Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

Economy

FTX sues former Hillary Clinton aide over $700 million in 'misappropriated funds'

2023-06-24

[NYPOST] FTX is seeking to claw back some $700 million from a former aide to Crooked Hillary Clinton
<q>Crooked Hillary</q> Clinton

...former first lady, former secretary of state, former presidential candidate, Conqueror of Benghazi, Heroine of Tuzla, formerly described by her supporters as the smartest woman in the world, usually described by the rest of us as The Thing That Wouldn't Go Away. Politix is not one of her talents, but it's something she keeps trying to do...
-turned Hollywood super agent who was allegedly showered with cash by disgraced fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried.

The bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange took legal action on Thursday against Michael Kives, who was an assistant to then-Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), and his company, K5 Global, and firm co-founder Bryan Baum.

According to court papers filed in bankruptcy court in Delaware, Bankman-Fried authorized the transfer of $700 million to K5 entities in 2022, and he leaned on K5’s celebrity and business connections in his effort to obtain rescue financing in the days before FTX went bankrupt in November 2022.

As The Post reported in December, Kives — whose celebrity connections include Warren Buffett, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Katy Perry, and Kendall Jenner — stood to lose hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of K5 Global’s business relationship with FTX’s now-defunct investment arm, Alameda Research.

Bankman-Fried, who has been indicted on fraud and money laundering charges by the feds, described Kives as "probably, the most connected person I’ve ever met," and "a one-stop shop" for political relationships and celebrity partnerships, according to the complaint.

Link

Government Corruption

Clinton Global Initiative Restarted to Tackle Urgent Needs

2022-03-05

[US News via Rantingly] The Clinton Foundation is planning another Clinton Global Initiative — the high-profile gathering of business, political and philanthropic leaders — this September in New York, according to a letter former President Bill Clinton sent to the foundation’s supporters Friday.
"Send money"

Correction: “Send lotsa money.”

The initiative, which began meeting annually in 2005 and boasted speakers ranging from former presidents Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter to celebrity philanthropists like Bono and Ben Affleck, ended in 2016 during former Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, when questions were raised about the appearance of potential conflicts of interests if donors then had business before Hillary Clinton’s administration.

Bill Clinton said he wants to bring back the initiative because the kind of "cooperation and coordination" it created is urgently needed. "The COVID-19 pandemic has ripped the cover off of longstanding inequities and vulnerabilities across our global community," Bill Clinton wrote in the letter Friday. "The existential threat of climate change grows every day. Democracy is under assault around the world, most glaringly in Ukraine where Russia has launched an unjustified and unprovoked invasion that has put millions of lives in grave danger."
"Send money"

Good lord. Covid, global inequities, climate change, and democracy under assault all in one paragraph? A truly impressive display of verbal efficiency to persuade the easily triggered... to send money.

Link

Home Front: Politix

Paterson blasts Gillibrand for throwing him 'under the bus'

2010-03-18

Gov. Paterson blasted his hand-picked choice for U.S. Senate for throwing him "under the bus" during his recent scandals.

Paterson, during a Wednesday morning appearance on Don Imus' radio show, took issue with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who earlier this month said the governor should resign if it was proven that he intervened in a domestic violence case against his top aide.

"That's about whenever you get in a jam, there are people who will throw you under the bus," Paterson said.

"Whenever you watch a movie or whenever you read a book about someone that's in terrible...in a difficult situation, there are always those who do that," Paterson continued. "They just don't expect you to get out from under the bus. And when you do, they should be forewarned."

Paterson selected Gillibrand, then an upstate House member, in January of 2009 to fill the seat being vacated by Sen. Hillary Clinton.

When Imus asked whether he had spoken to Gillibrand, Paterson said: "It's hard to talk to anyone when you are under the bus."

Paterson was also asked about the controversy involving Yankees World Series tickets and emails that, according to Paterson's attorney, show he was invited to the game. Paterson said he did not want to give "specifics" about the case but reiterated his claim that he did nothing wrong.

"The point is that this is a discussion that was discussed in advance and this was a situation where we wrote to them in advance explaining what we were going to do and I think when that all comes out, it will all work out," Paterson said.

Link

Home Front: Politix

Jackson Lee challenged by Jarvis Johnson

2010-01-06

Houston's flamboyant, long-serving Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee faces a late-breaking challenge for the Democratic congressional nomination from Houston City Council Member Jarvis Johnson in Texas' March 2 primary.

The high-profile showdown developed this afternoon as Johnson filed paperwork with Texas Democratic Party to join the primary ballot to confront the eight-term Houston Democrat, herself a former member of the Houston City Council.

"Leadership should be chosen by their examples of delivering meaningful services to their communities," Johnson said in a statement. "We're going to have a frank discussion on who's capable of bringing and creating good paying jobs for the people of the district, who can spark genuine economic development and who can provide leadership to marshal resources to help eliminate the dropout rate."

Jackson Lee had no immediate comment on Johnson's challenge.

The race is bound to revive fissures within the African American community created by the 2008 presidential primary battle between then-Sen. Hillary Clinton and then-Sen. Barack Obama.

Jackson Lee was a stalwart Clinton supporter in the New York Democrat's unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination last year and even appeared on stage with her when she eventually pulled out of the race. Johnson was an Obama supporter.

Jackson Lee, a graduate of Yale University and University of Virginia law school, appears frequently on televised coverage of House proceedings delivering one-minute speeches and debating legislation working its way through the Democratically-controlled House. She also has prided herself on being a "bring-home-the-bacon" kind of lawmaker, fighting to obtain federal funding for programs that target Houston.

Latest Federal Election Commission filings showed Jackson Lee with $451,444 cash on hand as of Sept. 30, 2009 -- the most recent report.

Three Republicans also have filed to face the winner of the Democratic congressional primary between Jackson Lee and Johnson -- Brenda Page, Tex Christopher and John Faulk.

The primary contest in Texas' 18th Congressional District promised to dominate the early phases of the 2010 mid-term congressional election in Texas.

Most of the state's other 31 House members -- including six of the nine lawmakers representing the greater Houston area -- faced uncontested races in the March primaries en route to the midterm congressional elections in November, according to candidate filings on hand late Monday.

Candidates had until 6 p.m. CST Monday to file last minute paperwork with respective state party officials to obtain a place on the ballot in the March primary and the November election.

In addition to the Jackson Lee-Johnson intraparty contest in Houston, two Republicans faced challenges from within.

Rep. Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson, who has amassed a re-election war chest of more than $2 million, faced a challenge in the GOP primary from four Republicans who have filed paperwork with GOP state officials -- business consultant Tim Graney, teacher Jeff Cherry, industrial supervisor Gerald Wall and school district administrator John Gay.

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, whose congressional district stretches to the northwestern suburbs of Houston, faces a primary challenge mounted by Republican Joe Petronis, a Vanderbilt University MBA who worked for management consultant Deloitte Consulting before joining Dell Computer Corp.

Link

Home Front: Politix

President Obama Names Transgender Appointee to Commerce Department

2010-01-05

President Obama recently named Amanda Simpson to be a Senior Technical Advisor to the Commerce Department.

In a statement, Simpson, a member of the National Center for Transgender Equality's board of directors, said that "as one of the first transgender presidential appointees to the federal government, I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others."

If she is qualified, law-abiding, and honest, I'm really not interested in such details.

While Simpson is clearly one of the first transgender presidential appointees, Democratic officials say they're unsure if she is the very first one.

The White House had no comment on her appointment.

A 2004 YWCA "Woman on the Move," Simpson recently served as Deputy Director in Advanced Technology Development at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona.

At Raytheon, Simpson -- a former test pilot who had worked for the company for more than a generation -- transitioned from male to female and was instrumental in convincing the military contractor to add gender identity and expression to its equal employment opportunity policy.

She later ran unsuccessfully for Congress and was a delegate for then-Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, to the Democratic National Convention in 2008.

Link

Home Front: Politix

Hoosier Daddy?

2009-10-18

Joe Andrew, you're headed to Costa Rica!

More than a year ago, Andrew -- a Hoosier, superdelegate and former leader of the Democratic Parties in both Indiana and DC -- switched from backing then-Sen. Hillary Clinton to then-Sen. Barack Obama just days before the May 6, 2008 Indiana primary.

And this week President Obama nominated his wife, Anne Slaughter Andrew, to be the ambassador to the Republic of Costa Rica.

She's "currently the Principal of New Energy Nexus, LLC and advises companies and entrepreneurs on investments and strategies to capitalize on the New Energy Economy," the White House press release says. "Andrew has successfully advised companies in her corporate environmental/energy law practice, serving as Of Counsel at Bingham McHale and as Co-Chair of the Environment/Energy Team at Baker & Daniels, and also serving as a partner at the Washington, D.C. law firm of Patton & Boggs."

Link

Home Front: Politix

Another One Under the Bus

2009-10-06

Greg Craig, the top in-house lawyer for President Barack Obama, is getting the blame for botching the strategy to shut down Guantanamo Bay prison by January so much so that hes expected to leave the White House in short order.

But sources familiar with the process believe Craig is being set-up as the fall guy and say the blame for missing the deadline extends well beyond him.

Instead, it was a widespread breakdown on the political, legislative, policy and planning fronts that contributed to what is shaping up as one of Obamas most high-profile setbacks, these people say.

The White House misread the congressional mood as it found out abruptly in May, when the Senate voted 90-6 against funds for closing the base after Republicans stoked fears about bringing prisoners to the U.S. The House also went on record last week opposing bringing Gitmo detainees here.

The White House misread the public mood as roughly half of Americans surveyed say they disagree with Obamas approach. A strong element of NIMBY-ism permeates those results, as Americans say they dont want the prisoners in their backyards.

But most of all Obamas aides mistook that political consensus from the campaign trail for a deep commitment in Washington to do whatever it takes to close the prison.

The administration came in reading there to be wide support for closing Guantanamo at home and abroad, and I think it misread that attitude, said Matthew Waxman, a Columbia law professor who held Defense and State Department positions on detainee policy. In general, they were right.but there was very little willingness to accept the costs and risks of getting it done.

The White House declined to make Craig available for an interview, or discuss the Gitmo deliberations in detail, but several allies and even some critics scoffed at suggestions that Craig bears the main responsibility for the missteps.

This clearly was a decision that had the full support of the entire national security team, said Ken Gude, who tracks Guantanamo issues for the liberal Center for American Progress think tank. Its typical Washington that someone has their head on the chopping block, but its ridiculous that its Craig.

The implication that this was the brainchild of the White House counsel is not really credible, said Elisa Massimino of Human Rights First.

When Obama signed a series of executive orders on Guantanamo during his second full day in office, what grabbed attention was not his promise to close the prison but his pledge to do it within one year.

During the presidential campaign, Obama talked almost daily about closing Guantanamo, but he rarely offered a timeline. His Republican rival, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), spoke in a far greater specificity, proposing to move the Gitmo prisoners to Ft. Leavenworth in Kansas.

However, back in July 2007, Obama co-sponsored an amendment offered by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) that called for Guantanamo to close within a year. Obamas primary rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) was also a co-sponsor.

Some Bush administration officials contend that the one-year timeline was driven by a naïveté on the part of Obamas aides.

To a certain extent, they had drunk a lot of the far-left Kool-aid: that everybody, or most people, at Guantanamo were innocent and shouldnt be there, and the Bush administration was not working very hard to resolve these issues, and that the issues were fairly easy to resolve once adults who were really committed to doing something about it in charge, said one Bush official who met with Obamas aides during the transition on Gitmo. It became clear to me they had not really done their homework on the details.

But even back on Jan. 22, 2009, the same day Obama signed the orders, Craig acknowledged some of the difficulties involved including that some of the detainees can never be tried, a problem Craig called difficult and most controversial.

Now Obamas decision to set a one-year deadline is being widely second-guessed. Craig supported the idea and Craigs allies say that a deadline was needed to persuade foreign governments that Obama was serious. They note that President George W. Bush talked on at least eight occasions about his desire to close Guantanamo and left office with 250 prisoners there.

Simply reasserting the intention to close Guantanamo would not have been sufficient in the international community, Gude said. They had to have a firm date and they had to have a timeline.

Gude had advocated an 18-month timeline to build in a cushion but he said the only real mistakes the White House made involved failing to anticipate the resistance in Congress particularly surrounding the Senates sharp rejection of Obamas $80 million request to close Gitmo.

They made that request without much supporting information and opened the door for Republicans in Congress to make it a Congressional issue and they did it very successfully, Gude said. The White House didnt have a plan to support Democrats who were willing to back up their proposal and it all fell apart.

Craigs backers contend that, if that was the White Houses key misjudgment, other top officials share responsibility for the breakdown.

It seems very unlikely to me that Greg Craig, by himself, engineered a DOD appropriations request, one lawyer close to Craig said.

In retrospect, there were early signs of possible trouble ahead. Within hours of Obama signing the orders, McCain warned of a backlash and said the time frame the president set out would be very difficult to achieve.

A McCain adviser said the Obama team should have known. I dont think they realized how much heat McCain took from conservatives during the GOP primary, said the aide, who asked not to be named. Had they been aware of that I dont think they would have handled it this way..It shouldnt have surprised anybody.

Today, the National Security Council and Obama senior adviser Pete Rouse are effectively in charge of closing Gitmo, though Press Secretary Robert Gibbs denied Craig had been stripped of his responsibilities on the prison. There are number of people that are working on it, Greg being one of them, Gibbs said.

A review of Guantanamo prisoners is also nearly complete, with about 80 detainees up for release and State Department envoy Dan Fried lining up places to receive them.

Our friends and allies have accepted or agreed to accept more than 30 of the remaining detainees at Guantanamo who cannot be sent home due to humane treatment concerns, and are seriously considering taking others, said a White House official who asked not to be named.

But its been slow. Obamas administration has transferred 17 Guantanamo prisoners to other countries so far compared to 19 by the Bush administration in the first nine months of 2008.

Obama aides have blamed the delays on disarray in government files about the detainees, but several former officials said that is not directly linked to the thorniest questions such as where to locate detainees in the U.S. Those issues that have been kicked down the road are by far the hardest, Waxman said.

Link

Home Front: Politix

HILLARY ALLY: CAROLINE IS NOT READY FOR SENATE

2008-12-13

A powerful labor leader with strong ties to Sen. Hillary Clinton yesterday joined the growing ranks of Democrats bashing Caroline Kennedy as a possible successor to the former first lady in the US Senate.

"Caroline Kennedy, although I'm sure a fascinating and engaging person, simply doesn't have the experience or Washington know-how to get it done for New York," said Stuart Applebaum, president of the 100,000- member Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.

Applebaum, former chief house counsel to the Democratic National Committee and a Clinton delegate at the Democratic National Convention, blasted Kennedy for having failed to speak out against George W. Bush's policies during the Republican president's two terms.

Link

Home Front: Politix

Obama's Foreign Policy: Buying in at the Bottom

2008-11-26

By Robert D. Kaplan

In the spring of 1977, Menachem Begin was elected prime minister of Israel and surprised everyone by choosing as his foreign minister not someone from his own Likud Party, but a star of the opposing Labor Party, Moshe Dayan. It proved a brilliant choice, as Dayan helped direct the peace process with Egypt that culminated with the Camp David accords.

In the fall of 1968, Richard Nixon was elected president of the United States, and rather than choose as his secretary of state someone from among his own supporters, he chose Henry Kissinger, a supporter of Nixons arch-rival, Nelson Rockefeller. Again, that proved a fortuitous choice, as Kissinger helped orchestrate a rapprochement with China, as well as accords in the Middle East and with the Soviet Union.

President-elect Barack Obama has now done something similar, picking a rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, to be his secretary of state, rather than someone from among his own supporters. It could also end up a fortuitous choice. Clinton may not be as steeped in foreign policy expertise as a Dayan or a Kissinger, but neither is she a neophyte. Moreover, she will build a strong team at State from among her own supporters, notably former United Nations Ambassador Richard Holbrooke.

But the real reason that Obama and Clinton might enjoy success is something that goes barely mentioned in the media. Obama and Clinton are buying into a bottomed-out market vis-à-vis Americas position in the world. It is as if they will be buying stock after the market has crashed, and just at the point when a number of factors are already set in motion for a recovery. For President George W. Bush did not just damage Americas position in the world, he has also, over the past two years, quietly repositioned himself as a realist in foreign policy, and that, coupled with a bold new strategy in Iraq, known as the surge, has poised America for a diplomatic rebound, which the next administration will get the credit for carrying out.

Consider the following:

Iraq is on the mend, with local and national elections scheduled for 2009 and 2010 respectively, which could well solidify our withdrawal under better-than-previously-expected circumstances. Afghanistan is not on the mend, but Obama will have the benefit of moving more troops there from an improved Iraq, as well as putting into place the new strategy of Army Gen. David Petraeus, who has just taken over Central Command, giving Petraeus responsibility not just for Iraq, but for the Greater Middle East. Moreover, Al-Qaeda may be on the run, thanks to a quiet agreement that President Bush negotiated recently with Pakistan for aerial strikes against enemy targets inside Pakistani territory. Then there is Iran, perhaps about to become more reasonable, given the collapse in the price of oil. Syria has been subtly re-engaged by both America and Europe, and may be about to inch away from Irans orbit. And Arab-Israeli peace negotiations have been making a little headway over the course of 2008, even as there has been almost no coverage of it. Here, too, Team Obama is poised to get the credit for break-throughs.

Indeed, the Middle East may just possibly be on the brink of a positive rearranging of pieces over the next few years, thanks to a new American president with the clout derived from high approval ratings both domestically and internationally, that will, in turn, affect decision-making in places like Teheran and Damascus, whose citizenries likely have a higher opinion of Obama than they have of their own leaders. Do not underestimate the importance of a popular American president coupled with increased stability in Iraq, which will be progressing from one democratic election to another.

Then there's China, India, and Russia. China and the United States may be about to move closer together, thanks to the world economic crisis, which now increases the degree to which each of these two great powers will depend on the other. In India, Bush has left a legacy of improved relations, thanks in no small measure to the recently concluded nuclear pact. And Obamas promise to engage Russia, while perhaps calling a halt to NATO expansion - even as Russia is weakened by falling oil prices and a negative international reaction to its adventure in Georgia could signal improved ties on that score. And improved ties with Russia could mean more Russian pressure on Iran.

In South America, Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez has become measurably more unpopular according to recent polls, even as he, too, is weakened by falling oil prices. Obama can also look forward to the end of the Castro regime in Cuba and that of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe over the next four years. Burma may be edging towards a transition away from its aging, implacable dictator, Than Shwe. North Korea is a dicey call, as Kim Jong Il continues to manipulate negotiations, but the overall trend there is in the direction of a comprehensive agreement.

So, yes, this may be a market where buyers are once again starting to trickle in, signifying that a bottom has been reached. Good timing for Hillary.

Link

Home Front Economy

Clinton NPD Alert: Struggling Banks Paid President Clinton $2.1 million for 'Speeches'

2008-11-25

Four major banks, including one that collapsed, two that received federal bailout money and one that filed for bankruptcy this past September, paid former President Clinton $2.1 million for 13 speeches he delivered on their behalf between 2004-2007, according to Senate financial disclosure statements filed by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.).

Citigroup paid Bill Clinton $700,000; Goldman Sachs paid $950,000; Lehman Brothers paid $300,000 and Merrill Lynch paid $175,000 to the former president for speeches during that time period. Sen. Clinton's 2008 financial disclosure reports are not yet available. Though some of the investment banks were able to entertain the former president more than once, each was eventually affected by the credit crunch.

Lehman Brothers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September. The bank's stock had been slipping as it looked for a buyer, while the federal government promised no aid. Merrill Lynch was purchased by Bank of America in mid-September for $50 billion. The bank's share price and liquidity had been falling as it looked to sell, just days before the federal bailout of Wall Street.

The highly-regarded investment firm Goldman Sachs had reportedly possessed some of the largest private equity and hedge funds in the market. But after its largest trading partner, AIG, received an $85 billion emergency government loan, Goldman Sachs shares fell. One week after Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy and Bank of America purchased Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs asked the Federal Reserve to modify its status to that of bank holding company -- a move that brought tough regulations and close government supervision. In addition, Goldman Sachs became a recipient of $10 billion of the federal bailout money.

Citigroup recently received $25 billion of the federal bailout and is now expected to receive a $20 billion cash injection from the Treasury Department. In addition, the Treasury and the FDIC have promised to back most of the losses the bank might suffer, from its $306 billion pool of risky loans and mortgages. The bank's shares dropped 60 percent last week.

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Home Front: Politix

L.A. Police Chief Bratton tapes anti-McCain robo-call for Obama

2008-10-25

Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton has recorded a robo-call campaign message on behalf of Democratic Party presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Bratton, who was scheduled to deliver an address on urban policing at Johns Hopkins University this evening, could not be reached immediately for comment. The message reportedly criticizes the record of Republican Party presidential nominee John McCain on law enforcement issues.

A spokesperson for Bratton confirms that he has recorded the political campaign message but would not provide details of its content or where the Obama campaign plans to use it.

Bratton, one of the country's leading law enforcement figures, was widely seen as a strong supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton during her unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination.

The phone message apparently is the first time Bratton has waded into the campaign on behalf of Obama.

The call is bound to refuel incessant rumors that Bratton is looking to land the top spot at the FBI or Homeland Security in a Democratic administration next year. Bratton has staunchly dismissed the idea, saying he is committed to remaining LAPD chief until the end of his term in 2012.

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Home Front: Politix

Murtha apologizes for calling western Pennsylvania 'racist'

2008-10-16

(CNN) -- Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha, a supporter of Barack Obama's presidential bid, apologized Thursday for calling western Pennsylvania "a racist area."

"While we cannot deny that race is a factor in this election, I believe we've been able to look beyond race these past few months, and that voters today are concerned with the policy differences of our two candidates and their vision for the future of our great country," he said in a statement issued by his office.
That's an apology?
"Senator Obama has shown sound judgment and has presented us with a change from the failed policies of George Bush and John McCain. I believe he will win both Pennsylvania and the White House."

Murtha represents Pennsylvania's 12th District in the southwest corner of the state. Murtha's apology came after the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette posted a story on its Web site Wednesday that quotes the veteran Democratic congressman as saying, "no question that western Pennsylvania is a racist area," and predicting that those attitudes could cost the Illinois senator on Election Day.

In a statement later that day, a Murtha spokesman defended the remarks, telling The Associated Press that "It's naive to think that race or gender doesn't play a role in a voter's perception of a candidate."

Obama has struggled to connect with rural Pennsylvanians for much of the campaign. His infamous "bitter" comments -- about residents of some of the state's small towns -- became a rallying cry for primary rival Sen. Hillary Clinton, who took that contest by a nearly double-digit margin.

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