GOP Thieves and Thuggery Rule #1

“The most rational party in the room usually wins.”

Big find on Bill Barr & Oleg Deripaska by @StacyJannis

Wendy Siegelman
@WendySiegelman
Independent journalist, published in @Guardian @Buzzfeed – make charts & write about Trump-Russia, consultant for @Avaaz we******@********il.com

Big find on Bill Barr & Oleg Deripaska by @StacyJannis

Kirkland & Ellis where Barr worked before becoming AG, has London office that has represented Deripaska’s recently unsanctioned EN+ Group Ben Sasse asked Barr about Deripaska yesterday & Barr had nothing critical to say

https://ukgraduate.kirkland.com/case-studies

Revealed: the Trump-linked ‘Super PAC’ working behind the scenes to drive Europe’s voters to the far right | openDemocracy
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/revealed-the-trump-linked-super-pac-working-behind-the-scenes-to-drive-europes-voters-to-the-far-right/

Financial scandals and links to the ‘hard right’ close relationship between CitizenGo, HazteOir and Vox.

A controversial Madrid-based campaign group, supported by American and Russian ultra-conservatives, is working across Europe to drive voters towards far-right parties in next month’s European Parliament elections and in Spain’s national elections this Sunday, openDemocracy can reveal today.
Our findings have caused alarm among lawmakers who fear that Trump-linked conservatives are working with European allies to import a controversial US-style ‘Super PAC’ model of political campaigning to Europe – opening the door to large amounts of ‘dark money’ flowing unchecked into elections and referenda.

Trump hotels exempted from ban on foreign payments under new stance
A narrow justice department interpretation of the emoluments clause gives countries leeway to curry favor with the president via commercial deals

The Department of Justice has adopted a narrow interpretation of a law meant to bar foreign interests from corrupting federal officials, giving Saudi Arabia, China and other countries leeway to curry favor with Donald Trump via deals with his hotels, condos, trademarks and golf courses, legal and national security experts say.
The so-called foreign emoluments clause was intended to curb presidents and other government officials from accepting gifts and benefits from foreign governments unless Congress consents.

June 2017 reveal a new interpretation that “… would permit the president – and all federal officials – to accept unlimited amounts of money from foreign governments, as long as the money comes through commercial transactions with an entity owned by the federal official,” the professor writes.
The justice department stance now closely parallels arguments made in a January 2017 position paper by Trump Organization lawyer Sheri Dillon and several of her law partners.

$INSY

The jury finds Insys founder John Kapoor GUILTY of a racketeering conspiracy.

Opioid Executive John Kapoor Found Guilty In Landmark Bribery Case Congrats to @RodBoydILM and @IRF_Report for exposing one of the most heinous opiate pushing schemes in modern history

all five defendants are found guilty of RICO racketeering and conspiracy John Kapoor, founder/Chmn
Joe Rowan, SE Sales chief
Rich Simon, Dep nat’l Sales Chief
Sunrise Lee, Regional Sales Mgr
Michael Gurry, Mgd Markets Chief

US WorldMeds LLC has agreed to pay $17.5 million to settle allegations it violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks to patients and physicians. Congratulations to TAFEF members Suzanne Durrell and Shayne Stevenson and their clients
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/pharmaceutical-company-agrees-pay-175-million-resolve-allegations-kickbacks-medicare-patients

Under the Anti-Kickback Statute, a pharmaceutical company is prohibited from offering, directly or indirectly, any remuneration — which includes paying patients’ copay obligations — to induce Medicare patients to purchase the company’s drugs.