Four CEOs have broken with Trump after his failure to promptly and directly denounce white supremacist violence in Charlottesville. Will others follow? …
Author: Kevin Connor
Posts by Kevin Connor
Governor Jerry Brown’s Million Dollar Conflict of Interest at Aliso Canyon
Kathleen Brown, the governor’s sister, has made $1.1 million as Sempra Energy director since 2013. The governor has apparently taken no steps to manage the conflict of interest. …
Trump Treasury pick cultivated close ties to police while running “foreclosure machine”
Trump’s pick for Treasury Secretary is Steven Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs executive and hedge fund manager. Mnuchin has been receiving critical coverage for his role as chairman of OneWest, a California lender that became notorious for its predatory foreclosure practices, which disproportionately affected communities of color. His close ties to the Los Angeles Police …
Buffalo Billion developer flouted New York State disclosure laws
Buffalo developer Paul Ciminelli was legally required to file annual financial disclosure statements with New York State during his four-year tenure on the public authority controlling Buffalo Billion spending, Empire State Development (ESD). But Ciminelli’s forms are extremely deficient for the first two years he served on the board and missing for the second two. …
Hedge funds may need to find another astroturf group to help them attack Puerto Rico
A hedge-fund backed front group opposing bankruptcy in Puerto Rico is in disarray. Board members of the group, the 60 Plus Association, are suing the group’s president, Amy Frederick, for secretly funneling payments to companies controlled by her husband. Hedge funds recruited 60 Plus to form a group, Main Street Bondholders, that pretends to represent …
Ferguson prosecutor has deep family ties to police brutality cases
Following the Ferguson grand jury’s decision not to indict Darren Wilson, critics observed that prosecutor Bob McCulloch acted more like a defense attorney than a prosecutor seeking an indictment. In doing so, he may have been channeling his younger brother. LittleSis has learned that Joe McCulloch, who is an attorney, has represented several Missouri cops …
Introducing Oligrapher: power mapping on LittleSis
The Endless Chain A single example will illustrate the vicious circle of control–the endless chain–through which our financial oligarchy now operates: J.P. Morgan (or a partner), a director of the New York, New Haven, & Hartford Railroad, causes that company to sell to J.P. Morgan & Co. an issue of bonds. J.P. Morgan & Co. …
Schumer recusal raises questions about conflicted role in Ticketmaster deal
Last week, Senator Chuck Schumer recused himself from further oversight of the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger after we reported that his brother had played a key role in the deal. Schumer had initially called the merger “a good deal for New York.” His office later claimed that the Senator had not known that his brother …
Schumer recuses himself from Comcast deal, claims no knowledge of brother’s role
Yesterday we reported that Senator Chuck Schumer, who called the Comcast-Time Warner Cable “a good deal” for New York, has ties to one of the key dealmakers involved – his brother, Robert Schumer, was Time Warner Cable’s lead outside attorney on the deal. Our report prompted Senator Schumer, who sits on the antitrust subcommittee, to …
Schumer reassures New York about Comcast-Time Warner Cable deal, doesn’t mention his brother was the dealmaker
Following news of the Comcast-Time Warner Cable deal, key members of Congress promised to take a close look at the merger. Some, like Senator Al Franken, sharply criticized the deal and what it would mean for consumers. Senator Amy Klobuchar, the chair of the antitrust subcommittee, announced plans for a hearing to “scrutinize the details …
The Port Authority’s split board and Chris Christie’s downfall
The “Bridgegate” scandal has shone a spotlight on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the public authority responsible for the George Washington Bridge lane closures. Christie political appointees at the Port Authority ordered the closures, apparently as an act of political retribution; now the Daily Beast is referring to the organization as …
Ex-Heinz Endowments president doubles down on oil and gas ties, immediately flunks SEC disclosure test
The departing Heinz Endowments president, Robert Vagt, is doubling down on his oil and gas industry ties and joining Rice Energy, a natural gas production company, as chairman. Vagt‘s oil and gas ties came under scrutiny last year when we released a report on the Center for Sustainable Shale Development (CSSD), a group hailed in …