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☆ Democrats' Senate Majority PAC plans to return $3 million in donations from disgraced former FTX executives
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The pro-Democratic Senate Majority PAC plans to return $3 million in donations from former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried and the crypto exchange's ex-head of engineering, Nishad Singh, the group said Tuesday. The super PAC, which spent more than $160 million supporting Democratic bids for Senate seats, received $2 million from Singh and $1 million from Bankman-Fried during the 2022 election cycle, according to Federal Election Commission records. The Democratic National Committee and the party's Senate and House campaign arms — the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee — have made similar commitments to return donations from former FTX executives. Bankman-Fried has contributed millions toward other PACs aligned with the Democratic Party, including to the House Majority PAC, Protect Our Future and Future Forward USA. Bankman-Fried also donated $6 million in April to House Majority PAC, which raises money for Democratic candidates running for the lower chamber, according to an FEC filing.

Sam Bankman-Fried, co-founder of FTX, is escorted out of the Magistrate's Court in Nassau, Bahamas, on Monday, Dec. 19, 2022. FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried signed extradition papers in the Bahamas and will return to the U.S. on Wednesday, a Bahamas prison official told NBC News. Bankman-Fried stands accused by federal law enforcement and financial regulators of perpetrating what the SEC called one of the largest and most "brazen" frauds in recent memory. Bankman-Fried was indicted in New York federal court on Dec. 9 and was arrested three days later by Bahamas law enforcement at the request of U.S. prosecutors. WATCH: Sam Bankman-Fried defied the advice of lawyers

Dec 19 (Reuters) - U.S.-based manufacturer Honeywell International Inc (HON.O) on Monday said it has agreed to pay about $200 million to settle criminal and civil corruption investigations in the United States and Brazil. Those bribes involved Monaco-based oil consultancy Unaoil, which has previously been charged by global authorities over a 17-year scheme to pay bribes to officials in nine countries. About $160 million of the total amount Honeywell said it will pay will go to pay U.S. civil and criminal penalties. Later on Monday, Brazil's government confirmed Honeywell's statement by saying the company would pay about 638 million reais ($120 million) to settle the case, with around 70% destined for Petrobras. Honeywell agreed to pay another $81 million civil penalty to resolve the SEC's charges, though almost half is expected to be offset by payments made to Brazilian authorities, the SEC said.

☆ Jan. 6 committee live updates: Panel votes on criminal referrals for Trump and others
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Summer Concepcion | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Summer-Concepcion-Byline-Jm.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +42 min

Committee details Trump allies' efforts to obstruct its investigation In its report summary, the committee detailed some of the efforts to obstruct its investigation. On far-right groups drawing inspiration from Trump: Trump has not denied that he helped inspire far-right groups, including the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, to violently attempt to obstruct the official certification proceedings on Jan. 6. "There is no question from all the evidence assembled that President Trump did have that intent." Share this -Link copiedInside the final Jan. 6 committee meeting The Jan. 6 committee met for what’s likely its final public meeting, with many of the usual faces present. The committee will likely reveal Eastman’s referrals during Monday’s meeting, in addition to expected criminal referrals for Trump.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of FTX, to waive extradition in Bahamas court
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Former FTX CEO and founder Sam Bankman-Fried will appear in Bahamas court on Monday where he’s expected to waive his extradition rights, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation. The move is a stunning reversal of course for Bankman-Fried who was arrested in the Bahamas Dec. 12 and initially resisted extradition. Bankman-Fried, 30, once the most prominent name in crypto, has since seen his empire fall into disgrace over the past few weeks. Last week, he was indicted in New York federal court on eight counts spanning wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and violating campaign finance laws. At a congressional hearing on FTX’s collapse and missteps last week, the company’s new CEO, John J. Ray III, lashed out at FTX’s leadership under Bankman-Fried.

The article was one of a series of reports this year by the news agency on Binance's financial compliance and relationship with regulators across the world. Reuters also asked representatives of the local Binance units and affiliates about their relationship with the main Binance exchange. In Italy, Binance's public corporate filings detail just the unit's capital base and its ownership by a separate Binance company in Ireland. The Italian company, Binance Italy S.R.L., has its listed address in a block of shops and apartments in the southern city of Lecce. Just two of the Binance units analysed by Reuters offer more substantial details in their filings.

The agency did not respond to requests for comment on its record monitoring animal research experiments nationally. The USDA inspector general has published at least three reports since 2014 critical of the agency’s lax oversight, though its criticism dates back to the 1990s. Neuralink says on its website that it champions animal welfare and tries to reduce animal testing where possible. Two academic studies conducted in 2009 and 2012 found that animal research committees approved between 98% and 99% of experiments proposed by researchers. Envigo was made to sign the consent decree giving up the beagles only after the USDA inspector general and the Justice Department investigated and found evidence of inhumane treatment.

☆ Honeywell to Pay $203 Million in Settlements Over Brazil, Algeria Bribery
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Dylan Tokar | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Honeywell International Inc. will pay nearly $203 million to resolve investigations in the U.S. and Brazil into bribes paid to public officials in Algeria and at Brazil’s state-owned oil company, the company said Monday. The settlements involve UOP, a U.S. subsidiary of Honeywell that manufactures catalysts used to refine oil. Investigations found that UOP had conspired to pay bribes to a former high-level Petróleo Brasileiro SA official to obtain a $425 million oil refinery contract, authorities said. U.S. authorities accused UOP of violating the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and the settlements require Honeywell to make compliance overhauls and file periodic reports. To carry out the bribery scheme in Brazil, UOP retained a sales agent to funnel a $4 million bribe to the unnamed official at Petróleo Brasileiro, prosecutors said.

Insurers were already reluctant to underwrite asset and directors and officers (D&O) protection policies for crypto companies because of scant market regulation and the volatile prices of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Specialists in the Lloyd's of London (SOLYD.UL) and Bermuda insurance markets are requiring more transparency from crypto companies about their exposure to FTX. Exclusions may act as a failsafe for insurers, and will make it even more difficult for companies that are seeking coverage, insurers and brokers said. Crypto firms with financial exposure to FTX include Binance, a crypto exchange, and Genesis, a crypto lender, neither of which responded to e-mails seeking comment. The FTX collapse will also likely lead to a rise in insurance rates, especially in the U.S. D&O market, insurers said.

☆ How FTX founder SBF and friends quietly donated to political groups and relatives
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is led by officers of the Royal Bahamas Police force following his arrest. The disgraced CEO donated to his brother Gabe Bankman-Fried's nonprofit organization, Guarding Against Pandemics. Alameda Research donated more than $12 million to Gabe Bankman-Fried's nonprofit since late last year, according to California state campaign finance records. California state campaign finance records show Alameda donated $5 million to Guarding Against Pandemics last year and $7.1 million this year. Guarding Against Pandemics also paid political communications and media company GMMB just over $690,000 last year for advertising and production, its tax form says.

Companies Honeywell International Inc FollowDec 19 (Reuters) - Manufacturer Honeywell International Inc. (HON.O) on Monday said it has agreed to pay about $200 million to settle criminal and civil corruption investigations related to bribery schemes in the United States and Brazil. The SEC charges also relate to payments Honeywell's Belgian subsidiary made to an Algerian government official in 2011. Those bribes involved Monaco-based oil consultancy Unaoil, which has previously been charged by global authorities over a 17-year scheme to pay bribes to officials in nine countries. About $160 million of the total amount Honeywell said it will pay will go to U.S. civil and criminal penalties. Honeywell agreed to pay another $81 million civil penalty to resolve the SEC's charges, though almost half is expected to be offset by payments made to Brazilian authorities, the SEC said.

☆ Father of accused Illinois gunman faces charges in July 4 parade mass shooting
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Steve Gorman | Industry Insight | Saw Law Firms Move Past The Pandemic Into A More Client-Focused Service Environment | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Robert E. Crimo III's mother Denise Pesina and father Robert Crimo Jr. attend a hearing for their son in Lake County court, in Waukegan, Illinois, U.S., August 3, 2022. Rinehart declined to specify what knowledge the father had that should have dissuaded him from sponsoring his son's application. The alleged threat in September 2019 followed a prior incident in which police responded to an emergency call reporting that the younger Crimo had attempted suicide. The younger Crimo could not have legally applied for a FOID card in 2019 without a parent or guardian signing for him because he was under 21 at that time. But a state police officer later disregarded that report as based on "second-hand" information, so it was not a factor when the Crimo FOID application was later reviewed by state police.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried to reverse decision on contesting extradition -source
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Jasper Ward | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 17 (Reuters) - Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried is expected to appear in court in The Bahamas on Monday to reverse his decision to contest extradition to the United States, where he faces fraud charges, a person familiar with the matter said on Saturday. The cryptocurrency mogul was indicted in federal court in Manhattan on Dec. 13 and accused of engaging in a scheme to defraud FTX customers. Bankman-Fried, 30, was arrested on Monday in The Bahamas, where he lives and where FTX is based. Neither a spokesman nor a U.S.-based lawyer for Bankman-Fried immediately responded to requests for comment. Bankman-Fried had made a new bail application before The Bahamas Supreme Court on Thursday, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters at the time.

WASHINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - The Democratic Party's three top campaign groups are preparing to return over $1.1 million they have received from imprisoned cryptocurrency tycoon Sam Bankman-Fried, they said on Friday. In a statement, the Democratic National Committee said it was setting aside $815,000 in funds received from Bankman-Fried in light of "potential campaign finance violations" made by the billionaire. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said it was setting aside $103,000, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which oversees the party's campaign arm for the House of Representatives, said it would set aside $250,000. Bankman-Fried said his pro-Republican outlays have not been disclosed to the public, an area of campaign finance known as "dark money." The Washington Post first reported on the campaign groups' decision to set aside the funds.

☆ Alex Murdaugh, disgraced South Carolina lawyer accused of killing wife and son, faces new legal trouble
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Prosecutors said Murdaugh, 54, made nearly $14 million as a lawyer over nine years, but also stole nearly $7 million from his law firm at the same time. The latest indictments bring the total number of charges against the disgraced attorney to more than 100. In his best year, Murdaugh reported making $5.3 million in 2013 after making $2.4 million the year before. Murdaugh said he made just $219,000 in 2017 and only $1.6 million over the next two years, according to the indictment. Murdaugh and his family were the biggest players in the legal scene in tiny Hampton County.

☆ California woman admits to unwittingly funding foiled plot to kidnap Iran critic
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK — A California woman pleaded guilty on Thursday in connection with her unwitting role in a foiled plot to kidnap a prominent Iranian opposition activist living in New York City and take her back to Tehran. But authorities said four Iranians who plotted to kidnap the activist and paid an American private investigator to watch her used Bahadorifar as a go-between. Bahadorifar pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to violate U.S. economic sanctions on Iran by helping channel money to the investigator. Her lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, told The New York Times that Bahadorifar was herself a victim of a “cancerous” Iranian regime. An Iranian intelligence officer and others were charged in New York last year with attempting to kidnap Alinejad and take her back to Iran.

Dec 16 (Reuters) - The Bahamas should not be blamed for the collapse of bankrupt cryptocurrency platform FTX, the country's foreign minister said on Friday, following repeated accusations by FTX management of alleged misconduct by the Caribbean nation's authorities. In a withering voice recording distributed over WhatsApp on Friday morning, Bahamas Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell, said "this blame game directed at The Bahamas" is undermining efforts to recover assets that were lost as a result of fraud. "We in The Bahamas can ask the question: How did the mastermind of FTX get on the front page of Forbes magazine, a U.S. magazine? On Thursday, his lawyers filed a new bail application, this time before the Supreme Court, according to a source. Reporting by Jasper Ward in Washington and Brian Ellsworth in Miami Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Binance's native BNB token plunges to lowest since July as concerns mount about withdrawals, FTX ties
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Ari Levy | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Binance's Co-founder & CEO Changpeng Zhao has given several interviews discussing the outlook for cryptocurrency following a turbulent couple of weeks in the market. The latest issue looming over Binance is FTX's bankruptcy proceedings. In exiting its equity position in the company last year, Binance received payment equal to roughly $2.1 billion. Binance's native token, BNB, has fallen 15% in the past week, including a drop of over 6% in the past 24 hours. BNB, first minted in 2017, is the world's fifth most valuable cryptocurrency, with a market cap of about $39 billion, according to CoinMarketCap .

☆ Bankman-Fried makes new bail application after losing first request: source
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Industry Insight | Saw Law Firms Move Past The Pandemic Into A More Client-Focused Service Environment | Thomson Reuters Institute | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 15 (Reuters) - Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried has made a bail application before The Bahamas Supreme Court, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday, after a magistrate judge on Tuesday rejected the former crypto mogul's request for bail. The source, who asked not to be identified, said the application was made on Thursday. Bahamas broadcaster Eyewitness News on Thursday reported that the Supreme Court would hear the bail application on Jan. 17, without citing sources. Bankman-Fried amassed a fortune valued over $20 billion as he rode a cryptocurrency boom to build FTX into one of the world's largest exchanges before it abruptly collapsed this year. Reporting by Jasper Ward in Washington, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Fans of Megan Thee Stallion are trying to shift the public’s attention away from what they believe to be a misogynistic narrative around the current trial against Tory Lanez, who is accused of shooting the rapper in the foot. Digital alchemy is the practice of Black women and women of color using the internet to combat and counter misogynoir. “Especially for Black women, violence against women in our community is very common.”She noticed that online a lot of fans are calling out people who are highlighting Pete’s sexual history. “People have called it the Meg and Tory trial when she’s not on trial for anything,” Lindsey, who is author of “America Goddam: Violence, Black Women, and The Struggle for Justice,” said. “When people talk about Megan Thee Stallion getting shot, all the headlines are Megan Thee Stallion is on trial and I’m not on trial!”Hernandez said supporters recognize that slut shaming is being used to discredit Pete and paint her as an imperfect victim.

☆ Prosecution of Sam Bankman-Fried Could Rise or Fall on Intent
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( James Fanelli | Corinne Ramey | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried stuck to a common refrain ahead of his indictment on fraud and conspiracy charges, saying that while bad decisions and lack of oversight led to the collapse of the crypto exchange, he didn’t commit or know of any wrongdoing. If his case goes to trial, his lawyers are likely to make the same argument to the jury. Prosecutors will need to rebut that narrative to win a conviction, proving that Mr. Bankman-Fried knowingly and willfully broke the law, former federal prosecutors and defense attorneys say.

☆ New York Financial Regulator Issues Crypto Guidance for Banks
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Mengqi Sun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

New York’s financial regulator said banks looking to enter the cryptocurrency space need to first seek approval from the regulator. U.S. banks and foreign banks with branches in New York that are under NYDFS supervision should notify the agency at least 90 days before starting any new or significantly different crypto-related activities, according to the guidance. NYDFS is one of the first state financial regulators to issue such guidance for banks. PREVIEWNYDFS Superintendent Adrienne Harris said the guidance is needed as the traditional financial institutions continue to innovate and as the crypto market evolves over time. New York’s financial regulator, which oversees insurance companies and state-chartered banks, already plays an outsize role nationally in overseeing the financial services sector.

☆ Former officer Aaron Dean found guilty of manslaughter in the shooting death of Atatiana Jefferson
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Daniella Silva | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean attends the first day of his murder trial on Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, in Fort Worth. Dean fatally shot Atatiana Jefferson in 2019 during a police call at her home. Aaron Dean, a white Fort Worth police officer, fatally shot Atatiana Jefferson, a 28-year-old Black woman who had been playing video games at home with her 8-year-old nephew before she was shot. During his testimony, Dean said that after he shot Jefferson, he was briefly blinded by muzzle flash. Prosecutors have also argued that Dean shot Jefferson "not a second" after shouting for her to put up her hands, without giving her time to process and follow his commands.

☆ Black Airbnb users have found it harder to book stays than white users, company research shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Black Airbnb users have found it harder to book stays than white users, company research suggests. The study found that Black users had a success rate of 91.4% compared with 94.1% for white users. Black users previously reported experiencing racism as the #AirBnBWhileBlack hashtag revealed. And this year, on October 2, a Black Airbnb guest was shot dead as he walked to a grocery store, according to officials, per NBC News. The findings also revealed that guests perceived to be Asian and Latino, or Hispanic, had success rates of 93.4%.

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