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.

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.

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.

Spanish PM Sanchez to Testify in Wife’s Trial.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, was summoned by the judge in his wife’s corruption case. According to a report, Sanchez will be questioned on July 30th by Judge Juan Carlos Peinado at the Prime Minister’s official residence. At the center of the case is whether or not Sanchez’s wife used her husband’s political connections to further her business interests. According to a report in USnews Begona Gomez, Sanchez’s wife, claimed that the allegations are part of a right-wing plot to unsettle the current socialist government., It is unclear what will happen next, but if Gomez is found guilty, it could cause political instability.

Menendez Found Guilty on Corruption Charges.

Well, that didn’t take very long. After only 13 hours, Robert Menendez was found guilty on all 16 counts of bribery, extortion, wire fraud, and acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government between 2018 and 2022. According to a report in the Washington Post, his co-defendants, Egyptian businessmen Wael Hana and real estate developer Fred Daibes, were also found guilty on similar charges. Within moments of the verdict being handed down, senate democrats were lining up, implored to resign from or otherwise be expelled from office. All of the attention on this case turns to Menendez’s wife, Nadine, who is facing trial on similar charges this fall after undergoing cancer treatment. It is a damming indictment of US politics that Menendez, who narrowly escaped being found guilty on corruption charges in 2017, would be so bold as to continue to engage in corrupt behavior while in office.

The European Union takes a Rightward Turn.

Yesterday, the elections for the Parliament of the European Union took place. According to a report in BBC, the right wing in Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands all made solid gains and will be able to have more of a say in dictating EU policy going forward. Briefly, the way that the EU parliament is that individual parties within a country form blocs within the parliament; for example, the Eurosceptic Alternative for Deutschland party in Germany (AFD) is part of the Identity and Democracy Party bloc (ID) within the EU. Some of the shocking news of the evening came out of France. According to a report in the Washington Post, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, called a snap legislative election due to the gains made by the far-right National Rally (RN). My fear with elections is that these far-right will undermine European democracy and stop the flow of aid to Ukraine, as it is well known that some of these parties have close ties to Russia.