Tag: corruption

California Dems Cook the Books on $2 Billion, Then Try to Make Filming Their Fraud Illegal

Max Bonilla publicly accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration of making a $2 billion calculation error in the state budget and then mischaracterizing the issue after it was identified.

Bonilla said the discrepancy involved accounting related to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, commonly known as CalPERS, and described how the error affected projected employer contributions.

“Governor Newsom’s office made a $2 billion calculation error in regards to the state budget and then lied about it to the public, and they actually covered this up for months.”

He said the handling of the issue raised concerns about transparency and competence within the administration.

“This should be disturbing to you, with all the fraud that’s going on across the United States of America, it shows you how incompetent they are. Shows you that they can’t even do basic math, and they can’t even be transparent to the public when it really comes down to it.”

Bonilla said officials referred to the issue as a revision rather than an error, which he criticized.

“And instead of calling this an error, they’re calling it a revision. And that, my friends, is revisionist history.”

According to Bonilla, the accounting problem involved double-counting employer contributions to CalPERS, the retirement system that provides benefits to public employees after they leave service.

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Same County That Prosecuted Cops in the George Floyd Case Is Now Hunting ICE Agents — County Attorney Brags About It on MSNOW

A county prosecutor in Minnesota is taking a legally questionable and structurally dangerous step: prosecuting a federal immigration agent for actions taken in the line of duty.

As previously covered by The Gateway Pundit, Mary Moriarty, the Hennepin County attorney, has announced charges against an ICE agent stemming from an incident involving an unmarked vehicle and alleged firearm use during a highway encounter.

According to the criminal complaint cited in the interview, motorists claimed they were approached by a black SUV without identifying markings, leading to confusion over whether the individual was law enforcement.

That claim, however, underscores a central issue: a criminal complaint is not proof. Rather, it is an allegation, often built on limited testimony, and in this case, the publicly presented evidence appears to rely heavily on witness accounts without corroborating physical evidence.

Under normal legal standards, that threshold raises serious questions about whether a warrant should have been issued at all.

More importantly, the legal foundation of the case itself is highly unstable. State prosecutors generally do not have the authority to charge federal agents for actions taken within the scope of their duties.

That principle exists for a reason. Without it, federal law enforcement would be subject to a patchwork of politically driven prosecutions across different states, effectively undermining the ability of agencies like ICE to function.

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Georgia Election Workers Charged for Years-Long Healthcare Fraud Scheme

Two Georgia elections workers and other Middle Georgia women have been charged for their role in a healthcare fraud scheme.

Tarshea Fudge-Riley, elections supervisor for Macon County and Lamonica Lakes, election clerk and deputy election registrar allegedly participated in a years-long scheme to commit healthcare fraud.

The women allegedly submitted fraudulent insurance claims for mental health therapy sessions that never even happened.

“Federal prosecutors believe Fudge-Riley, who is the Chief Macon County BOE Supervisor, and Lakes, an elections clerk at the Macon County BOE, as well as Childs, were paid by James Ellis to knowingly create fake therapy session notes that were submitted to health insurance providers for “pre-payment review,”” WGXA reported.

And these are the people we are supposed to trust with elections.

Fudge-Riley and Lakes reportedly still work in the elections office.

The women received millions of dollars after submitting fraudulent claims.

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FBI Director Kash Patel Says ‘Arrests Are Coming Soon’ for Deep State Coup Plotters Who Tried to Rig Elections Against Trump, ‘Comey Is Not the Only One’

FBI Director Kash Patel announced Sunday that criminal arrests are imminent for multiple high-level figures involved in what he called a “de facto coup” against President Donald Trump, including efforts to personally attack the presidency and rig the U.S. electoral system.

Speaking to Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, Patel stated that investigators now possess “all the information we need” and are actively working with the Department of Justice to bring charges.

“We have found all this information. We are working with our Department of Justice partners, and I am never going to let this go,” Patel said.

“They not only have personally attacked the presidency of the United States and President Trump, but they tried to thwart our elections and rig the entire system.”

Patel added, “We’ve got all the evidence. I can announce on your show that we’ve got all the information we need. We’re working with our prosecutors at the Department of Justice and their Attorney General, Todd Blanche, and we are going to be making arrests, and it’s coming, and I promise you, it’s coming soon.”

Patel explicitly stated that former FBI Director James Comey would not be the only one facing criminal consequences.

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Trump wages war, his sons get payoff through savvy investments

The U.S. military desperately needs drone capabilities for President Donald Trump’s war in Iran, and fast. Coincidentally, his sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr., are on the case.

Indeed, the Trump brothers are pumping money into defense-tech oriented firms that have already secured Pentagon contracts, or have already put battle-tested products to market. For example, they’ve invested in Powerus, a new drone company aiming to harness its “strong relationship with Ukraine” as a means to acquire and leverage war-tried Ukrainian drone technologies in a competitive U.S. market. Having bought out several competitors, Powerus already does business with the U.S. military.

In other words, the Trump family stands to benefit financially from the war, and already are.

Eric Trump also invests in Israeli drone firm and DoD contractor Xtend, whose “low cost-per kill” attack drones have been used by the IDF in Gaza. Expanding to the U.S., the company opened an office near Tampa last summer.

Donald Trump Jr. has a $4 million stake in, and sits on the board of Unusual Machines, a drone parts startup. In December, it secured a $620 million DoD loan — the largest loan in the history of the Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital — to make drone parts.

And Trump Jr. is a partner at 1789, a “patriotic capitalist” venture capital firm which backs a number of defense-tech startups. The firm, which Trump Jr. joined in November 2024 — right after his father was re-elected to the presidency — has since seen explosive growth: the assets it manages jumped in value from $150 million to more than $2 billion by the end of last year.

Suggesting the firm influences U.S. policy outright, Trump Jr. explained at a Future Investment Initiative event last year that 1789 “understand[s] what the administration wants to do, because [the firm] helped craft some of the messaging.”

Conflicts of interest percolate

As William Hartung, a Quincy Institute senior research fellow, tells RS, the Trump family’s defense-tech pursuits can be linked to a larger network of technology firms and venture capitalists that has significant influence within the Trump administration.

“The emerging military tech sector has deep ties to the administration, starting with vice-president J.D. Vance’s relationship with Palantir founder Peter Thiel, who employed Vance and helped fund his Senate run,” Hartung said. “The fact that Donald Trump Jr. — not only the president’s son but a close political advisor and unofficial spokesperson — will now profit personally from the fate of specific military tech firms adds an even more profound conflict-of-interest.”

To this end, 1789’s portfolio includes a number of defense-oriented companies, such as Anduril, Hadrian, SpaceX, and Vulcan Elements, a DOD contractor that makes rare-earth magnets, which are also backed by controversial venture capitalist Peter Thiel or his VC firm Founders Fund. A Silicon Valley kingmaker and Palantir co-founder to boot, Thiel has simultaneously worked to influence U.S. politics, bankrolling Congressional campaigns while many in his orbit now occupy major positions in the Trump administration.

Notably, Trump Jr. also sits on the advisory board of controversial prediction market Polymarket — which 1789 and Thiel’s Founders Fund also back — fostering an environment where people with insider awareness regarding the outcomes of world events could theoretically profit from that knowledge.

Hartung warns such political access — and, in the case of 1789, venture capital funding — can give certain defense-tech startups an unwarranted edge.

“Venture capital allows firms to stay in the market longer before they score their first big government contract, be it with the Pentagon, an intelligence agency, or the Department of Homeland Security,” Hartung told RS. “But once these influential firms have sunk substantial funds in a startup, they may use their influence to get that firm a contract whether or not its technology is ready for prime time, just to get a return on funds invested up to a given point in time.”

“If they can recruit the president’s son to join in boosting a particular firm, whether or not its product has been proven effective, they have a whole new level of influence, which can be wielded to serve their financial interests rather than the public interest,” Hartung said.

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Glam Iranian businesswoman busted at LAX, charged with helping regime sell drones, bombs and ammo

A glamorous Iranian businesswoman with a US green card was arrested at the Los Angeles International Airport for allegedly trafficking arms on behalf of Tehran.

Shamim Mafi, 44, of Woodland Hills, was taken into custody on Saturday night and charged with brokering deals for Iranian drones, bombs, and millions of rounds of ammunition bound for Sudan, according to the office of the US Attorney for the Central District of California.

Mafi had allegedly conducted the arms deals while in close contact with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, which provided instruction and funds for her to open a business in the US to operate out of, according to court records.  

“She is charged with a violation of 50 U.S.C. § 1705 for brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured by Iran and sold to Sudan,” First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said Sunday, announcing the arrest.

Mafi posted glam pics of herself traveling the world — including posing in a $100,000 Mercedes-Benz roadster.

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Ilhan Omar Blames ‘Accounting Error’ For Financial Disclosure Showing Multimillion-Dollar Wealth

Rep. Ilhan Omar has dramatically revised financial disclosures that previously showed multimillion-dollar assets, now claiming the figures were the result of an “accounting error.”

The far-left Somali Democrat, who regularly demands that lawmakers raise taxes on the super-rich, had reported assets between $6 million and $30 million in a prior filing.

Yet according to The Wall Street Journal, an amended disclosure now places total assets at just $18,004 to $95,000.

The sharp drop follows scrutiny over the sudden jump in reported wealth.

Omar’s office said the earlier figures were incorrect and attributed the discrepancy to reliance on accountants.

“The amended disclosure confirms what we’ve said all along: The congresswoman is not a millionaire,” a spokesperson said.

Businesses linked to Omar’s husband, Tim Mynett, including a venture capital firm and a California winery, had previously been listed in the multimillion-dollar range.

In the amended filing, both are now listed as having no value once liabilities are included.

A letter from Omar’s legal team claimed the “error” was unintentional and said no wrongdoing occurred.

“As the busiest of people, it is very common for members and their spouses to rely on learned professionals,” the letter said.

“While the error is of course unfortunate, there is nothing untoward and nothing illegal has occurred.”

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Philly mayor yells at public, asks ‘how dare’ they question how much she wants to tax

n one of the most out-of-touch examples I’ve seen of Democrats in recent weeks, we’ve now got Philadelphia mayor Cherelle Parker yelling at her constituents over a new tax she wants on each and every ride-sharing journey: if enacted, all Uber and Lyft rides would have an additional dollar tacked on (to support the dying city education system), which in a substantial number of instances, wouldn’t be a miniscule tax. (The average cost of a rideshare in Philadelphia is somewhere between $16 and $24, or 6.25% and 4%, respectively.)

Parker wonders “how dare” the citizens and voters question how much she wants to take out of their pockets for others’ expenses.

Just so we’re all clear, this same woman just marched against “kings” a few weeks back, and even showed up as a featured speaker (via video) for her city’s protest…now imposing unpopular taxes by royal decree.

For context, under Cherelle Parker’s “leadership,” the public school system is facing a $300-million deficit, which according to the superintendent, “is driven by salary increases… rising charter school payments, and higher healthcare costs.” Entry-level teaching positions start around $54,000—in a school district where a whopping 85% of kids don’t test at or above a “proficient” level in their studies, according to the “Nation’s Report Card” data. Ironically, you may remember that Parker is the same woman who in 2025, made headlines when she couldn’t even spell “Eagles,” as in the Philadelphia Eagles. Her city’s own NFL team. A five-letter word. “E-L-G-S-E-S!”

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Whistleblowers Threatened, Fraud Ignored: The Tim Walz Impeachment Begins

A formal call for the impeachment of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has been presented, citing allegations related to the handling of fraud oversight, executive authority, and the administration’s response to internal warnings.

Mike Wiener outlined the request, pointing to provisions within Minnesota’s Constitution and state statutes governing fiduciary responsibility and fraud prevention. He said the effort is based on what he described as failures in oversight and execution of state law.

“Calling for the impeachment of Governor Tim Walz for failure to faithfully execute the laws of the state of Minnesota, abuse of power and obstruction of oversight under Minnesota article Constitution, Article eight, section one,” Wiener said.

He referenced the constitutional standard for impeachment.

“The governor may be impeached for malfeasance. Non feasants are corrupt conduct,” Wiener said.

Wiener said the threshold for impeachment does not require a criminal conviction.

“These standards do not require a criminal conviction, they require a breach of public trust in a failure to uphold the duties of the office,” he said.

He also cited another constitutional provision related to the execution of laws.

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FTC Settlement: Ad Agencies Agree to Stop “Brand Safety” Collusion to Defund Media Outlets

Three of the world’s biggest advertising conglomerates have agreed to stop colluding to defund media outlets whose politics they didn’t like.

The Federal Trade Commission and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, joined by seven other states, filed a complaint and simultaneous settlement against Dentsu US, GroupM Worldwide (WPP’s media-buying arm), and Publicis on April 15, accusing them of running what amounts to a coordinated censorship operation through the advertising supply chain.

Starting in 2018, these agencies, which collectively control over $81 billion in ad-buying power, agreed to adopt identical “brand safety” standards that treated so-called “misinformation” as a category of content too dangerous for any advertiser to touch.

They did this through two industry groups: the American Association of Advertising Agencies’ Advertiser Protection Bureau, and the World Federation of Advertisers’ Global Alliance for Responsible Media, better known as GARM. The result was a shared “Brand Safety Floor” that could starve publishers of revenue without any single company having to take public responsibility for the decision.

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