Trump makes corruption great again: part 4

This has got to be the least surprising development so far.

On Wednesday evening, one day into her tenure as U.S. attorney general, Pam Bondi announced the end of the Kleptocracy Initiative, launched by the Justice Department in 2010 to battle high-level corruption worldwide and return ill-gotten funds to victims of financial crimes. The former Florida attorney general and legal counsel to President Trump during his first impeachment trial, who spent the last several years as a corporate lobbyist, also closed the KleptoCapture task force, created under AG Merrick Garland in 2022 to target Russian oligarchs violating U.S. economic sanctions imposed because of Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine. Through the initiative, the DOJ has prosecuted frauds worth billions, recovering embezzled funds and seizing assets like megayachts and luxury condos.
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In the same memo that ended the Kleptocracy Initiative, Bondi said the Justice Department would roll back its enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Foreign Agents Registration Act, laws concerning international white-collar crime. FCPA prosecutions, she revealed, would now focus on cartels and TCOs, in line with the reassignment of anti-kleptocracy prosecutors and resources. That law was established, however, to prevent U.S. citizens and businesses from bribing foreign government officials; restricting its application just to bribery involving cartels and similar groups greatly diminishes its scope. FARA requires Americans to disclose to the DOJ when they are lobbying within the U.S. on behalf of foreign countries or interests, as well as their compensation. Notably, Bondi did exactly this as a lobbyist, representing a U.K. sports betting company, a Kuwati investment firm, and the embassy of Qatar. Now, according to Bondi, prosecutions by the FARA unit “shall be limited to instances of alleged conduct similar to more traditional espionage by foreign government actors.” This, too, radically shrinks the use of an important law.

Trump is so comfortable with his corruption and so confident in not being caught, that he openly joked about it.

Summarizing Trump's executive orders so far:
1. Trump fired most of the inspector generals.
2. Trump revoked Biden's rules against accepting gifts from lobbyists
3. Trump revoked Biden's rule against the "revolving door"
4. Trump replaced civil service classification with political appointees.
5. Trump revoked Biden's order that would allow Medicare to negotiate lower prices with Big Pharma.
6. SEC lawyers cannot investigate fraud without approval from politically appointed leadership.
7. Halted virtually all pending activities at the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, including investigations.

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snoopydawg's picture

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a bull in a china shop and is doing whatever the hell he wants makes me wonder why Biden didn’t overrule the parliamentarian and just raise the minimum wage anyway. Or do any of the things he said he would that would have helped Main Street Americans.

It’s interesting how powerless democrats are when they hold all branches of government, but the republicans don’t have that problem when they do.

Tubberville put a hold on Biden’s military appointees for 400 days and yet democrats are again powerless in stopping even one of Trump’s appointees.
Oh yeah…they talked through the night and then watched as Trump’s person was confirmed. Then they made a deal with republicans to have a 4 day weekend so they could all watch the Super Bowl.
Hey anyone remember when Schumer made a deal with McConnell to fast track 15 judges that Democrats opposed?

Funny isn’t it?

As for Trump rolling back permission to negotiate drugs for Medicare do you know how many he’d actually do and how long until they took place?

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Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.

QMS's picture

It will be a long four years of your newly found exposure.
This kinda shit has been going on for at least 50 years.
Try blaming the system instead of an individual. It makes
more sense that way.

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question everything

snoopydawg's picture

@QMS

That’s what I’ve been asking. Where was he during the 4 year crime spree of Biden and democrats?

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Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.

@snoopydawg taking your comments seriously when it is obvious that you never read anything past the subject line.

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snoopydawg's picture

@gjohnsit

What’s your point?

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Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.

@snoopydawg It's VBNW and the Dems can do no wrong.
That's what all of my posts say.

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@QMS

This kinda shit has been going on for at least 50 years.

Which is why I've been listing the CHANGES Trump has been making.
Yes, there has always been government corruption, but I am able to recognize different levels of corruption.
Do people here simply not understand what I've been posting?

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QMS's picture

@gjohnsit
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maybe it is different this time

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question everything

usefewersyllables's picture

@gjohnsit

people here understand what you have been posting very well indeed.

They simply don’t agree with your conclusions. Sorry if that causes any inconvenience.

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Twice bitten, permanently shy.

@usefewersyllables if you disagree to say why.

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usefewersyllables's picture

@gjohnsit

would that serve? You would appear to see the current situation through the eyes of a dem partisan. Speaking strictly for myself: continuing the conversation would go nowhere. I’m not a dem anymore, and I already had my agonizing reappraisal, described here in infinite detail.

Many, if not most, of us ex-dem-partisans are actually far more angry with the dems that we are with Trump- because of how smoothly, completely, and consistently they have lied to us for all these years, and especially during the Biden era. We knew that Trump would be a train wreck, and yet the dems couldn’t be bothered to run a credible candidate against him. We have him because of them.

The belief that the dems were in some sense “better” assumes facts not in evidence. That has proven repeatedly to be impossible to discuss with people who have not yet realized that simple truth. That is probably why most people simply move on. And it is not lost upon me that I should have done so as well- and will do forthwith.

Peace.

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Twice bitten, permanently shy.

@usefewersyllables

You would appear to see the current situation through the eyes of a dem partisan.

It seems that hating Trump = being a Dem partisan. I see it here, I saw it on reddit, I see it IRL.
It's pointless to say otherwise because no one wants to hear it.

It's sad really. Because any criticism of Trump automatically discredits me.
Personally I think it makes the country sick. That's why I'm seriously looking to leave.

It's like the myth of Cassandra. I can see how this will end badly, but there isn't a chance that anyone will listen.

We have him because of them.

Yep. As I've said repeatably, this is the Weimar Germany all over again. The SPD (today's Dems) stabbed the left in the back over and over again, while protecting right-wing capitalists from consequences. Eventually this emboldened the right-wing to finally take over.
Somehow saying this makes me a Dem partisan. That's why it's pointless to argue with you. I get it.

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usefewersyllables's picture

@gjohnsit

do you believe that I started arguing with you?

You asked, and I answered; and I did so in the gentlest way I could.

If I were to start arguing, you would know. I do not find argument enjoyable any more- so let’s simply agree to disagree.

Peace.

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Twice bitten, permanently shy.

@usefewersyllables It's probably pointless for me to continue posting here.

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@gjohnsit thumbs up.
Do watcha wanna do, go where ya wanna go, as the song says.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

@QMS that was excellent Cap'n.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981