On Friday, the mayor of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was arrested on fraud and money laundering charges. According to an AP report, Brian DePena is accused of using a $1.5 million COVID-19 pandemic loan intended for his tire business for personal use. DePena is accused of funneling the money to pay off mortgages on his house and to fund his mayoral campaign. On Friday, DePena was released on bail on the condition that he surrenders his passport and does not apply for any more loans without approval from the court. It is unclear what will happen next; however, I have a feeling that there may need to be another mayoral election in Lawrence soon.
Category: Corruption
Former Ukrainian Ambassador Resigns After Corruption Allegations.
Several days ago, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States, Olha Stefanishyna, resigned after allegations emerged that she concealed ownership of two apartments. According to a report in Euronews.com, Stefanishyna failed to declare on official government forms that she owned two luxury apartments in Kyiv, as well as undeclared cash that she used to pay for airfare. According to another report in Reuters, the total sum of undeclared assets is $310,000. According to investigators from NABU (the Ukrainian Anti-Corruption organization), Stefanishyna earned the equivalent of $ 89,000 between 2024 and 2025, so clearly something does not add up. She also failed to declare the use of a Mercedes SUV that reportedly belonged to one of her aides. It is unclear what will happen next, but clearly Stefanishyna won’t be continuing her diplomatic career anytime soon.
Tensions between Mexico and the U.S rise due to Moya’s indictment.
Last Wednesday, the Department of Justice Charged Ruben Rocha Moya, the governor of Sinaloa in Mexico, with conspiracy with the Sinaloa drug cartel. According to a report in the Washington Post, Moya allegedly helped transport drugs such as fentanyl in the U.S in return for political favors involving the Sinaloa cartel. This further complicates an already fraught relationship between the Trump administration and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Last Saturday, Moya resigned, according to a report in Al Jazeera that also states that in the 2021 Mexican election, Moya supported members of the cartel who threatened Moya’s political opponents with kidnapping as well as stuffing ballot boxes on election day. It is unclear what will happen next to Moya, but I have a feeling he will be extradited to the U.S.
Former Bulgarian President Radev reclaims Power.
This morning, the former president of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, was sworn in as Prime Minister with a resounding majority. He had been the president of Bulgaria (a largely ceremonial role). According to a report in the Washington Post, Radev was the leader of the anti-corruption protests that toppled the previous government of Boyko Borisov. While taking a strong anti-corruption stance is admirable, Radev also appears to have some pro-Russian sentiments in openly criticizing the previous government’s warm relations with Ukraine. According to a report in Al-Jazeera Bulgarian police have seized $1.1 million that was allegedly used in buying votes and subsequently many political figures including local councilors and mayors have been arrested. I applaud Radev for taking a strong anti-corruption stance, but I fear that could be undermined if he forges close links to Putin and Russia.
Orban’s defeat continues to Cause Political Ripples Both Domestically and internationally.
On Sunday, Viktor Orban, who had been Prime Minister of Hungary for 16 years, was heavily defeated by the upstart candidate Peter Magyar. Orban’s Fidesz party was reduced to only 55 seats in the 199-seat Parliament, allowing Magyar’s Tisza to have a supermajority to hopefully undo the most extreme excesses of the Orban era. According to a report in the Guardian, Hungarians were fed up with the stagnant economy and woeful healthcare and education systems that have been neglected for far too long. As for Peter Magyar, he is an interesting figure in Hungarian politics. He was an Orbán loyalist for many years, but he broke with the government over a scandal relating to the pardoning of a government official who covered up years of abuse at a state-run children’s home. According to a report by PBS, Magyar wants parliament to transfer power on May 5th; whether that happens is up for debate.
Stakes in the Hungarian Election Are Ramping Up
On April 12, Hungary is facing one of the most consequential elections in its history. The two main contenders are Viktor Orbán, the autocratic leader of the Fidesz Party (which, in English, roughly translates to Hungarian Civic Alliance). His main opponent is Peter Magyar, the head of the Tisza Party (roughly translated as the Respect and Freedom Party. Magyar is a former Orbán loyalist who turned against his boss due to the rampant corruption in Orbán’s government. Even though the election is still weeks away, there have been troubling allegations made about Orban’s campaign. Firstly, according to a report in the BBC, voter intimidation has been widely reported, with political operatives attached to Fidesz offering money and, in some cases, illegal drugs to voters to induce them. On top of that, there was a report last Saturday in the Washington Post about a plan by Russian Intelligence to shore up support for Orban by staging a fake assassination attempt against him. As the election date nears, I am sure we will hear of more tactics to sway the election in Orban’s favor.
Former Ghana Finance Minister Bids for Permanent Residence in the U.S.
The former Ghanaian finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, who is facing corruption charges back in Ghana, is attempting to gain permanent residency in the United States. According to a report by the website Semafor, Ofori-Atta was detained by ICE agents in January for overstaying his visa. During Ofori-Atta’s tenure, he was accused of awarding public contracts to Databank, a company he co-founded, and of allegedly misusing state funds. As of right now, the Ghanaian government is pursuing extradition proceedings against Ofori Atta. Who knows what will happen next, but somehow I wouldn’t be surprised if Ofori-Atta gets his freedom in this country, but at a price.
Tensions Grow Between Ukraine and Hungary.
Tensions between Hungary and Ukraine have increased today. This is due to Hungarian authorities seizing $90 million in funds from Ukraine’s state savings bank Oschadbank, as well as 9 KGs of gold. According to a report in the BBC, the money and gold were destined for Austria, which has been a regular occurrence since the start of the war. However, the Hungarian authorities stated that this shipment was seized due to money-laundering concerns. The six Ukrainian bank workers who were accompanying the shipment were released today after successful diplomatic negotiations between the two countries. It seems rich from Hungary to claim that this shipment of money could have been involved in money laundering; Hungary isn’t exactly known as a paragon for anti-corruption. It seems much more likely that Orban, who is facing a tricky election next month, is trying to whip up anti-Ukrainian sentiment for his own political gains.
Anti-Corruption Protests Erupt in Albania.
Last weekend, a series of Anti-Corruption protests erupted in Albania’s capital, Tirana. Albania has been trying to innovate in its fight against endemic corruption. According to a report in Al-Jazeera, police used water cannons and tear gas against the protestors, while in return the protesters lobbed Molotov Cocktails at the police. The protestors aim to force Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign. According to a report by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the Albanian Anti-Corruption organization known as SPAK opened criminal proceedings against Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku. She was allegedly interfering in public procurement processes for the construction of the Llogara Tunnel in Southern Albania to favor certain companies. It is unclear whether or not the prime minister or the deputy prime minister will ever face justice.
Former Ukrainian Minister Arrested at Border.
Earlier this week, the former Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Haluschenko was arrested at the Ukrainian border attempting to flee the country. Haluschenko is deeply involved in the growing Ukrainian energy scandal, which has also implicated several of President Zelensky’s closest advisors. According to a report in the Washington Post, Haluschenko was arrested on a train at the Ukrainian-Polish border and charged with money laundering and participation in a criminal organization. This case is particularly relevant because Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been severely impacted by relentless Russian bombing. This story is far from being done. I have a feeling that many more high-profile names will be implicated.
Crispin Corruption Report 