Tag Archives: bribery

Gothamist reports: As New York City stared down an unprecedented rise in homelessness last year, its buildings commissioner was allegedly scheming with a deep-pocketed developer to clear fire victims from a Rockaway Park emergency shelter in exchange for a discounted luxury condo nearby, Manhattan prosecutors charged Wednesday. Eric Ulrich, the former commissioner of the Department of Buildings, faces 16 counts …

The Detroit Free Press reports: Former GOP state House Speaker Rick Johnson, two lobbyists and a medical marijuana business owner were charged Thursday in a bribery scheme, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan announced at a press conference in Lansing. Johnson, 70, was the chairman of the state’s medical marijuana licensing board, which approved or denied applications …

Reuters reports: A Brooklyn federal jury on Thursday convicted a former 21st Century Fox executive and acquitted another after a trial over an alleged scheme to bribe South American soccer officials to secure lucrative broadcasting rights. Jurors found Hernan Lopez guilty but acquitted Carlos Martinez on the same charges. South American sports marketing company Full Play Group SA was also …

Courthouse News reports: A jury on Wednesday found four of the five Navy officials accused of trading military secrets for sex parties with prostitutes, luxurious dinners and travel paid for by defense contractor Leonard “Fat Leonard” Francis guilty of bribery and wire fraud. Following a four-month trial, 12 jurors unanimously found Capts. David Newland, James Dolan and David Lausman, and …

The Wall Street Journal reports: A federal jury in Manhattan convicted a former bank executive on charges that he helped arrange $16 million in loans to former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, in exchange for help getting a high-level job in the Trump administration. Stephen M. Calk, the founder and former chairman of the Federal Savings Bank in Chicago, was …

Buzzfeed News reports: The Trump Organization negotiated on behalf of then-president Donald Trump to make Parler his primary social network, but it had a condition: an ownership stake in return for joining, according to documents and four people familiar with the conversations. The deal was never finalized, but legal experts said the discussions alone, which occurred while Trump was still …

The Texas Tribune reports: Lacey Mase, one of the top aides who accused Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton of crimes including bribery and abuse of office, has been fired, she told The Texas Tribune on Tuesday evening. “It was not voluntary,” she said, but declined to comment further. Mase was hired in 2011 and worked most recently as the deputy …

The Austin Statesman reports: Top aides of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have asked federal law enforcement authorities to investigate allegations of improper influence, abuse of office, bribery and other potential crimes against the state’s top lawyer. In a one-page letter to the state agency’s director of human resources, obtained Saturday by the American-Statesman and KVUE-TV, seven executives in the …

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports: Federal officials arrested Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four others on Tuesday morning in connection with a $60 million bribery case. U.S. Attorney David DeVillers’ office would not discuss details of the case, but a source involved in the investigation confirmed Householder’s arrest to The Enquirer. Also arrested, according to the source: Neil Clark, founder …

The Dayton Daily News reports: Police activity is being reported at Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder’s farm in Perry County and the U.S. Attorney’s office said it is holding a 2:30 p.m. press conference today related to $60 million in bribes paid to a state official and associates. FBI Special Agent in Charge Chris Hoffman and U.S. Attorney for the …

The Associated Press reports: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday launched a tirade against the nation’s justice system as his long-awaited corruption trial got underway, accusing police and prosecutors of conspiring to “depose” him. Netanyahu’s comments opened what is sure to be a tumultuous period for Israel as he becomes the country’s first sitting prime minister ever to go …

The Daily Beast reports: Moments before Wednesday’s impeachment hearings and right after U.S. Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland’s opening statement was released, Fox News contributor Ken Starr wondered aloud whether Sondland flipping on President Trump would cause GOP senators to push Trump to resign. “The real issue is the senators are watching,” Starr said. “Are senators going to now …

The Hill reports: Rep. Sean Maloney (D-N.Y.) said Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland’s testimony will show President Trump participated in the “solicitation of a bribe.” Maloney told George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week” that the “evidence is building” against President Trump in the impeachment inquiry. He said President Trump’s call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky demonstrated the White …

The Guardian reports: A real estate company part-owned by Jared Kushner has received $90m in foreign funding from an opaque offshore vehicle since he entered the White House as a senior adviser to his father-in-law Donald Trump. Investment has flowed from overseas to the company, Cadre, while Kushner works as an international envoy for the US, according to corporate filings …

Michigan Live reports: State Rep. Larry Inman said he probably should have picked up the phone and called labor union representatives instead of sending texts that would later be part of a federal indictment alleging he solicited bribes. Inman, R-Traverse City, was indicted May 15 by federal prosecutors for attempted extortion, bribery and lying to an FBI agent. The indictment …

The Detroit Free Press reports: A state representative has been indicted by a federal grand jury, accused of trying to sell his vote on a measure to repeal Michigan’s prevailing wage law. Rep. Larry Inman, R-Traverse City, was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Grand Rapids, court records show. House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, called on Inman on …

The New York Post reports: Lori Loughlin and her husband were indicted Tuesday for participating in the college admissions scam — and hit with new charges, prosecutors announced. A federal grand jury in Boston handed up the indictment against the “Full House” star, hubby Mossimo Giannulli and 14 other parents on charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud …

Reuters reports: Actress Felicity Huffman and 13 other people have agreed to plead guilty to participating in what prosecutors call the largest college admissions scam uncovered in U.S. history, federal prosecutors said on Monday. The 14 are among 50 people accused by federal prosecutors in Boston of engaging in schemes that involved cheating on college entrance exams and paying $25 …

CNN reports: Robin Hayes, the embattled chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, announced Wednesday that he will stay on as the leader of the party despite being indicted on federal bribery charges. Hayes will, however, hand over the day-to-day responsibilities of the unpaid position to Aubrey Woodard, the 11th District Chair, while he deals with his legal issues. “In …

Haaretz reports: The police and Israel Securities Authority on Sunday recommended indicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyau and his wife, Sara, as well as media mogul Shaul Elovitch and his wife, Iris, for bribery and other corruption charges in the investigation dubbed Case 4000. This is the third case in which the police have recommended charging the prime minister with bribery. …