Tag Archives: corruption

When Corruption Is The Path | ZeroHedge

Authored by Chris Martenson via PeakProsperity.com,

When plunder becomes a way of life, and when Control Fraud dominates, there’s really no reform possible. You just have to start over. I think this is where we’re headed, and it’s going to be really bumpy along the way…

When corruption IS the path, there is only one destination.

There comes a moment in time when you just have to sit back and ask, “Can this thing I’m trying to do even be done?”

When it comes to an entity, company, individual or country, there’s an invisible line of corruption beyond which there’s no recovery.

Today I am going to make the case that the US government, as an entity, is too far gone to recover.  Whole parts of it will have to be torn down and rebuilt from scratch.

The West collectively has passed over that invisible line.  An enormous amount of economic, legal and political pain is in our future.  If we’re really lucky and refuse to put up with their deflections and nonsense, we’ll be able to avoid WW III.  If not…well, you’d better take stock of your provisions and basic life skills and improve them where they are deficient.

Frederic Bastiat captured this well back in the 1800’s.

Once the fraud and corruption have been allowed to persist for too long, the people benefitting from it stand up an entire system to protect and advance their rackets.

That’s where we are.

A really good way to begin to understand and dig through the systemic mess we’re in is to familiarize yourself with William K Black’s concept of “Control Fraud.”

Mr. Black’s background was both as a lawyer and a PhD in criminology, spanning the two areas necessary to begin to unravel the Savings & Loan frauds of the 1980s where he served honorably, his efforts resulted in many prosecutions, and he developed the concept of Control Fraud.

Without enforcement, there can be no reform of an entity shot through with Control Fraud.  Consider USAID.  Who was going to investigate and prosecute the many frauds operating there?  The FBI?

From the above partial list of “failures” it’s patently clear that the FBI had somehow become the clean-up and cover-up arm of other agencies running their own frauds and illegal activities.

Would we turn then to the Department of Justice?  Again, the patterns we can surface there are deeply troubling:

With the top investigative and prosecutorial arms of the government not only neutered, but captured within a legal system that authorizes the frauds and a moral system the glorifies them, the game has been lost.

There’s not much left but the painful part.

In part II, I cover how these frauds are likely to unwind explosively, leading to massive economic and market pains, as well as legal and political turmoil.  My inescapable conclusion is that these system shocks could well result in The Great Taking machinery being activated, leading to legendary losses for those who are wrongly positioned or unprepared.

After all, if there’s one last thing fraudsters do on their way out the door, it’s to grab as much as they can in one last desperate act, damn the consequences for the nation or other people!

Since our Treasury no longer has any gold or silver in it, the last official act will be to seize control of your assets.  It’s nothing personal, it’s simply the moral code of these people.

Cut off from their government flows they’ll come after your house, stocks and bonds next.  Fortunately, there are many ways to avoid their predations, or at least to not be low-hanging fruit for them.

Source: When Corruption Is The Path

Head Of Crime Family Warns About Dangers Of Corruption | Babylon Bee

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a stirring farewell address to the nation, the notorious head of a prolific crime family warned America about the clear and present danger of government corruption.

“Folks, we can’t have any of this corruption in government,” said the man who had enriched himself off corruption during his half a century in office. “It’s dangerous, I mean it. If Trump takes office and lets Elon glurbdren thu flazzgrizzerbs, obwaltshuuun dorble Vivek clamshirr.”

The wealthy oligarch then warned the nation what might happen if America is run by oligarchs. “I shudder to think of what could happen to our democracy,” he said. “I’m out of teddy grahams. Someone get me more teddy grahams and apple juice. Jill! JILL!”

According to sources close to the owner of 20 Ukrainian money-laundering shell corporations, Biden plans to live his final few weeks of life quietly on the beach, funded by the hundreds of millions of dollars amassed by his family.

“We should all listen to this dire warning from one of America’s most noble and dignified presidents,” said commentator Joy Reid. “No one would know better than him.”

At publishing time, Hunter Biden was reportedly having trouble getting a Chinese oligarch to return his phone calls.


Meet John Larson, a paraplegic firefighter who is breaking barriers with the LAFD.

Hear his inspiring story!

https://babylonbee.com/news/head-of-crime-family-warns-about-dangers-of-corruption/

Celebrity Piggy Bank Scandal: How Taxpayer-Funded Pandemic Relief Programs Became a Cash Grab for Hollywood Musicians | The Gateway Pundit

Photo credit: depositphotos.com

In a jaw-dropping exposé, new details reveal how the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG)—a taxpayer-funded pandemic relief program established to save businesses and independent arts organizations—allegedly turned into a financial free-for-all for Hollywood celebrities.

Signed into law by then-President Donald Trump in 2020 and championed by figures like Senator Chuck Schumer, the program aimed to support struggling venues during the pandemic.

But according to a Business Insider report, it has now become synonymous with wasteful spending by high-profile stars.

Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter Jr., received an $8.9 million grant. Instead of directing these funds toward sustaining his music operations, he reportedly spent over $1.3 million on private jet flights and more than $460,000 on designer clothing from brands like Gucci and Balenciaga.

Additionally, he billed taxpayers nearly $88,000 for a New Year’s Eve concert in Coachella, California, which he ultimately canceled, and $14,900 for “mystery women” hotel stays.

Credit: Fox News

Similarly, Chris Brown’s company, CBE Touring, secured a $10 million grant. Brown personally pocketed $5.1 million and used approximately $80,000 to fund a lavish birthday party, complete with “atmosphere models,” an LED dance floor, and other extravagances.

Also, $179,000 for a charity baseball game, and $24,000 for a tour bus to New Mexico, where he reportedly vacationed for a month.

Credit: Fox News

The abuse didn’t stop with rappers. Pop and EDM stars also joined the cash grab:

  • DJ Marshmello (Christopher Comstock) reportedly received $9.9 million, with his business manager claiming the money went directly into Comstock’s personal account.
  • Steve Aoki’s company DJ Kid Millionaire Touring used $2.4 million for “payroll costs,” with $1.9 million going to Aoki himself—the only officer of the company.

Even rock bands like Shinedown got in on the action, splitting $2.5 million among three members from their $8.3 million grant.

Alice in Chains members took large distributions from their grant, despite selling their catalog for $48 million.

The scandal extends to entertainment management firms like NKSFB, which reportedly secured at least $207 million for clients and pocketed over $7 million in fees for facilitating the grants.

What began as a lifeline for struggling venues during the pandemic has unraveled into what some have called “the largest fraud in history.”

The Gateway Pundit reported earlier this year that a report released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force uncovered a shocking scope of fraud during the pandemic, with over $400 billion in emergency funding either stolen or misappropriated.

According to the report, fraudulent claims and schemes targeted various pandemic relief efforts, including unemployment insurance benefits, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs), among others.

These included fraudulent claims filed using stolen identities, inflated payroll expenses, doctored bank statements, and false tax forms.

The report reveals that fraudsters and swindlers may have stolen upwards of $280 billion in emergency funding, with an additional $123 billion lost or misappropriated, totaling more than $400 billion in funds intended to aid Americans during one of the most challenging times in recent history, The Politics Brief reported.

Even Democrat powerhouse Nancy and Paul Pelosi cashed in on federal COVID bailouts.

RealClearInvestigations reported:

“The Auberge du Soleil investment, held for decades by Paul Pelosi, has rarely turned a significant profit, according to Nancy’s financial disclosure forms. In some years, he has recorded a loss or a profit of between $50,000 to $100,000. But the year of the bailout money stands apart. In 2021, Pelosi’s ethics forms show that her family’s income from the resort surged to a range of $1 million to $5 million.

The French Riviera-themed resort may not be most people’s idea of a struggling business in need of a government bailout, yet the Auberge du Soleil – which shuttered briefly at the outset of the pandemic before swiftly rebounding – received about $9 million from a series of special taxpayer-funded emergency relief programs.”

The post Celebrity Piggy Bank Scandal: How Taxpayer-Funded Pandemic Relief Programs Became a Cash Grab for Hollywood Musicians appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.