Fraud, Corruption, & Exploitation

[RoseMorninStar]

Or perhaps 'The New Welfare Queens'?
I didn't think this topic warranted it's own thread, but I couldn't find a general thread not involving specific congresspersons/politicians and couldn't determine where else it belonged. Feel free to discuss any and all cases of fraud, corruption, and abuse of funds.


Not being someone who keeps up with sports this probably would have slipped past me but it was brought to my attention and thought it might warrant some discussion.

Mississippi ex-governor knew about paying $1M in welfare money to Brett Favre, texts show

JACKSON, Miss. — Newly revealed text messages show how deeply a Mississippi governor was involved in the state paying more than $1 million in welfare money to Brett Favre to help fund one of the retired NFL quarterback's pet projects.

Instead of the money going to help low-income families in one of the nation's poorest states, as intended, it was funneled through a nonprofit group and spent on a new $5 million volleyball facility at a university that the football star and the governor both attended.

One of the texts from 2017 showed Republican Gov. Phil Bryant, who left office in 2020, was “on board” with the arrangement. The state is suing Favre and others, alleging they misspent millions of dollars in welfare money. The director of the nonprofit has pleaded guilty to criminal charges in Mississippi’s largest public corruption case in decades.
(...)

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I think starting a new thread was appropriate. And I'm glad that you shared this here.

[N.E. Brigand]

Also in Mississippi, today the former drector of the state's Human Services department, John Davis pleaded guilty to state and federal charges pertaining to a conspiracy in which $77 million in welfare funding was stolen. For the state charges, he was sentenced to 32 years in prison; the federal sentencing will come later.

I appreciate having this thread, Rose. Some matters don't necessarily merit posting to the wtf thread.

[N.E. Brigand]

Is this description of California's water rights situation accurate? If it is, then it sounds intolerable, and the state should just announce it is seizing the water back from the Resnicks, along with every penny that they charged the state for its own water. They're old and will be dead long before the final adjudication in any lawsuit that might favor them, which also give the state time to pass some laws saying that the water was improperly transferred in the first place -- which again, would be the truth if that description is correct. They should count themselves lucky not to go to jail for grand larceny for their Noah Cross shenanigans (again, assuming that video is correct). It also sounds like Sen. Dianne Feinstein should have to pay back the $700,000 it cost the federal government to conduct the redundant environmental study she requested on the Resnicks' behalf.



None of that will happen, I expect, so I'm left shaking my fist at the clouds.

[N.E. Brigand]

Here in Ohio, former state representative Larry Householder -- a Republican who was twice Speaker of the Ohio House (2001-2004 and 2019-2020) -- and Matt Borges, who was the chair of the Ohio Republican Party from 2012 to 2017, were convicted today of racketeering in what Wikipeida calls the "Ohio Nuclear Bribery Scandal" in which it was alleged that "electric utility company FirstEnergy paid roughly $60 million to Generation Now, a 501(c)(4) organization purportedly controlled by Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives Larry Householder, in exchange for passing a $1.3 billion bailout for the nuclear power operator."

[N.E. Brigand]

"An ex-aide to former GOP Gov. Larry Hogan was shot dead in a confrontation with the FBI after a 3-week manhunt on fraud charges."

Roy McGrath was the Maryland governor's chief of staff in 2020. He died yesterday evening following a standoff with the police and FBI in Tennesseee. It's not yet been determined if he was shot by law enforcement or if he shot himself. He had skipped a court date in mid-March. While he was on the lam, he apparently spoke with an author who self-published an e-book proclaiming McGrath's innocence.

[RoseMorninStar]

Wow. That sounds pretty wild. I must live a sheltered (and legal) life.

[N.E. Brigand]

Not sure where exactly this would go, but: the Arizona House of Representatives today voted 46-13 to expel a Republican member, Rep. Liz Harris, after the House's ethics committee unanimously determined that Harris lied to them about a witness whom she had invited to testify. That witness had slanderously accused numerous Arizona public figures including the state's governor of being on the payroll of Mexican drug cartels.

[N.E. Brigand]

In Texas, state representative Bryan Slaton, a Republican who "led the charge to ban all-ages drag shows because of his deep concern over 'the sexualization of our children', is facing allegations of inviting an intern to his home" one evening and "serving her alcohol even though she isn't old enough to legally drink."

I'm with those commenters who are hung up on the fact that this man is 45 years old:

[N.E. Brigand]

Here in Ohio, former state representative Larry Householder -- a Republican who was twice Speaker of the Ohio House (2001-2004 and 2019-2020) -- and Matt Borges, who was the chair of the Ohio Republican Party from 2012 to 2017, were convicted today of racketeering in what Wikipeida calls the "Ohio Nuclear Bribery Scandal" in which it was alleged that "electric utility company FirstEnergy paid roughly $60 million to Generation Now, a 501(c)(4) organization purportedly controlled by Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives Larry Householder, in exchange for passing a $1.3 billion bailout for the nuclear power operator."

Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder today received the maximum sentence of 20 years' imprisonment. He was taken into custody immediately after sentencing.

Householder, former Ohio Republican Party chairman Matt Borges and three other men were charged with participating in a pay-to-play scheme that helped Householder win control of the Ohio House of Representatives in 2018, pass a $1.3 billion bailout for two nuclear plants in House Bill 6 and defend that law against a ballot initiative to block it. ...

"You know better than most people how much that money could have meant to the people of Ohio,” [federal Judge Tim] Black said of the $1.3 billion bailout. “How many lives could you have improved but you took that away from the people of Ohio and you handed it over to a bunch of suits with private jets."

[N.E. Brigand]

Not political, but probably covered under both "exploitation" and "fraud":

Earlier today it was announced that Dan Snyder, who has owned the Washington Commanders football team since 1999 (although for most of that time the team had a name that is no longer used in polite circles), has sold the team for more than $6 billion. Synder's tenure had been replete with allegations of misconduct.

Then just in the past hour, the National Football League announced the results of an investigation into Snyder's conduct that had launched in 2022. The investigation has determined that two key allegations were true: (1) Snyder had sexually harassed Commanders' employee Tiffani Johnston and (2) the Commanders had engaged in "deliberate underreporting of NFL revenues" in an effort to avoid league profit-sharing requirements. The latter allegations first came to light in April 2022 testimony to the House Oversight Committee, which subsequently wrote to the Federal Trade Commission alleging that the team had two sets of books.

And on top of that the NFL says that Snyder obstructed their investigation.

Snyder has to pay $60 million to the NFL. And I suspect his troubles are not over.

[N.E. Brigand]

New from the Detroit News: "At least one lobbyist hired a prostitute to have sex with former Michigan House Speaker Rick Johnson [a Republican] in order to secure licenses to grow and sell marijuana in Michigan."

[N.E. Brigand]

Interesting article from CNBC about Jimmy Zhong, a Georgia man who was part of the group that invented Bitcoin in 2009 (although that wasn't discovered for more than ten years) and then in 2012 stole 50,000 Bitcoin, now worth $3 billion, from users of the Silk Web dark web site. He was arrested in 2021, eventually pled guilty, and was sentenced in July to one year's imprisonment. The government advertised for the original owners of the stolen Bitcoin to claim it, but nobody did (because if you're using the Silk Road to move money, you're probably a criminal). So the U.S. sold the Bitcoin and pocketed the proceeds.

[N.E. Brigand]

This is probably the thread to note that Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City (and a Democrat), seems to be under investigation by the FBI. About three weeks ago, agents seized phones and laptops belonging to his top fundraiser, and four days after that, they seized Adams's own phone and tablet from his vehicle (telling his security detail to step aside). Nine days ago, the New York Times reported that the FBI is investigating a foreign influence campaign by the Turkish government.

Adams says that he's been fully cooperating, but the New York Daily News reports today that just hours after the search of Adams's fundraiser, a top Adams aide at city hall, Rana Abbasova, told her colleagues to "delete" text messages.

[N.E. Brigand]

Egg prices have been a source of complaint during Joe Biden's administration, so I thought about noting this story from Bloomberg there, but as far as this reporting indicates, this all happened more than 15 years ago:

In 2011, three food companies, General Mills Inc. (part of Kraft Heinz Co.), Kellogg Co., and Nestle SA, sued the nation's largest egg producers (Cal-Maine Foods Inc. and Rose Acre Farms Inc.) as well as two trade associations for the egg industry (United Egg Producers and United States Egg Marketers) for allegedly colluding to limit the egg supply in order to fix higher prices from 2004 through 2008. Twelve years later, a jury in Illinois found for the plaintiffs. Next week there will be a follow-up trial to determine how much the egg companies owe the food companies.

[RoseMorninStar]

Bird flu has been a major factor in the rise in cost of eggs and poultry. While bird flu is still problematic, it's less severe than it was.

[N.E. Brigand]

NBC: "Florida GOP chairman faces allegations of sexual battery."

The official complaint against Christian Ziegler is heavily redacted but includes the word "rape." The alleged victim is apparently not his wife, Bridget Ziegler, "a well-known school choice advocate who helped start Moms for Liberty, a group focused on getting conservative women elected to school boards across the country." As I understand it, the Zieglers are close to Florida's governor Ron DeSantis* and played key roles in getting Florida's so-called "don't say 'gay'" law passed. Moms for Liberty did poorly in last month's elections. Responding to NBC today, the group's current leadership put a little distance between themselves and Mrs. Ziegler. Other sources hint at why that might be so. Irony abounds.

*And here's a 2015 picture of the Zieglers with another (then-New York, now-)Florida politician:

[N.E. Brigand]

NBC: "Florida GOP chairman faces allegations of sexual battery."

The official complaint against Christian Ziegler is heavily redacted but includes the word "rape." The alleged victim is apparently not his wife, Bridget Ziegler, "a well-known school choice advocate who helped start Moms for Liberty, a group focused on getting conservative women elected to school boards across the country." As I understand it, the Zieglers are close to Florida's governor Ron DeSantis and played key roles in getting Florida's so-called "don't say 'gay'" law passed. Moms for Liberty did poorly in last month's elections. Responding to NBC today, the group's current leadership put a little distance between themselves and Mrs. Ziegler. Other sources hint at why that might be so. Irony abounds.

The rumors seem to be true. According to an unsealed search warrant, in interviews with police both Christian and Bridget Ziegler -- who publicly pushed an anti-gay agenda -- confirmed in police interviews that they had an ongoing sexual relationship with the woman that Christian Ziegler is now accused of raping. As for that charge, in addition to the victim's statement, there's video of Christian Ziegler visiting her apartment complex (without Bridget) on the day in question, and there's a recording of Ziegler apologizing for what he did to her (without getting into details).

Also despite calls from Florida's governor, Ron DeSantis, for Christian Ziegler to resign from his position as chair of Florida's Republican party, Ziegler says he's not going anywhere.

[N.E. Brigand]

"Federal prosecutors have charged Victor Manuel Rocha, 73, of Miami, Florida, a former U.S. Department of State employee who served on the National Security Council from 1994 to 1995 and ultimately as U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002, with committing multiple federal crimes by secretly acting for decades as an agent of the government of the Republic of Cuba."

Announcing this indictment, Attorney General Merrick Garland says that it alleges that Rocha was a Cuban agent for more than 40 years from 1981 (or earlier) to now. He retired from the State Department in 2002 but was engaged as a military advisor from 2006 until 2012. In other words, he was allegedly on Cuba's payroll while working for the U.S. government during the presidential administrations of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.

[N.E. Brigand]

"Federal prosecutors have charged Victor Manuel Rocha, 73, of Miami, Florida, a former U.S. Department of State employee who served on the National Security Council from 1994 to 1995 and ultimately as U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002, with committing multiple federal crimes by secretly acting for decades as an agent of the government of the Republic of Cuba."

Announcing this indictment, Attorney General Merrick Garland says that it alleges that Rocha was a Cuban agent for more than 40 years from 1981 (or earlier) to now. He retired from the State Department in 2002 but was engaged as a military advisor from 2006 until 2012. In other words, he was allegedly on Cuba's payroll while working for the U.S. government during the presidential administrations of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.

In 2022-2023, an FBI agent posed as Roche's new Cuban contact and in the course of their interview, Roche provided details about his decades of service to Cuba and repeatedly referred to the United States as "the enemy."

A former U.S. ambassador.