bribes

16 Stories

Ex-Official Admits to Scheme Taking COVID Relief Money

Funding was intended to feed elderly and disabled people in Southern California

(Newser) - A high-ranking elected official in Southern California has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in a far-reaching scheme that misused COVID-19 relief funds that should have been used to feed the elderly. Andrew Do, who recently resigned as an Orange County supervisor, entered the plea in federal court in...

Feds Say Eric Adams Took Bribes From Foreign Donors

New York City mayor says he won't resign as indictment is made public

(Newser) - The federal charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams have been unsealed, and they go back to his days as Brooklyn borough president and focus partly on his ties to Turkey. Details:
  • Adams was indicted on five charges of bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations,
...

Businessman: I Bribed Sen. Menendez With a Mercedes

Jose Uribe testified Friday he'd given luxury car to senator's wife to gain his 'power and influence'

(Newser) - On Friday, a "riveted" Manhattan courtroom filled for the corruption trial of New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez heard federal prosecutor Lara Pomerantz ask former insurance broker Jose Uribe if he'd ever committed a federal crime. When he answered in the affirmative, Pomerantz asked, "Does that include bribery...

Cops Raid Spanish Soccer Federation's Offices

More bad news for the organization, which was just rocked by a sexism scandal

(Newser) - Spanish police raided the offices of the country's soccer federation on Thursday as part of an investigation into the payment of millions of dollars over several years by FC Barcelona to a former vice president of Spain's refereeing committee. The Guardia Civil confirmed to the AP that its...

He Was Kidnapped, Then Got Prison Time Himself

'This is one of the strangest cases in the history of that courthouse,' man's own lawyer says

(Newser) - Two years ago, Jolen "Jay" Michael Ghorbani was kidnapped at gunpoint, beaten, and robbed, but luckily, the Virginia man survived the attack, and the perpetrators were arrested and sentenced to prison. Now, however, Ghorbani himself has been hit with jail time, after Maryland prosecutors say he threatened and attempted...

Brazil's Ex-Olympic Boss Gets 30 Years

Former Rio governor among others sentenced to jail for corruption

(Newser) - Carlos Arthur Nuzman, the head of the Brazilian Olympic Committee for more than two decades, was sentenced to 30 years and 11 months in jail for allegedly buying votes for Rio de Janeiro to host the 2016 Olympics. The ruling by Judge Marcelo Bretas became public Thursday, per the AP...

Tourists Accused of Trying to Bribe Their Way Into Hawaii

Louisiana couple didn't have negative COVID tests

(Newser) - If you're interested in visiting the Aloha State, you'll have to be OK with a 10-day quarantine when you first arrive, unless you've got COVID test results in hand confirming you tested negative within the past 72 hours. Two tourists allegedly thought they could get around those...

Lawyers: 'Devastating' New Evidence in Loughlin Case

Notes turned over by prosecution prove her innocence, defense team says

(Newser) - Lawyers for Full House actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, said Wednesday that new evidence shows the couple is innocent of charges that they bribed their daughters' way into the University of Southern California. An attorney for the couple said in a legal filing that prosecutors...

In Israel, an Unwanted First for Netanyahu

He's charged with corruption, the first sitting prime minister to face criminal charges

(Newser) - Israel’s attorney general on Thursday formally charged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a series of corruption cases, throwing the country’s paralyzed political system into further disarray and threatening the longtime leader's grip on power, per the AP . Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit charged Netanyahu with fraud, breach of...

In College Admissions Brouhaha, the Longest Sentence Yet

Toby MacFarlane gets 6 months behind bars in California

(Newser) - Felicity Huffman has served her time , Lori Loughlin awaits her own fate, and an ex-California real estate executive has been hit with the longest prison sentence yet in the college admissions scandal . Per NBC News , six months behind bars was the sentence given Wednesday to Toby MacFarlane, 56, who was...

Amazon: Workers Taking Bribes From Desperate Sellers

Amazon employees, mainly in China, are offering data in exchange for money, sources say

(Newser) - To best hawk a product on Amazon, third-party sellers hope for a coveted spot on the site's first page of search results, a ranking that's boosted by positive reviews. Sources tell the Wall Street Journal those rankings could be affected by "illicit transactions" between sellers and Amazon...

Collins on Effort to Sway Vote on Kavanaugh: It's Bribery

Watchdog group wants DOJ to investigate groups crowdfunding to pressure Maine senator

(Newser) - More than $1.2 million has been raised to help convince Sen. Susan Collins she shouldn't cast her vote for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but the Maine pol isn't exactly motivated by the cash influx. Mainers for Accountable Leadership, the Maine People's Alliance, and a group...

FBI Accuses 4 College Coaches of Taking Bribes

Adidas marketing exec also implicated

(Newser) - The director of global sports marketing for Adidas is among those charged in a bribe-paying scheme that federal authorities say was designed to match agents and advisers to players before they became NBA stars. James Gatto was arrested Tuesday along with nine others, including four assistant basketball coaches from the...

Ex-UN Head Took $1M in Bribes: Prosecutors

Ex-General Assembly chief John Ashe accused of cashing in on Chinese mogul

(Newser) - A former UN General Assembly president was arrested Tuesday and charged with accepting over $1 million in bribes and a trip to New Orleans from a billionaire Chinese real estate mogul and other businesspeople to pave the way for lucrative investments. John Ashe, the UN ambassador from Antigua and Barbuda...

1 in 4 Humans Paid a Bribe Last Year

Global corruption survey finds widespread bribery

(Newser) - Roughly 27% of people worldwide have paid a bribe to a government agency in the last 12 months, according to the latest Global Corruption Barometer report from Transparency International. The survey covered more than 114,000 people across 107 countries, the Wall Street Journal reports, and on the bright side,...

Informant: I Bribed FBI Agent With Cash, Cars, Shoes

Man indicted in Atlanta rapper murder says payoffs didn't help him

(Newser) - A former Russian mobster and FBI informant indicted in the murder of Atlanta rapper Lil Phat says his FBI handler asked for and got bribes during the time he was under investigation for the killing. His lawyer also says that despite gifting the agent with $3,500 in cash, as...

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