This smells like #corruption and #kickbacks in #sfba.

- Billionarie Chris Larsen owns Ripple Labs, a crypto company.
- Larsen was the largest financier of Prop E, which encourages drone use in SFPD, which passed in 2024.
- Larsen also owns San Francisco Police Community Foundation, a nonprofit.
- The nonprofit is donating $866k to support “officer wellness”, but only if SFPD also accepts Ripple Labs’ $9.4M donation.
- $2M of the donation goes to renting back Ripple Labs real estate.
- The rest of the $7.4M donation goes to buying and operating drones and take-off sites.

No mention is made of:

- Who will supply the drones (probably Ripple Labs).
- Who will service them (probably Ripple Labs).
- What are the recurring cost of the service (probably whatever Ripple Labs charges).
- What data is shared with Ripple Labs or whoever operates the service (probably a lot).

This deal stinks.

#surveillance

https://missionlocal.org/2025/06/were-going-to-be-covering-the-entire-city-with-drones-billionaires-donation-to-sfpd-accepted/

When they say "too many," they always mean none at all | @destiny

South Korea’s major pension funds face criticism for weak internal controls, as most lack or fail to enforce rules restricting employees’ stock trading, enabling multi-million-won corruption schemes—including high-profile kickbacks at the Construction Workers’ Mutual Aid Association.
#YonhapInfomax #PensionFunds #InternalControls #StockTrading #ConstructionWorkersMutualAidAssociation #Kickbacks #Economics #FinancialMarkets #Banking #Securities #Bonds #StockMarket
https://en.infomaxai.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=65233

Surprise, surprise...not. United Healthcare involved in more murder for profit.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cole-schmidtknecht-lawsuit-inhaler-walgreens-optumrx_n_679a92aae4b09f65216c9280

https://www.honest-broker.com/p/the-ugly-truth-about-spotify-is-finally
#spotify #payola #kickbacks #royalties #music #generativemusic #investigative

#scum
#McKinsey pay $650m to settle #US #opioid case
"Prosecutors said McKinsey provided #Purdue advice to “turbocharge” #OxyContin sales. It was charged w conspiring to misbrand a #drug & obstruction of #justice.. former snr partner at McKinsey agreed to plead #guilty to #obstructionofjustice for destroying #records.. Purdue pleaded guilty in 2020 to #criminal #charges covering widespread misconduct including conspiring to #defraud US officials & pay #illegal #kickbacks"
https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2919450/consultants-pay-650m-to-settle-us-opioid-case

#USA’s incoming #Kleptocracy will be interesting to watch from the outside but I pity the poor bastards who’ll have to live with it.

In a kleptocracy, #corrupt #politicians enrich themselves secretly outside the rule of law, through #kickbacks, #bribes, and special favours from lobbyists and corporations, or they simply direct state funds to themselves and their associates.

"[T]he government has alleged that various #DrugManufacturers used charities to improperly cover Medicare patients' copays," while simultaneously increasing their prices. #Pharmacy #DrugCosts #Kickbacks https://buff.ly/3U6e5h4

If you're in the #US, this US #Government #website lets you search for your #doctor's or #dentist's name and find out how much (if any) #kickbacks they're getting from #drug #companies and other #medical #supply companies.

openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/

I was pleased to see that both my #PCP and my #dentist really aren't getting any kickbacks. (Less than $50, each, over the past 7 years).

So Judge Cannon got her idea that Jack Smith was improperly appointed from an opinion by Clarence Thomas, likely the most corrupt member of SCOTUS ( at least for now), and a man with the most to fear from the appointment of a special council to investigate his financial impropriety.
Is that about it?
The IRS doesn't need a special council appointed to audit Clarence Thomas.
#SCOTUS #Corruption #Bribery #Kickbacks #RobertsCourt

@SETSystems @binaryphile

Congress could fix this law and make it clear that #kickbacks are as illegal as upfront #bribery. But will they have the ethical principles to do this?

This is the last time a Cabinet member was impeached. 1876. He was found to be taking kickbacks from a military trading post he'd assigned. And Mayorkas has done, what? Oh, passed policies they don't like. Got it.
#Belknap #impeachment #Senate #majority #agreed #grift #kickbacks #military #trading #post #cash #payments | #Mayorkas #Biden #vote #border #policies https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/impeachment/impeachment-belknap.htm

Maybe the House #Republicans should investigate #Trump and #Kushner after they get done with #HunterBiden?

“House #Democrats released evidence that the former president took in at least $7.8 million from foreign entities while in office, engaging in the kind of conduct the G.O.P. is grasping to pin on President #Biden.”

#greed #corruption #kickbacks #dictator #dictatorship
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/04/us/politics/trump-hotels-foreign-business-report.html

Republicans use any dastardly means available to privatize government functions.

#graft #kickbacks #fraud is what the #GOP is all about.

Always.

"People are drinking water that is below standards, but selling out to corporations who are going to raise rates on families across our state who cannot afford it is not a solution”

States and Congress wrestle with cybersecurity after Iran attacks small town water utilities

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/states-congress-wrestle-cybersecurity-water-utilities-amid-renewed-106039095

Merck drops up to $610M on neuro disease-focused Caraway Therapeutics -- AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi Phase III trial raises trial design questions --Teva granted pretrial appeal in high-stakes Copaxone kickbacks case-- See more on our front page news http://bit.ly/w28kSd #merck #mergersandacquisitions #astrazeneca #imfinzi #clinicaltrials #tevapharm #copaxone #kickbacks #pharma #pharmanews #biotech #biopharma #biotechnology #cafepharma

How to write off your Super Yacht and buy off a #SupremeCourt #Justice.

“The rich, as we’ve reported, often deduct millions of dollars from their taxes related to buying and operating their jets and yachts.

@ProPublica interviewed around a dozen former crew members of the Michaela Rose, some of whom spent years aboard the ship, and none said they were aware of the boat ever being chartered.”

#ClarenceThomas #Clarence_thomas #SCOTUS #ethics #kickbacks
https://www.propublica.org/article/harlan-crow-slashed-tax-bill-clarence-thomas-superyacht