser-Busch InBev completed its $107 billion acquisition of SABMiller, the largest-ever deal in the beer industry, after receiving antitrust approval requiring divestiture of SABMiller’s U.S. business (MillerCoors stake) to Molson Coors. The merger consolidated the global beer industry into …
Anheuser-Busch InBevSABMillerMolson CoorsDepartment of JusticeAntitrust Divisionantitrustconsolidationmergerbeer-industryduopoly+2 more
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and Los Angeles City Attorney announce a combined $185 million settlement with Wells Fargo for the systematic creation of more than two million unauthorized deposit and credit card accounts. The CFPB assesses a $100 …
Wells FargoJohn StumpfConsumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)Richard Cordraycorporate-fraudbanking-regulationwells-fargoregulatory-capturecfpb
On September 3, 2016, Standing Rock Sioux tribal members and water protectors reported the destruction of sacred burial sites by Dakota Access Pipeline construction crews, leading to violent confrontations between private security contractors and demonstrators. Security workers deployed attack dogs …
Standing Rock Sioux TribeEnergy Transfer PartnersPrivate Security ContractorsMorton County Sheriff's DepartmentArmy Corps of Engineersenvironmentalenvironmental-justicecorporate-corruptionpolice-violenceindigenous-rights+1 more
On August 31, 2016, Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), chairman of the House Budget Committee and member of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, purchased between $50,001 and $100,000 in discounted shares of Innate Immunotherapeutics, an Australian biotech company, through a private placement offering …
Tom PriceChris CollinsInnate ImmunotherapeuticsZimmer BiometHouse Energy and Commerce Committeeinsider-tradingcongressional-corruptionhealthcarerevolving-doorstock-act-violation+2 more
In August 2016, Mylan CEO Heather Bresch faced intense scrutiny when it was revealed that EpiPen prices had increased from approximately $103 in 2007 to over $608 by 2016—a nearly 550% price increase for a life-saving allergy treatment. The scandal exposed pharmaceutical price gouging, the failure …
President Barack Obama signed the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) into law, establishing a seven-member Financial Oversight and Management Board with sweeping powers over Puerto Rico’s government. The board, appointed by the U.S. President rather than …
Barack ObamaU.S. CongressFinancial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto RicoPuerto Rico Governmentpuerto-ricopromesafiscal-control-boardausteritycolonial-governance+3 more
Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin, a former hedge fund partner at Waycross Partners, issues an executive order abolishing the existing Kentucky Retirement Systems board of trustees and creating a new board that gives him authority to appoint 10 of 17 board members. The restructuring comes two months …
Matt BevinKentucky Retirement SystemsThomas K. ElliottKentucky LegislatureAndy Beshearinstitutional-capturepension-lootingkentuckyregulatory-captureexecutive-overreach+1 more
Walgreens formally terminates its partnership with Theranos after discovering that 31,000 Walgreens customers had received voided test results from the blood-testing company’s faulty devices. The termination follows months of deteriorating relations after the October 2015 Wall Street Journal …
WalgreensTheranosElizabeth HolmesFDACMScorruptionfraudregulatory-capturetechhealthcare+3 more
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 …
DaVitaFresenius Medical CareAmerican Kidney FundDepartment of JusticeFederal Trade Commissionhealthcaredialysissystematic-corruptionmonopolykickbacks+3 more
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 …
Johns Hopkins UniversityFDAAbbVieRocheJohnson & Johnson+4 morepharmaceutical-industryregulatory-capturetax-avoidancedrug-pricinghealthcare+2 more
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 …
John CarreyrouElizabeth HolmesTheranosWall Street JournalWalgreens+1 morecorruptionfraudregulatory-capturetechhealthcare+3 more
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 …
Martin ShkreliTuring Pharmaceuticalshealthcarepharmaceutical-price-gougingcorporate-crimeregulatory-capture
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 …
Volkswagen GroupEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)California Air Resources Board (CARB)International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)West Virginia University+2 moreenvironmentalregulatory-capturecorporate-corruptionemissions-fraudpublic-health
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 CollegesU.S. Department of EducationConsumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU)predatory-lendingeducationstudent-debtcorporate-fraudregulatory-capture+1 more
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 …
Oklahoma Corporation CommissionOklahoma Geological SurveyOil and Gas Industry OperatorsGovernor Mary FallinMatt Skinnerfrackinginduced-seismicityearthquakesregulatory-captureenvironmental-damage+2 more
The Federal Communications Commission approves landmark net neutrality protections by a 3-2 party-line vote, reclassifying broadband internet service as a “telecommunications service” under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934 to establish legally enforceable rules prohibiting …
Tom WheelerFederal Communications Commission (FCC)Ajit PaiMichael O'RiellyMignon Clyburn+2 morenet-neutralityfcctelecommunicationstitle-iitom-wheeler+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
DaVita Healthcare Partners, the nation’s second-largest dialysis provider, agrees to pay $350 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it paid illegal kickbacks to physicians to induce patient referrals to its dialysis clinics from 2005-2014. The scheme involved DaVita offering …
DaVitaKent ThiryDepartment of JusticeHHS Office of Inspector Generalhealthcaredialysismedicare-fraudkickbacksregulatory-capture+2 more
The Federal Communications Commission votes 3-2 to advance Chairman Tom Wheeler’s controversial proposal that would permit internet service providers to charge content companies for priority “fast lane” access to consumers, fundamentally threatening net neutrality principles. The …
Tom WheelerFederal Communications Commission (FCC)GoogleMicrosoftFacebook+3 morenet-neutralityfccregulatory-capturetelecommunicationstom-wheeler
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) released comprehensive tax reform draft legislation proposing to raise the tax on carried interest from 23.8% to 35%, effectively closing one of the most notorious tax loopholes benefiting private equity and hedge fund managers. Carried …
Dave CampHouse Ways and Means CommitteeCarlyle GroupCerberus Capital ManagementManaged Funds Associationregulatory-capturetax-policylobbyingprivate-equitycongressional-corruption
Facebook acquires WhatsApp for $19 billion, the largest tech acquisition to date, eliminating its primary competitor in mobile messaging and consolidating monopoly control over personal communications platforms. The FTC approves the acquisition without structural separation requirements despite …
FacebookMark ZuckerbergWhatsAppJan KoumBrian Acton+1 morefacebookwhatsappantitrustmergermonopolization+4 more
The Senate confirmed former Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) as U.S. Ambassador to China by a vote of 96-0, ending his 36-year congressional career. Baucus had served as chairman and ranking member of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, where he was the chief architect of the …
Max BaucusSenate Finance CommitteeMerckUnitedHealth GroupJeffrey Forbesrevolving-doorlobbyingcongressional-corruptionhealthcareregulatory-capture
The DC Circuit Court of Appeals delivers a landmark ruling in Verizon v. FCC, striking down the Federal Communications Commission’s anti-blocking and anti-discrimination net neutrality rules while paradoxically outlining the path to stronger protections through Title II reclassification. The …
Verizon CommunicationsDC Circuit Court of AppealsFederal Communications Commission (FCC)Julius Genachowskinet-neutralitytelecommunicationsregulatory-captureverizonfcc+1 more
By 2014, anonymous Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) and shell companies had become the primary infrastructure enabling Russian oligarchs and other kleptocrats to launder an estimated $300 billion or more annually into US real estate. Unlike most developed nations, the United States imposed no …
U.S. TreasuryFinCENRussian OligarchsUS real estate industrymoney-launderingrussian-oligarchsreal-estateshell-companiesfincen+3 more
The Los Angeles Times investigates Wells Fargo’s aggressive sales practices, revealing systematic pressures on employees to create unauthorized accounts. The investigation exposes a corporate culture that incentivized fraud, with employees opening fake accounts to meet impossible sales quotas. …
Wells Fargo BoardJohn StumpfScott Reckard (LA Times Reporter)corporate-fraudbanking-regulationregulatory-capturewells-fargo
The Department of Justice approved American Airlines’ merger with US Airways after initially suing to block the deal, completing a five-year consolidation wave that reduced major U.S. airlines from seven to four dominant carriers controlling three-quarters of the commercial air travel market. …
American AirlinesUS AirwaysDepartment of JusticeAntitrust Divisionantitrustconsolidationmergeroligopolyregulatory-capture+2 more
Investigation revealed that Citigroup lobbyists drafted a House bill aimed at rolling back Dodd-Frank financial regulations, with 70 of the 85 lines in the final House legislation directly reflecting Citigroup’s recommendations. Two complete paragraphs were copied almost word-for-word from …
Former South Dakota economic development secretary Richard Benda died from a self-inflicted shotgun wound near Lake Andes as state Attorney General Marty Jackley prepared felony theft charges against him. Jackley disclosed his office had drafted a criminal complaint and arrest warrant on October 8, …
Richard BendaJoop BollenMarty JackleyMike Roundscorruptioninstitutional-capturevisa-fraudregulatory-captureminimal-accountability
The Supreme Court ruled 5-3 in FTC v. Actavis that the Federal Trade Commission could bring antitrust challenges against “pay-for-delay” agreements where brand-name drug manufacturers pay generic competitors to delay bringing cheaper alternatives to market. The decision reversed lower …
Supreme Court of the United StatesFederal Trade CommissionSolvay PharmaceuticalsActavisWatson Pharmaceuticals+1 morepharmaceutical-industrypatent-abuseregulatory-captureantitrustsupreme-court+2 more
President Barack Obama nominates Tom Wheeler, a former top lobbyist for cable and wireless industries, to lead the Federal Communications Commission. Wheeler’s appointment exemplifies the revolving door between telecommunications regulators and industry, having served as CEO of the Cellular …
Tom WheelerBarack ObamaCellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA)National Cable Television Association (NCTA)Public Interest Groups+1 moreregulatory-capturefccrevolving-doortelecommunicationstom-wheeler+1 more
President Obama signed legislation that gutted key provisions of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act, just one year after the law was passed with great fanfare to combat congressional insider trading. The amendment eliminated the requirement for creating a searchable, sortable …
Barack Obamacongressional corruptioninsider tradingregulatory captureethics reform rollbackpolitical accountability+1 more
During a critical congressional testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 6, 2013, Attorney General Eric Holder revealed the Department of Justice’s emerging doctrine of ’too big to jail’, acknowledging that prosecuting certain financial institutions could …
Eric HolderDepartment of JusticeJPMorgan ChaseBank of AmericaCitigroup+2 moreinstitutional-captureregulatory-capturecorruptionfinancial-crisisbank-prosecution+3 more
On January 29, 2013, Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer announced his resignation as head of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, just one week after PBS Frontline aired “The Untouchables,” a damning documentary exposing how the Obama Justice Department had …
Lanny BreuerEric HolderDepartment of JusticeCovington & BurlingBarack Obama+2 morefinancial-crisisaccountability-crisisregulatory-capturerevolving-doortoo-big-to-fail+1 more
The Federal Trade Commission closed its 19-month antitrust investigation of Google without bringing charges, despite internal staff recommendations for legal action. With 230 White House meetings in 2012-2013, Google demonstrated unprecedented political access, ultimately avoiding significant …
Federal Trade CommissionGoogle Inc.Larry PageEric SchmidtFTC Staff Attorneys+2 moreregulatory-capturetech-industryantitrustgoogleftc+2 more
On December 5, 2012, Elizabeth “Liz” Fowler announced her departure from the White House to join Johnson & Johnson as head of global health policy, completing her third spin through the healthcare industry revolving door. Fowler had served as the chief architect of the Affordable …
Elizabeth FowlerJohnson & JohnsonWellPointMax BaucusBarack Obama+1 morerevolving-doorregulatory-capturehealthcarelobbyingpharmaceutical-industry+3 more
In October 2012, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) adopted the ‘Electricity Freedom Act’—a model bill co-written with the fossil fuel-funded Heartland Institute that called for the nullification of state Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards (RPS). The legislation was …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Heartland InstituteJames TaylorEdison Electric InstituteAmerican Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers+2 morealecrenewable-energyfossil-fuelsmodel-legislationregulatory-capture+3 more
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began investigating a multistate fungal meningitis outbreak in September 2012 that ultimately killed 64 people and sickened 798 individuals across multiple states who received contaminated methylprednisolone steroid injections from the New England …
New England Compounding CenterBarry CaddenFDAMassachusetts Board of PharmacyCDC+1 morepharmaceutical-industryregulatory-capturefdahealthcarepublic-health+1 more
Facebook acquired photo-sharing app Instagram for billion, implementing what the FTC would later characterize as a ‘buy or bury’ strategy to eliminate competitive threats. Internal emails revealed CEO Mark Zuckerberg explicitly stated the acquisition was motivated by a desire to …
Facebook Inc.Mark ZuckerbergInstagram Inc.Kevin SystromMike Krieger+1 moreregulatory-capturetech-industryantitrustfacebookmeta+1 more
President Barack Obama signed the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act into law, addressing long-standing concerns about insider trading by members of Congress. The bipartisan legislation, passed with overwhelming support (96-3 in Senate, 417-2 in House), prohibits members of Congress …
In March 2012, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, a founding member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), signed into law the nation’s first modern ag-gag statute, the Agricultural Production Facility Fraud law (Iowa Code Section 717A.3A), criminalizing whistleblower documentation of …
Iowa LegislatureGovernor Terry BranstadAmerican Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Agriculture Industrycorporate-impunitywhistleblower-suppressionalec-legislationregulatory-capturefirst-amendment
The first comprehensive audit of the Federal Reserve revealed it secretly provided $16.1 trillion in emergency loans to major financial institutions during the 2008-2010 financial crisis, far exceeding the $700 billion TARP program. The audit exposed unprecedented scale of financial sector bailouts, …
Federal ReserveBen BernankeCitigroupMorgan StanleyGoldman Sachs+4 morefinancial-crisissecret-bailoutmonetary-capturefederal-reserveregulatory-capture+1 more