A New American Tradition? – Corruption

 

                                                                                       Is any of this corruption or illegal on any basis?

A New American Tradition? – Corruption

Sure, corruption is not new to the United States. From the wild days of the Tea Pot Dome scandal to the give and take-take of Tammany Hall, even to the modern moments of Rob Blagoavitch and George Santos, corruption has clearly been a part of American politics for a very long time. As an American teenager, a diplomat’s son, in Lebanon before the civil wars, I learned about what I call “rate card” bribes, where the prices of those “markups” (baksheesh) were standardized and known by all the locals. But corruption isn’t just about taking bribes. It’s also about using governmental systems for personal advantage or using political office for family/friends benefit. Sometimes, corruption can be simply a misuse of government power.

For example, “Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity by a special tribunal over her role in a crackdown on a 2024 student uprising that the United Nations said led to as many as 1,400 deaths… Hasina, who is living in exile in India, was tried in absentia. The 78-year-old president of the Awami League party had denounced her state-appointed defense lawyer and called the tribunal a ‘kangaroo court.’" Newsweek, November 17th.

In Mexico, the importation of American-made firearms and the willingness by narco-cartels to use them against politicians and candidates to protect their drug trade, has created a lucrative pattern of “buying” police, military and federal officials from top to bottom plus an intimidation factor that defies solution. On November 15th, a massive, mostly Gen Z protest in Mexico City, was one of many over the years, citizens terrorized by cartels… and frustration that even as Mexico’s leaders suggest they are pushing hard against the cartels, nothing really changes. “Several thousand people took to the streets of Mexico City to protest crime, corruption and impunity in a demonstration organized by members of Generation Z, but the march ended with strong backing from older supporters of opposition parties.

“The demonstration Saturday was mostly peaceful, though it ended with some young people clashing with the police… Protesters attacked officers with stones, fireworks, sticks and chains, grabbing police shields and other equipment. The capital’s security secretary, Pablo Vázquez, said 120 people were injured, including 100 police officers. Twenty people were arrested… In several countries this year, people born between the late 1990s and early 2010s have organized protests against inequality, democratic backsliding and corruption.” Maria Verza for the November 17th Associated Press.

But can there be legally sanctioned corruption? What is a crime in other countries – like undue influence by the rich to throw money at elections – is legal in the United States. See Citizens United vs FEC (Supreme Court, 2010), where support for any issue or candidate (not controlled by that candidate) through a SuperPAC is unlimited. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ acceptance of many forms of what could be viewed as bribery is not challenged because there are no ethical standards applied to Supreme Court Justices.

While use of power efforts may elicit judicial skepticism and wind-up having charges dismissed, is Donald Trump’s use of the DOJ as his instrument of retribution technically corruption? “Federal magistrate judge William Fitzpatrick warned that ‘government misconduct’ may have tainted the case against James Comey as he ordered the Justice Department to turn over all grand jury materials to the defense… In a 24-page opinion, the court cited a pattern of investigative missteps—including potential Fourth Amendment violations, exposure to privileged communications, and irregularities in the grand jury process. The judge said the FBI and prosecutors may have acted recklessly or willfully in ways that undermined the integrity of the proceedings.” Newsweek, November 17th.

What about presidential pardons of individuals highly instrumental in building presidential family wealth? Like Trump’s pardon of crypto-king, Binance CEO, Changpeng Zhao? What about the President’s claiming to save taxpayers’ money by financing the entire East Wing Ballroom construction through “donations”? A look at the donor’s list shows an abundance of companies and individuals who have or are seeking governmental contract or approvals for required licenses (like broadcast licenses before the FCC or merge approvals before the SEC), suggesting that many of these donors might be buying “deal insurance” or desiring not to fall within the wrath of a president who campaigned on the slogan, “I am your retribution.”

Exempted from the Hatch Act (which limits commercial and partisan activity by governmental employees), the President has used the White House to sell all sorts of memorabilia and even to tout Elon Musk’s Teslas (before Musk lost favor). No president in American history, fully corrected for inflation, has made anywhere near the estimated $3 billion that the Trump family has generated in increased wealth through efforts like Trump’s personal function as the chief crypto advocate and “inspiration” for World Liberty Financial, a decentralized finance platform launched in September 2024 with the involvement of his three sons.

People used to resign governmental posts simply because their acts “looked bad,” but the President has long since stopped caring about possibly even violating the Constitutional “emoluments clauses,” which, in material part, state that the U.S. Congress must approve any gift from a "King, Prince, or foreign State" to an elected official in the United States (including the president) and prohibits the president from receiving a gift beyond salary for the job from anyone, foreign or domestic. When Trump owned an upscale hotel in Washington, DC, foreign dignitaries often booked suites. But even though he no longer owns that hotel, the de facto revenues from that hotel are chump change compared to more recent opportunities, including major overseas real estate projects for his family on choice parcels that would probably never be allowed to ordinary developers. Trump seems undeterred in his and his family’s pursuit of wealth and power… and there have been no serious legal challenges to strip those financial opportunities from Trump or his family.

I’m Peter Dekom, and I will leave it to you to determine, in your opinion, whether the President’s activities noted above rise to the level of corruption … or not.