Tag Archives: corruption

Government Accountability, International, Politics

Israel Police Recommend Charging Netanyahu With Corruption

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Tel Aviv, Israel— Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been recommended for indictment by Israeli police over allegations he engaged in bribery, fraud and “acting against public interest.”

Following the announcement, Netanyahu made a televised statement in which he denied the allegations, calling the case against him “baseless,” and vowing to continue to lead Israel.

The recommendation of charges follows a 14-month long investigation into allegations that Netanyahu traded political favors for costly gifts from wealthy businessmen, and that he sought to complete a deal with a popular newspaper to obtain positive coverage in exchange for using his position to damage a rival newspaper.

According to Haaretz:

The two cases are the so-called Case 1000 – in which Netanyahu is suspected of accepting lavish gifts from wealthy benefactors in return for advancing their interests – and Case 2000, which alleges that Netanyahu tried to strike a deal that would have provided him with positive coverage in Israel’s second largest newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, in exchange for hurting its free rival, Israel Hayom.

A report by the Times of Israel last week noted “senior police officials are in unanimous agreement on the matter, and that a ‘final’ discussion on the investigation had now been held.”

[RELATED: Boehner And Netanyahu Deny Report That Israel Spied On US-Iran Nuclear Negotiations]

Reuters noted Netanyahu has been questioned numerous times since early 2017. Police now believe they have enough evidence to bring criminal charges. Consequently, the indictment recommendation will now go to the Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who must decide whether to proceed with an indictment.

In fact, The Times reports that Alsheich also claimed that “powerful figures” operating on behalf of Netanyahu hired private investigators to collect information about police investigators working the Netanyahu cases, in an attempt to smear them once the recommendations became public.

Last Wednesday, in anticipation of the recommendation to indict, Netanyahu posted a video on Facebook proclaiming his innocence.

“There will be recommendations, there will also be signs saying ‘Bibi is guilty until proven otherwise,’ and there will be improper pressure, too. But I’m sure that at the end of the day the legal authorities will arrive at one conclusion, at the simple truth: there is nothing.”

https://www.facebook.com/Netanyahu/videos/10155360032517076/

Even if Netanyahu is eventually indicted, under current Israeli law, he could not be forced to resign.

Featured, Government Corruption, US

Indiana Councilman, Facing Murder Charges, Takes Oath of Office from Jail

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Robert Battle, an incumbent East Chicago, Indiana Democratic Councilman who won his unopposed November reelection bid by obtaining just 308 votes, was sworn into office at the Porter County Jail on Friday where he faces murder and drug charges.

Battle was taken into custody on Nov. 17.

According to The Times of Northwest Indiana, Lake County elections director Michelle Fajman has received a certified document noting that Battle was sworn in, reportedly by a fellow inmate who is also a notary public. The deadline by which newly-elected officials in the county are required to complete their swearing in ceremonies or vacate the seat in question is Jan. 30.

County officials say there is no way to prevent Battle from being sworn into office as Indiana state law allows him to retain his council seat, along with its $42,365 annual salary, until he resigns or is found guilty of the charges.

Members of East Chicago’s City Council also receive insurance and pension benefits worth over $12,000.

Porter County Sheriff David Reynolds told The Chicago Tribune, “There is no reason for me to deny it legally.”

Battle is accused of killing Reimundo Camarillo Jr. on Oct. 12 and also faces marijuana and cocaine charges. He maintains that he shot Camarillo in self-defense and has pleaded not guilty.

The Times of Northwest Indiana pointed out that Battle’s attorney Walter Alvarez claims that Camarillo had pulled a knife on Battle prior to the shooting.

The drug charges stem from a different arrest during a traffic stop on Sept. 23.

Battle is set to stand trial in August.

“It’s just a sad situation all the way around, especially for the family of the deceased,” said Fifth District Councilman Rosendo Cuevas, commenting on the death of Reimundo Camarillo Jr.

Politics, US

2 IL Veterans Force 102 Corrupt Officials to Resign, Place Entire Local Board Under Citizen’s Arrest

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With four former governors having served time behind bars, Illinois’ government is widely-viewed as being riddled with corruption. However, according to a recent expose by Forbes, two military veterans in Edgar County have begun to fight back and, in just under two years, have drastically cleaned up corruption in their community.

In an effort to take back their government from self-serving politicians and bureaucrats, John Kraft and Kirk Allen established a group called the Edgar County Watchdogs. Through a combination of public pressure, Freedom of Information filings, lawsuits, and media exposure, they have created a system that deeply threatens Illinois’ corrupt, entrenched political establishment. They operate a blog called Illinois Leaks that exposes corruption at the state and local levels. Considering the fact that, according to Forbes, their home county’s government has racked up over $79 million in debt all on its own while serving only 18,000 residents, Kraft and Allen have their work cut out for them.

Despite an uphill battle, the anti-corruption twosome have been surprisingly successful. By doggedly pursuing justice for even the smallest infractions by bureaucrats and politicians, the Edgar County Watchdogs have driven 102 public officials to resign from their posts, including 33 officials in Edgar County alone. The pair busted the mayor of Redmond for attempting to hold office while living out of town. They represented themselves in court and beat Illinois Assistant Attorney General Emma Steimel in a lawsuit seeking access to state emails. Officials who have resigned due to the Watchdogs’ efforts include a property tax assessor, the Edgar County board chairman, an entire airport board and its manager, the attorney for Kansas Township’s fire department, Shiloh’s superintendent of schools, and Effingham’s health department administrator, among others. After they exposed corrupt, illegal, and self-serving spending habits by the Ford-Iroquois County health department, the entire bureaucracy was dissolved. In some cases, federal agents have even stepped in to investigate and issue subpoenas to local officials after receiving tips from Kraft and Allen.

In what was one of their most epic displays of political crime-fighting, seen in the above-embedded video, Allen and Kraft held the entire Clark County Park District Board under citizen’s arrest on May 13, 2014 for violating the Illinois Open Meetings Act, a Class C misdemeanor. According to NBC-5 Chicago, when Clark County Sheriff Jerry Parsley responded to the scene of the heated dispute in which local residents were not allowed to make public comments at a park district board public meeting, he chose to enforce Kraft and Allen’s citizen’s arrest. Sheriff Parsley explained his rationale behind enforcing the arrest to NBC Chicago, “The people need to have their voice. It’s not a dictatorship. It’s a democracy.”

Inspired by Dillon’s Rule, a 19th-century principle that municipal governments can only act on the basis of powers that have been lawfully granted to them, the duo force public officials to prove that they are spending public funds and using public resources in a lawful manner. Activities like these helped Kraft and Allen catch a school superintendent who spent $5,000 worth of school funds dining out at restaurants.

What began as an effort to clean up Edgar County has become a state-wide initiative to hold public officials accountable. In a short time, two concerned citizens who happen to be military veterans have dramatically shaken up Illinois’ infamously-corrupt political landscape.

Featured, Politics, US

Texas Governor Rick Perry indicted by grand jury on felony charges- Could face 109 years

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AUSTIN, August 15, 2014– According to Austin, Texas NBC affiliate KXAN, on Friday, a grand jury served an indictment against Gov. Rick Perry (R- Texas) in connection with the investigation into an effort to force Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg to resign. Travis County is home to Austin, Texas.

At the center of the issue is a complaint about intimidation stemming from Perry’s threat to veto of $7.5 million in state funding to the Public Integrity Unit run by Lehmberg’s office, which came after she pleaded guilty to drunk driving and served a 45-day sentence; Perry called on her to step down. However, Lehmberg refused to resign her position, which led Perry to veto the funding for the PIU.

A grand jury was called to determine whether or not Perry broke the law when he threatened to veto the funding. As a result, indictments were issued on two felony charges. 1.) Abuse of official capacity. 2.) Coercion of public servant. If Perry were to be found guilty, he could be sentenced to a maximum 109 years in prison.

An indictment indicates the grand jury believes the state has a strong enough case to send to trial.

Here is video of Lehmber’s booking into the county jail

“The first count of abuse of official capacity. It basically charges that on the day of the veto in 2013 that Governor Perry intentionally or knowingly misused government property that had come into his custody or control,” special prosecutor Michael McCrum said Friday afternoon.

According to KXAN, McCrum told reporters that he plans to meet with Perry’s attorneys on Monday.

Grand jury's indictment of Governor Rick Perry
Grand jury’s indictment of Governor Rick Perry (Page 1)
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Follow Michael Lotfi on Facebook & Twitter.

 

US

SC Judge Rules Grand Jury Can’t Investigate Speaker Harrell, Liberty Candidates Speak Out

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A grand jury was ordered to stop investigating South Carolina House Speaker Bobby Harrell. The judge ruled that only the Republican’s colleagues and friends  in the state House Ethics Committee can begin a probe into allegations of corruption against him.

In 2013, the South Carolina Policy Council filed a complaint with Alan Wilson, Republican state attorney general. The complaint accused Harrell of misusing his position by allegedly pressuring regulators on behalf of his own business and improperly reimbursing himself $325,000 in campaign funds for use of his plane. After a 10-month probe by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Wilson convened a grand jury to investigate the matter in January.

Circuit Court Judge Casey Manning held a hearing on whether Wilson or the state House Ethics Committee should consider the complaint against Harrell whose lawyer argued that the ethics committee, filled with Harrell’s friends and colleagues, alone has the authority to state such an investigation. If the committee found a reason to continue, then it would pass along potential violations to the attorney general.

The circuit court judge agreed and ruled in Harrell’s favor, writing that Manning found that Harrell’s alleged misdeeds would constitute civil, not criminal, violations of the state’s ethics laws.

“We are pleased with the court’s ruling that the politically motivated exceptions forced on this matter were inappropriate and that the proper legal process — not a political process — should be followed,” said Harrell, reported the Huffington Post.

The South Carolina Policy Council, on the other hand, is not pleased with the outcome.

“I can’t emphasize enough how bad this is and how dangerous it is,” Ashley Landess, president of the South Carolina Policy Council. “It is about citizens’ right to an advocate in the criminal justice system when it comes to politicians and corruption.”

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson who is appealing Manning’s ruling said on The Bryan Crabtree Show that Manning did not apply the law correctly.

Wilson said there were pages of our argument completely omitted form his order. “It (Judge Manning’s ruling) didn’t even recognize the criminal SLED investigation … he never ever once mentioned that there was a 10 month criminal conducted by SLED, he never once mentioned that,” said Wilson.

 

Harry Kibler, founder of RINO HUNT, and 9 candidates running in the Republican Party primary organized a press conference yesterday to speak out against Judge Manning’s ruling. The press conference highlighted four points: the corruption in the General Assembly, a call to abolish the self-policing policies in the House and Senate, a call to reform the Judicial Selection process, and support for the Attorney General Alan Wilson to continue to investigate Speaker Bobby Harrell.

See videos below.


 

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In a very House of Cards-like move, SC House Bill will strip Attorney General’s Power

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In Netflix’s original series, House of Cards, Kevin Spacey’s character Frank Underwood portrays a “crooked” politician from South Carolina. But South Carolina’s politicians’ real-life behavior would make even Frank Underwood blush. At least Underwood concealed his repugnant actions, but in South Carolina, everything is openly corrupt.

 

Currently, South Carolina Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell, is being investigated by S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson on corruption charges. Earlier this year the AG sent the case to a Grand Jury, but Harrell is currently trying to throw Wilson off the case through the courts. See here.

 

A bill being proposed in the South Carolina legislature – rumored to be orchestrated by Harrell – would do just that. It would strip the state’s attorney general of the right to prosecute statewide officials and members of the executive branch for “acts of public corruption.”

 

So under this bill, the Speaker of the House would be one of two legislators who would choose the special prosecutor for corruption cases.

The South Carolina Policy Council, a limited-government think tank, appropriately calls this bill: “The Politician Protection Act.”

 

According to the South Carolina Policy Council, the bill would strip the attorney general of his position as the state’s chief prosecutor. His job description would be left up the legislature. The fact that such a major change was filed “without reference” – meaning it can bypass the ordinary committee process – raises serious concerns about its purpose.

In order words, this is a complete power-grab by SC legislators.

 

“Over the last year, we’ve noticed a growing number of bills introduced for the sole purpose – apparently – of protecting certain members of the legislature from prosecution for alleged ethics violations,” said the Policy Council of this proposed bill.

Ashley Landess, President of the South Carolina Policy Council told Benswann’s Joshua Cook:

“From the beginning, Bobby Harrell has set himself above the law and manipulated the system to his benefit. That’s why he’s in this mess. But rather than explain himself to the public he is supposed to serve, he continues to smear and intimidate those of us who have stood up to him. Not only has he tried to have the AG thrown off the case with zero legal grounds to do so, he is now trying to persuade a judge to push a criminal investigation back to the ethics committee over which he exercises total control. And today 85 of his colleagues introduced a constitutional amendment to strip the AG of his constitutional authority as chief prosecutor — all because Alan Wilson is the only official with the courage to do his job. This is abuse of power at its worst, and all the more reason Alan Wilson should stay on the case as the only advocate for the people who can’t be intimidated.”

Sources tell Benswann.com that this bill could get a vote tomorrow.