The Mystery of Paul Manafort Takes another Strange Turn

New reports raise questions about whether Trump’s former campaign manager was involved in money laundering.

With the exception of Donald Trump, no one name has surfaced as frequently—or drawn as much scrutiny—in the present Russian melodrama as Paul Manafort. Facing active investigations by the F.B.I., the Treasury Department, and Select Intelligence Committees in both the House and Senate, Trump’s former campaign chairman has emerged as a key figure in the unfolding Kremlingate scandal—even if the White House now claims that he had only a “limited role” on the Trump campaign. Last week, the Associated Press reported that Manafort was paid tens of millions of dollars by a Russian oligarch to advance Vladimir Putin’s agenda across Europe and the United States. Now, new media reports allege that Manafort also has a history of shady real-estate dealings and ties to more than a dozen bank accounts in Cyprus, raising questions about whether the longtime Trump ally was involved in money laundering. read more »

Grassley, Wyden Introduce IRS Whistleblower Improvements Act of 2017

Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen. Ron Wyden today introduced bipartisan legislation to improve IRS communication with tax fraud whistleblowers and protect those whistleblowers from workplace retaliation.

“Whistleblowers have helped the IRS recover more than $3 billion for the taxpayers that otherwise would have been lost to fraud,” Grassley said.  “Whistleblowers have the potential to help even more.  They need assurances that putting their jobs at risk carries protections.  They also need better communication about where their cases stand so they’re not sitting in limbo.  This bill will offer a welcome mat to those who are too often treated like skunks at a picnic.”

“Whistleblowers are a crucial line of defense against waste, fraud and abuse,” said Wyden. “This legislation will strengthen protections for employees of companies who come forward to report tax evasion.  Empowering these whistleblowers is key to rooting out bad actors who are breaking the law by dodging their taxes.” read more »

Latin America needs more whistle-blowers

In a region where witness protection is frail and the independent judiciary a work in progress, anyone who speaks up should be encouraged

In Latin America, crooked business goes by many names. Coima, propina, the bite and — my favourite — “milk for the kids” are just a few. Whatever you call corruption, people in 13 countries in the Americas agreed that it is one of the region’s biggest scourges, according to pollster Latinobarometro. The algae bloom of scandal trailing dodgy Brazilian contractor Odebrecht SA’s continental dealings has only cemented that conviction. read more »

SEC Charges Pastor With Defrauding Retirees

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced fraud charges and an emergency asset freeze obtained against a Michigan-based pastor accused of exploiting church members, retirees, and laid-off auto workers who were misled to believe they were investing in a successful real estate business.

The SEC alleges that Larry Holley, the pastor of Abundant Life Ministries in Flint, Mich., cloaked his solicitations in faith-based rhetoric, replete with references to scripture and biblical figures.  Holley allegedly told prospective investors that as a person who “prayed for your children,” he was more trustworthy than a “banker” with their money.  According to the SEC’s complaint, Holley held financial presentations masked as “Blessed Life Conferences” at churches nationwide during which he asked congregants to fill out cards detailing their financial holdings, and he promised to pray over the cards and invited attendees to have one-on-one consultations with his team.  He allegedly called his investors “millionaires in the making.”

According to the SEC’s complaint, which also charges Holley’s company Treasure Enterprise LLC and his business associate Patricia Enright Gray, approximately $6.7 million was raised from more than 80 investors who were guaranteed high returns and told they were investing in a profitable real estate company with hundreds of residential and commercial properties. read more »

Bangladesh Bank heist was "state-sponsored" - U.S. official

The heist of $81 million from the Bangladesh central bank's account at the New York Federal Reserve last year was "state-sponsored," an FBI officer in the Philippines, who has been involved in the investigations, said on Wednesday.

Lamont Siller, the legal attache at the U.S. embassy, did not elaborate but his comments in a speech in Manila are a strong signal that authorities in the United States are close to naming who carried out one of the world's biggest cyber heists.

Last week, officials in Washington, speaking on condition of anonymity, blamed North Korea.

"We all know the Bangladesh Bank heist, this is just one example of a state-sponsored attack that was done on the banking sector," Siller told a cyber security forum. read more »