The Connection Between Orban and Football.

(Disclaimer: I spent a few days in Budapest last month: a lovely city).

There has long been a connection between football and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. It has long been known that Orban loves the sport. According to an article on a website called Breaking The Lines, the Prime Minister would reportedly watch up to six matches a day(when does he find the time to run the country) and often attends the finals of the World Cup and UEFA Champions League (the biggest club competition in Europe). Orban was even included in the 2006 version of Football Manager (a well-known Football Management Simulator). Orban’s first connection to football came through his local village, Felscuit, where he supported his local club, Videoton FC.

In the 2010s, a massive stadium-building boom began in Hungary. In particular, a 4,000-seat stadium was built in 2014 in Felscuit (a village of 1,000 people) at the cost of 10 million Euros for Puskas Academy, the club that Orban founded in 2007. According to a report in the BBC, 2 billion pounds of government income were directed toward Hungarian football clubs for building stadiums and operating costs. Orban has actively encouraged Hungarian oligarchs to invest in football clubs as a form of tax relief and a way to be in his good books. Hungary has a curious practice whereby vast amounts of EU development funds meant for schools and hospitals get siphoned off to oligarchs or used for infrastructure projects that don’t seem strictly necessary (the motorways, for instance, are pristine). While all of this sounds admirable, Hungary is a country that is struggling economically, and spending 2 billion pounds of government income on building a new football stadium and not schools and hospitals doesn’t seem to be beneficial to the Hungarian people.

New York Mayor Adams Indicted on Corruption Charges.

Yesterday, the mayor of New York, Eric Adams, was indicted for corruption allegations. According to a report in the New York Times, Adams faces federal bribery charges, fraud, and soliciting illegal campaign funds from foreign countries. The central allegation facing Adams is that he conspired with the Turkish government to obtain funds for his re-election campaign. The federal indictment against Adams states that in return for the illegal funds, he pressured the New York Fire Department to approve the building of a new Turkish consulate despite serious concerns about its safety. According to another New York Times report, Adams reportedly solicited funds from Qatar, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Israel, and China. However, it is not just Adams facing criminal charges against him. According to the Times, the former and interim police commissioner, a former building commissioner, the deputy mayor, and a phalanx of aides are facing similar charges or, at the very least, have had to meet with federal investigators over possible corruption charges. Adams hasn’t resigned yet as of writing, but it seems like it’s only a matter of time until he does.

Two NYFD Chiefs Arrested in Corruption Probe.

Last Monday, two New York City Fire Department (NYFD) chiefs were arrested concerning an ongoing corruption investigation. According to a report in Newsweek Anthony Saccavino and Brian Cordasco are facing charges of bribery, making false statements, and wire fraud. The indictment against Saccavino and Cordasco alleges they accepted thousands of dollars in bribes for preferred treatment for specific individuals and companies. According to a report on ABC.com, they gave better fire safety inspections to entities willing to pay more. It is unclear what will happen next, but this could be the tip of the iceberg of corruption within the NYFD.

John Deere Facing 10 Million Dollar Fine from SEC.

Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it was fining John Deere $10 million to resolve allegations that it breached the Foreign & Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). According to a report on a website called whistleblowersblog.org, Wirtgen Thailand, a subsidiary of John Deere, paid bribes to numerous Thai entities, including the Royal Thai Air Force and Department of Highways, to win government contracts. These bribes included but were not limited to cash payments, international travel, and visits to massage parlors. According to the SEC, when John Deere acquired Wirtgen Thailand, they failed to stop the bribery schemes from occurring. John Deere appears to be reaping what they have sown by failing to investigate their new acquisitions’ business practices.

Hochul Involved in Chinese Spying Scandal.

Last Week, an aide to New York State Governor Kathy Hochul was charged with spying for China. According to a report in The Guardian, Linda Sun, Hochul’s chief of staff, on direction from the Chinese government prevented Hochul from meeting Taiwanese officials. Sun also allegedly shaped policy in a way that was favorable to Chinese government interests. In return for her efforts, Sun and her husband received tickets to a Chinese orchestra and lavish meals, including Nanjing-style salted duck, as well as Sun and her husband purchased property and expensive cars. It is unclear what will happen next, but if found guilty, Sun will likely face prison.

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Arrested on Corruption Charges.

Last week, the former Deputy Defense Minister of Russia, Dmitry Bulgakov, was ordered to be held in pretrial detention on corruption charges. According to the Washington Post, Bulgakov is accused of embezzlement by supplying low-quality ration packs to Russian soldiers in Ukraine at vastly inflated prices. He was the deputy defense minister from 2008 to 2022 but was demoted because he was seen to have created a flawed logistical system for Russian troops on the front line. This is not the first time a high-ranking Russian military official has been arrested on corruption charges. According to a report in The Guardian, Russian policy observers believe this new Anti-Corruption policy aims to streamline the production of weapons and tanks. As for Bulgakov, I would guess he probably won’t see the light of day for a very long time, if ever.

Santos Expected to Plead Guilty in Federal Government Case.

Yesterday, several reports emerged that George Santos plans to plead guilty in his federal corruption trial. According to a report in Reuters, Santos intends to plead guilty to multiple counts of corruption in federal court in Long Island today, Monday, August 19^th. Santos’s time in Congress did not last long; he took office in January last year and was expelled in December. According to a report on a local New York City website called AMNY.com, Santos’s trial on corruption, money laundering, and theft of public funds was supposed to start next month. If I had to hazard a guess, I think Santos’s tenure in prison will last longer than his tenure in Congress.

Japan and Ukraine Reach Anti-Corruption Pact.

Last week, Ukraine and Japan agreed to an Anti-Corruption pact to improve Ukrainian anti-corruption measures. According to a report in Euromaidan, the Ministry of Justice of Japan will help their Ukrainian counterparts enhance Anti-Corruption policies and bring in more personnel to fight corruption. According to a report in the Japan Times, negotiations for this agreement started in June at the G7 conference in Italy. These reforms could help Japanese companies break into the Ukrainian market. Despite recent strides in combating corruption, Ukraine still has much to do.

The Fallout Continues From the Venezuelan Election.

On July 28^th, Venezuela had a contested general election. According to a report in The Washington Post, the Venezuelan election commission, which is government-backed, said Nicolas Maduro beat his opponent, the opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez, by 7 points. However, independent polling and the government’s records, which it has yet to release, state that Gonzalez won twice the number of votes than Maduro. According to an AP report, numerous civil society leaders worldwide are concerned about the growing number of arrests resulting from the protests over the weekend. Knowing the history of Venezuela, this situation will take a while to resolve itself.

Massive Anti-Corruption Protests Rock Uganda.

Last week, several large-scale protests occurred in the Ugandan capital, Kampala. According to a report in Reuters, at least 73 people were arrested in the protests. The demonstrations in Kenya last month inspired these protests about proposed tax increases. According to a report in Al Jazeera, Several members of parliament are facing corruption charges, as is the speaker of the parliament, Anita Among. In a country with a population of 45 million, 15 million are under 35, and they are frustrated with widespread corruption. It is unclear what will happen next, but it is clear that the young people of Uganda are fed up with rampant corruption.