DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

A general view of the Baker Library/Bloomberg Center on February 17, 2024, at Harvard Business School in Allston, MA. A Harvard Business School graduate tricked his fellow alumni and associates into investing at least $2.9 million in a Ponzi scheme he ran, New York Attorney General Letitia James said Thursday. Artamonov allegedly lured at least 29 investors into the scheme, most of whom he met through his connections to the elite college, the attorney general said. "Vladimir Artamonov used his alumnus status from Harvard Business School to prey on his classmates and others while seeming legitimate and dependable. Harvard Business School did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Letitia James, James, Vladimir Artamonov, Berkshire Hathaway, Artamonov, Artamonov's, fraudsters Organizations: Baker Library, Bloomberg Center, Harvard Business School, New York, Finance Locations: Allston , MA, Berkshire, Manhattan

☆ Death of shipping CEO Angela Chao under 'criminal investigation,' Texas sheriff says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The death earlier this month of Foremost Group CEO Angela Chao, the sister-in-law of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, is currently under "criminal investigation," a Texas sheriff's office said Thursday. "This incident was not a typical accident," the Blanco County Sheriff's Office wrote in a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday. "Releasing the reports, videos and other information prior to the completion of the investigation would interfere with the investigation and possible prosecution of this matter," the sheriff's office wrote. The sheriff's office in that Feb. 16 statement had said, "EMS attempted emergency measures on Ms. Chao but she succumbed from being under the water." Chao was the sister of McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao, who has served as secretary of both the U.S. Labor and Transportation departments.

Persons: Angela A, Chao, Angela Chao, Mitch McConnell, Ken Paxton, Jim Breyer, Austin . Chao, Elaine Chao Organizations: New York City Opera, Blanco County Sheriff's, CNBC, U.S . Labor, Transportation Locations: New York City, Texas, Johnson City , Texas, Austin, Blanco County

☆ Trump Media sued by co-founders ahead of DWAC merger, potential setback for lucrative deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Donald Trump (R) and producer Andy Litinsky (L) attend the Comedy Central Roast Of Donald Trump at the Hammerstein Ballroom on March 9, 2011 in New York City. The partnership, United Atlantic Ventures alleges that Trump Media & Technology Group engaged in "wrongful 11th hour ... maneuvering" to dilute UAV''s minority stake in the media company, a court filing says. Donald Trump attends the 'Celebrity Apprentice' Red Carpet Event at Trump Tower on January 5, 2015, in New York City. "They actually went out and did the work, they created Truth Social, and now the beneficiary of that, Donald Trump, doesn't want to pay." CNBC has requested comment from spokesmen for Trump, TMTG and DWAC about the lawsuit, which was first reported by The Washington Post.

Persons: Donald Trump, Andy Litinsky, Moss, Wes Moss, Trump, Jean Carroll, Christopher Clark, Clark, Donald J, TMTG, UAV's, TMTG's Organizations: Trump Media, Twitter, Facebook, United Atlantic Ventures, Trump Media & Technology Group, Trump Tower, Trump, Republican, TMTG, CNBC, The Washington Post, Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Justice, SEC Locations: New York City, TMTG, Delaware, New York, partnership's Delaware

☆ FTX fraudster Bankman-Fried seeks less than 7 year sentence, claims he is at risk of 'harm and extortion' in prison
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Sam Bankman-Fried, co-founder of FTX Cryptocurrency Derivatives Exchange, arrives at court in New York, US, on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023. "The harm to customers, lenders, and investors is zero," Bankman-Fried's lawyers wrote. The lawyers wrote that Bankman-Fried has a "neurodiversity" that "greatly affects how he perceives and is perceived." It is not a disease or a condition that needs to be cured," the lawyers wrote. "Individuals with ASD are often at considerably greater risk of physical harm and extortion in prison than other inmates," the lawyers wrote.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Joseph Bankman, Barbara Fried, Lewis Kaplan, —, Michael Milken, Damian Williams, Williams, Kaplan, Marc Mukasey, Sam, Drexel Burnham Lambert, Milken Organizations: Bankman, Alameda Research, The Manhattan U.S, PSR, Defense, Drexel, CNBC PRO Locations: New York, FTX, Manhattan, Alameda, Brooklyn , New York

☆ Former New York cop charged with swindling investors in foreign exchange trading fund
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Peace's office said that as Rodriguez, who was arrested Wednesday, lost an increasing amount of money in trading in foreign exchange, he used money from new investors to pay prior investors their promised investment returns. Ex-cop Jason Rodriguez, 37, is accused of falsely promising investors in his fund, Technical Trading Team, that there would be guardrails to protect the trading risks for their money. That included a vow to never put a maximum of 1% of investors' funds at risk at any given time, the indictment says. A former New York City police officer was indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud after he allegedly lied to investors and lost most of the $4.8 million they put into his foreign exchange -focused investment fund, prosecutors said Wednesday. The suit says the defendants lost more than $3 million in trading forex on a leveraged basis, and "misappropriated participant funds for personal use."

Persons: Peace, cryptocurrency, Rodriguez, Attorney Breon, Jason Rodriguez, Benjamin Yaster, Edwin Carrion, Carrion, Danielle Hass, TTT, Defendants Organizations: Attorney, Eastern, of, U.S . Justice, Washington , D.C, Brooklyn U.S, Trading, New York Police Department, NYPD, Attorney's, U.S, Futures Trading Commission, Commodity, CFTC, Investments, CNBC PRO Locations: of New York, Washington ,, New York City, Bellerose , Queens, U.S, Brooklyn, Florida, Colombia, TTT

☆ Mitch McConnell to step down as Republican Senate leader in November
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Wednesday that he will step down as Republican leader in the Senate in November. McConnell, 82, revealed his plans in an address to the Senate, where he currently serves as minority leader. McConnell, who is the longest-serving Senate caucus leader in history, plans to keep his seat in the chamber, which he took in 1985. "To serve Kentucky, has been the honor of my life, to lead my Republican colleagues has the highest privilege," McConnell said. "When you lose a loved one, particularly at a young age, there's a certain introspection that accompanies the grieving process," McConnell said.

Persons: Sen, Mitch McConnell, McConnell, Elaine Chao, Angela, Chao's, Angela Chao, Jim Breyer Organizations: Kentucky, Senate, Republican Locations: Kentucky, life's, Austin , Texas

☆ Prison inmate led scheme swindling U.S. out of $550 million in Covid tax credits, feds say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A California prison inmate locked up on a gang-related murder conviction led a scheme that defrauded the U.S. government out of more than $550 million in Covid-era federal tax credits, prosecutors said. Five other people were charged with Thomas in the alleged drug trafficking scheme. The employee retention credits became a refundable federal tax credit for employers during the Covid-19 pandemic to encourage businesses to retain workers. "But that apparently was not enough: he also conspired to pursue over half a billion dollars in federal tax credits that were meant to help struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic," Talbert said. DEA agents intercepted those calls and also intercepted text messages showing Thomas communicating about the tax fraud scheme, prosecutors said.

Persons: Kristopher Thomas, Thomas, Kettisha Thompson, Dozier, Charmane Dozier, Sharon Vance, Philip Talbert, Talbert Organizations: Main Street Mafia, Attorney's, Eastern, Eastern District of, Drug Enforcement Administration Locations: California, Covid, Kern Valley, Waldorf , Maryland, Hawthorne , California, Los Angeles, Eastern District, Eastern District of California, Las Vegas, U.S, Delano , California, Hawaii

☆ Personal pilot for billionaire Joe Lewis pleads guilty to insider trading scheme
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks during a press conference in New York City, Sept. 22, 2023. A personal pilot for British billionaire investor Joe Lewis pleaded guilty Monday to securities fraud related to the same insider trading scheme that Lewis admitted guilt in a month ago, federal prosecutors in New York said. The pilot, Patrick O'Connor, on multiple occasions, received material, nonpublic information about companies from Lewis that O'Connor then used to trade in shares of those firms, prosecutors said. Lewis is the principal owner of the Tavistock Group, a private investment firm, and controlled one or more board of director seats at companies in which he shared nonpublic information with O'Connor that the pilot then traded on, prosecutors said. Lewis, through a family trust, formerly controlled a majority ownership stake in the English Premier League soccer team Tottenham Hotspur.

Persons: Damian Williams, Joe Lewis, Lewis, Patrick O'Connor, O'Connor, Mirati Organizations: Attorney, Southern, of, Tavistock Group, English Premier League soccer, Tottenham Hotspur, Mirati Therapeutics, Manhattan U.S, Attorney's Locations: U.S, of New York, New York City, New York

☆ Manhattan D.A. seeks gag order on Trump ahead of hush money trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office on Monday asked a judge to impose a gag order on former President Donald Trump ahead of his upcoming trial on charges of falsifying business records related to a 2016 hush money payment to a porn star. Prosecutors want Trump barred from making public comments about witnesses jurors, trial prosecutors, members of the court staff, and any relatives of lawyers and court staff involved in the case. They also want him barred from directing others to make public statements any prospective juror or jurors in the trial. "And the need for such protection is compelling," Bragg's office said in its request, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court. Trump would be allowed to make public statements about Bragg under the proosed gag order.

Persons: Donald Trump, Stormy Daniels, Trump, D.A, Alvin Bragg's, Juan Merchan, Bragg Organizations: U.S, Manhattan, Attorney's, Prosecutors, Trump, Washington , D.C Locations: Manhattan, New York City, Washington ,

☆ Feds charge Japanese Yakuza leader with nuclear materials trafficking
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The DOJ alleges that a high-ranking member of the Yakuza, Takeshi Ebisawa, was the central figure in a plot to funnel American weapons to ethnic militias in Myanmar in exchange for heroin and meth. Federal prosecutors in New York on Wednesday said they charged a Japanese Yakuza leader with conspiring to traffic nuclear materials from Burma to other countries in the belief that they would be used by Iran to make a nuclear weapon. "A U.S. nuclear forensic laboratory later analyzed the samples and confirmed that the samples contain uranium and weapons-grade plutonium," the statement said. Williams said Ebisawa "brazenly trafficked" the nuclear material while believing it would be used to develop a nuclear weapons program." The top prosecutor also said that even as he tried to sell the nuclear materials, the Yakuza leader "also negotiated for the purchase of deadly weapons, including surface-to-air missiles," M60 machine guns, AK-47s and armor-piercing ammunition.

Persons: Takeshi Ebisawa, Ebisawa, Damian Williams, Williams Organizations: DOJ, U.S . Drug, Administration, Attorney's, U.S, AK Locations: Myanmar, New York, Japanese, Burma, Iran, Thailand, Iranian, Manhattan, U.S

☆ Woman drops lawsuit against Leon Black alleging rape at Jeffrey Epstein mansion
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

FILE: Leon Black, chairman and chief executive officer of Apollo Global Management LLC, at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., on Tuesday, May 1, 2018. A woman who had accused Apollo Global Management co-founder Leon Black of raping her at the New York mansion of the late sex predator Jeffrey Epstein has agreed to drop her civil lawsuit against Black. Black, in a statement provided to CNBC on Monday, said, "I have never met Ms. Pierson. Black left Apollo in March 2021, months earlier than he previously had said he would. The Wigdor law firm is continuing to pursue a separate lawsuit against Black that its attorneys filed in July, alleging that he raped a then-16-year-old girl with autism at Epstein's Manhattan home in 2002.

Persons: Leon Black, Jeffrey Epstein, Cheri Pierson, Pierson, Black, Danya Perry, Wigdor, Epstein, Wigdor . Black, Jane Doe Organizations: Apollo Global Management, Milken Institute Global Conference, Black, Manhattan Supreme, Epstein's, CNBC, Wigdor LLP, U.S . Virgin, Wigdor, Manhattan Locations: Beverly Hills , California, U.S, York, Florida, Manhattan, Wigdor .

☆ Appeals court will rehear challenge to Nasdaq board diversity rule, putting mandate at risk
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A federal appeals court agreed to rehear a challenge by two conservative groups to Nasdaq's board diversity rule related to the disclosure of women and minority membership on boards of companies listed on the stock exchange. The 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, in its order Monday night setting a rehearing, also vacated a decision in October upholding the Nasdaq rule by a three-judge panel from the appeals court, which encompasses Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The Nasdaq rule requires companies to disclose details about the diversity of their boards of directors, and to either have a minimum number of women and minorities on their boards or explain why they do not. "NASDAQ's rule promotes racial discrimination and polarizing personal disclosures and it is to be hoped that this rule is struck down," Blum said. The SEC and Nasdaq did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the rehearing order.

Persons: Edward Blum, " Blum, Margaret Little Organizations: Times, NASDAQ, 5th Circuit U.S, of Appeals, Nasdaq, Securities, Exchange, Alliance for Fair, National Center for Public Policy Research, Fifth Circuit, SEC Locations: New York City, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi

☆ Foremost Group CEO Angela Chao died after car went into Texas pond, sheriff says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Angela A. Chao hosts The New York City Opera Pre-Gala Celebration at a private residence in New York City on Oct. 21, 2010. Angela Chao, CEO of Foremost Group and the sister-in-law of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, died after her car went into a pond on a private ranch about 40 miles west of Austin, Texas, authorities said Friday. On Friday, the Blanco County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that on Saturday, it "responded to a possible water rescue on a private ranch located in Blanco County, TX." "On arrival Blanco County deputies along with Blanco County EMS and Fire recovered the body of Angela Chao from a pond on the ranch," the statement said. "EMS attempted emergency measures on Ms. Chao but she succumbed from being under the water," the statement said.

Persons: Angela A, Chao, Angela Chao, Mitch McConnell, Chao's, Jim Breyer, Elaine Chao, McConnell, Donald Trump's, George W, Bush, Ben Oakley, Oakley Organizations: New York City Opera, Foremost, Wednesday, Blanco County Sheriff's, Blanco County EMS, Fire, Harvard, National Basketball, Boston Celtics, Bank of, China State Shipbuilding Corporation, Transportation, Labor, CNBC Locations: New York City, Austin , Texas, Blanco County, Blanco County , TX, Blanco, Johnson City, Austin, Bank of China

☆ Trump hush money trial to start March 25, judge denies dismissal request
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump attends a pre-trial hearing at Manhattan Criminal Court on February 15, 2024 in New York City. A judge on Thursday said that jury selection in the New York hush money trial of former President Donald Trump will begin March 25, and estimated that the trial will last six weeks. Trump, who was in Manhattan Supreme Court for the hearing Thursday, will be the first former president to stand trial in a criminal case. His lawyer Todd Blanche called the trial date a "great injustice" and "election interference, as Trump is seeking the GOP presidential nomination. In addition to the hush money case, he faces three other pending criminal cases, all of which have a chance of going to trial this year.

Persons: Donald Trump, Judge Juan Merchan, Stormy Daniels, Merchan, Trump, Todd Blanche, Daniels, Michael Cohen Organizations: Manhattan Criminal, Republican Locations: New York City, New York, Manhattan

☆ Bitcoin money launderer Ian Freeman ordered to pay $3.5 million to romance scam victims
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ian Freeman outside of the federal courthouse in Concord, New Hampshire, in April 2023. Prosecutors said that he laundered proceeds of scams by exchanging dollars for the popular cryptocurrency, charging "exorbitant fees" in the process. Freeman earned more than $1 million through his business, which he had not registered as legally required with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, prosecutors said. "Freeman instructed bitcoin customers, who were often victims of scams, to lie to the financial institutions and describe their deposits as church donations. From 2016 to 2019, he paid no taxes, and concealed his income from the Internal Revenue Service," the office said.

Persons: Ian Freeman, Freeman, laundered, Ian, Jane Young, Joseph Laplante Organizations: cryptocurrency, U.S ., Prosecutors, Financial, Network, New Hampshire U.S, U.S, District, Shire Free Church, of, Internal Revenue Service Locations: Concord , New Hampshire, New Hampshire, U.S, Shire, of New Hampshire

☆ Supreme Court gives Trump prosecutor a week to respond to delay request in election case
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Former U.S. President Donald Trump sits in the courtroom during his civil fraud trial at New York Supreme Court on January 11, 2024 in New York City. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday told Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith to respond to a request by Donald Trump to delay implementing an appeals court ruling that found he does not have presidential immunity in his federal election interference criminal case. Later Tuesday, a group of former officials in Republican presidential administrations from Richard Nixon to Trump in a filing with the Supreme Court said Trump has failed to make "two of the mandatory showings required for a delay of" the appeals court ruling. "This Court should deny a stay in this case because Mr. Trump's claim of such a boundless immunity is wrong," the filing said. Trump, in his filing Monday, asked the Supreme Court to delay the appeals court's mandate.

Persons: Donald Trump, John Roberts, Jack Smith, Roberts, Smith, Richard Nixon, Trump, Trump's, Joe Biden, Biden Organizations: U.S, New, Supreme, Tuesday, Justice, Republican, Monday, Washington , D.C Locations: New York City, Washington ,

☆ Criminal sentencing of Binance founder CZ postponed to late April
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Changpeng Zhao, founder and CEO of Binance, attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris on June 16, 2022. The criminal sentencing of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao on a money laundering rule charge has been postponed until April 30, according to a notice Monday in Seattle federal court. That docket entry did not explain what would be a two-month delay in sentencing Zhao, a Canadian national widely known as "CZ" who is free on a $175 million release bond in the United States. Federal sentencing guidelines suggest a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison for Zhao, but prosecutors reportedly have considered asking for a harsher sentence. Zhao pleaded guilty on Nov. 21 to a charge of failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program at Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange.

Persons: Changpeng Zhao, Zhao, William Burck Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, Canadian, CNBC, Department of Justice, Emergency Economic Locations: Porte, Paris, Seattle, United States, Binance

☆ Trump Georgia election judge may force D.A. to testify in disqualification hearing
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The judge in the Georgia election criminal case against Donald Trump seemed inclined Monday to allow a subpoena for testimony from District Attorney Fani Willis at an upcoming hearing to potentially disqualify her from the case. Willis appointed Wade as special prosecutor for the Trump case. "I don't see how quashal can be imposed here," McAfee said, using the legal term for voiding a subpoena. McAfee also held off on ruling on motions to quash subpoenas for Wade and other employees of Willis' office at Monday's hearing. Anna Cross, the attorney who represented Willis at the hearing, said McAfee should quash the subpoenas.

Persons: Donald Trump, Attorney Fani Willis, Scott McAfee, Willis, Nathan Wade, Wade, Trump, McAfee, Trump's, Terrance Bradley, Bradley, Ashleigh Merchant, Michael Roman, Merchant, Anna Cross Organizations: Attorney, Trump Locations: Georgia, Fulton County

☆ Trader Joe's appeals dismissal of lawsuit claiming labor union violated trademark
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The appeal, filed Thursday, comes nearly a month after the judge accused Trader Joe's of trying to "weaponize the legal system to gain an advantage in an ongoing labor dispute" against the Trader Joe's United union. Trader Joe's, a lawyer for the company, and a spokeswoman for Trader Joe's United did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the company's filing at the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. Trader Joe's Union logo pictured on pins. "Trader Joe's maintains that this is a purely commercial dispute and that the Union's designs are causing consumer confusion and diluting the Trader Joe's family of trademarks," Vera wrote. The Trader Joe's Union Logo Trader Joe's

Persons: Joe Raedle, Joe's, Trader Joe's, Hernan Vera, Vera, Norris Organizations: Getty, Trader Joe's United, Trader, 9th Circuit U.S, Appeals, tote, National Labor Relations Board, LaGuardia, Union Locations: Hadley , Massachusetts, Minneapolis, Los Angeles

☆ Biden says 'my memory is fine,' disputes special counsel's report in national address
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

"My memory has not gotten worse," Biden told reporters in a nationally televised address at the White House hours after Hur released his report. But moments later, Biden referred to Egypt's president as the "president of Mexico." "How in the hell dare he raise that," Biden said of Hur. The main legal takeaway from Hur's report was the special counsel's decision not to criminally charge Biden despite what Hur said was the president's willful retention of classified documents and disclosure of of some classified material to the ghostwriter of his 2017 memoir. Biden said, "I've seen the headlines since the report was released about my willful retention of documents.

Persons: Joe Biden, Robert Hur, Biden, Hur, Beau Biden, Beau, I've Organizations: Department of Justice, White Locations: Mexico

☆ Supreme Court set to hear Trump challenge to Colorado ballot ban that cited 'insurrection'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Six Republican and unaffiliated voters in Colorado had filed the lawsuit that led to the state Supreme Court ruling. Grimsley predicted that claim will be closely scrutinized by the Supreme Court justices during oral arguments. "I think the justices will be very interested in that question, if only because President or former President Trump has made that the lead argument in this case," Grimsley said. Three of the nine Supreme Court justices who will hear his appeal Thursday were appointed by Trump — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. Three other justices who were appointed by Republican presidents with Trump's appointees comprise a conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jared Polis, Doug Burgum, Trump, Joe Biden, Nikki Haley, Colorado's, Sean Grimsley, Grimsley, Mario Nicolais, Nicolais, Trump — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett Organizations: Colorado, North Dakota, White, U.S, Supreme, Republican, Constitution, United, The, The Colorado Supreme Court, GOP, South Carolina Gov Locations: Washington ,, Colorado, United States, The Colorado

President Joe Biden "willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice presidency," according to a special counsel's final report released Thursday. But the special counsel, Robert Hur, said he was declining to prosecute Biden over his handling of classified documents about military and foreign policy in Afghanistan, and other material. "Our investigation uncovered evidence that President Biden willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen," Hur wrote. "We conclude that no criminal charges are warranted in this matter," the report said. "We reach the same conclusion even if Department of Justice policy did not foreclose criminal charges against a sitting president."

Persons: Joe Biden, Eisenhower, Robert Hur, Biden, Hur, General Merrick Garland, Donald Trump, Trump Organizations: of Justice, White House, FBI Locations: Afghanistan, Palm

☆ U.S. engineer contacted China before stealing missile tracking tech, DOJ says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A deactivated Titan II nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, is seen in a silo at the Titan Missile Museum in Green Valley, Arizona, May 12, 2015. The DOJ said the technology allegedly stolen by 57-year-old Chenguang Gong would be "dangerous to U.S. national security if obtained by international actors." Gong, who lives in San Jose, California, is a native of China who became an American citizen in 2011, prosecutors said. Los Angeles U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said Gong previously sought to provide the People's Republic of China with information that would help the nation's military. The Chinese Talent Program Tracker is known to identify individuals located outside China who have skills and knowledge that can help transform the Chinese economy and bolster its military capabilities, the complaint said.

Persons: Gong, Martin Estrada, Estrada Organizations: Titan, Titan Missile, U.S, Department of Justice, DOJ, Los Angeles U.S, Talent Locations: Green Valley , Arizona, Los Angeles, U.S, San Jose , California, China, American, Republic of China

☆ Trump Media SPAC insider trading defendant hit with new money laundering count
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A man already charged with insider trading related to a shell company's planned merger with Donald Trump's social media firm was hit with a new money laundering count in Manhattan federal court. The new indictment details two money transfers Shvartsman conducted after netting a profit of about $18.2 million from selling Digital World Acquisition Corp . Shvartsman, his brother Gerald Shvartsman and Bruce Garelick were indicted in June on securites fraud charges related to their sale of DWAC securities in fall 2021 and other conduct. The trio of investors allegedly bought DWAC securities after learning on a confidential basis that the so-called special purpose acquisition company was eyeing a merger with Trump Media and Technology Group. TMTG includes the social media platform Truth Social, which is one of the former president's favorite methods for communicating with supporters online.

Persons: Michael Shvartsman, Donald Trump's, Shvartsman, Gerald Shvartsman, Bruce Garelick, DWAC Organizations: Federal, Corp, Trump Media, Technology Group, TMTG, Prosecutors Locations: New York, Manhattan

☆ Elon Musk's X funds Gina Carano lawsuit vs. Disney, Lucasfilm over ‘Mandalorian’ firing
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Gina Carano as Cara Dune in the "The Mandalorian," a Star Wars series on Disney+. Elon Musk's company X is funding a new lawsuit filed by actor Gina Carano over her firing from the Disney+ streaming TV series "The Mandalorian" after she shared a controversial social media postCarano sued Disney and its Lucasfilm subsidiary in Los Angeles federal court over her termination from the "Star Wars" franchise series in February 2021. The suit, which alleges wrongful discharge and sex discrimination, seeks Carano's reinstatement in "The Mandalorian," and monetary damages for the loss of her past pay and her future employment as a result of her termination. Carano was booted from the series after she shared a post on Instagram and TikTok that implied conservatives in the United States were being treated like Jewish people in Nazi Germany. Musk in August had said that X would fund the legal bills of X users "if you were unfairly treated by your employer due to posting or liking something on this platform."

Persons: Gina Carano, Cara Dune, Elon, Carano, Covid, Musk Organizations: Disney, Elon Musk's, Lucasfilm, Wars Locations: Los Angeles, United States, Nazi Germany

Search resuls for: "Dan Mangan"

25 mentions found