SFO Intends To Charge Individuals In Glencore Bribery Case

[Gunnar Larson]

SFO Intends To Charge Individuals In Glencore Bribery Case


By Ronan Barnard

The Serious Fraud Office is seeking permission to charge individuals in its
bribery probe into international commodities trader and miner Glencore, the
crime-fighting agency confirmed at a London court on Monday.

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Right Wing

[Gunnar Larson]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1z306mNBCw/?igsh=MXI5eHExcHl3OGEyMA==

BREAKING: NJ Powerbroker, Law Firm CEO Brother Accused Of Racketeering

[Gunnar Larson]

BREAKING: NJ Powerbroker, Law Firm CEO Brother Accused Of Racketeering


By George Woolston

Powerful New Jersey businessman George E. Norcross III and his brother, who
is the chief executive officer of law firm Parker McCay, have been
criminally charged alongside others in a scheme to acquire waterfront
property in the distressed town of Camden using threats of economic and
reputational harm.

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492 Highlights to UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA CASE NO. 22-CV-14102-MIDDLEBROOKS DONALD J. TRUMP, Plaintiff, v. HILLARY R. CLINTON, et al., Defendants. ___________________

[Gunnar Larson]

INTRODUCTION

March 24, 2022

158 Highlights:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zggK7lgptlZ6Qn11EndzbDloqqVxRifv/view?usp=drivesdk

1. In the run-up to the 2016 Presidential Election, Hillary Clinton and her
cohorts
orchestrated an unthinkable plot – one that shocks the conscience and is an
affront to this nation’s democracy. Acting in concert, the Defendants
maliciously conspired to weave a false narrative that their Republican
opponent, Donald J. Trump, was colluding with a hostile foreign
sovereignty.
The actions taken in furtherance of their scheme—falsifying evidence,
deceiving law enforcement, and exploiting access to highly-sensitive data
sources - are so outrageous, subversive and incendiary that even the events
of Watergate pale in comparison.

2. Under the guise of ‘opposition research,’ ‘data analytics,’ and other
political
stratagems, the Defendants nefariously sought to sway the public’s trust.
They worked together with a single, self-serving purpose: to vilify Donald
J. Trump. Indeed, their far-reaching conspiracy was designed to cripple
Trump’s bid for presidency by fabricating a scandal that would
be used to trigger an unfounded federal investigation and ignite a media
frenzy.

3. The scheme was conceived, coordinated and carried out by top-level
officials at the
Clinton Campaign and the DNC—including ‘the candidate’ herself—who
attempted to shield her involvement behind a wall of third parties.1 To
start, the Clinton Campaign and the DNC enlisted the assistance of their
shared counsel, Perkins Coie, a law firm with deep Democrat ties, in the
hopes of obscuring their actions under the veil of attorney-client
privilege. Perkins Coie was tasked with spearheading the scheme to find—or
fabricate—proof of a sinister link between Donald J. Trump and Russia.

To do so, Perkins Coie launched parallel operations: on one front, Perkins
Coie partner Marc Elias led an effort to produce spurious ‘opposition
research’ claiming
to reveal illicit ties between the Trump Campaign and Russian operatives;
on a separate front, Perkins Coie partner Michael Sussmann headed a
campaign to develop misleading evidence of a bogus ‘back channel’
connection between e-mail servers at Trump Tower and a Russian-owned
bank.

4. Marc Elias, in his mission to obtain derogatory anti-Trump ‘opposition
research,’ commissioned Fusion GPS, an investigative firm, and its
co-founders, Peter Fritsch and Glenn Simpson, and directed them to dredge
up evidence—actual or otherwise—of collusion between Trump and Russia.
Fritsch and Simpson, in turn, enlisted the assistance of Orbis Ltd. and its
owner, Christopher Steele, to produce a series of reports purporting to
contain proof of the
supposed collusion. Of course, the now fully debunked collection of
reports, known as the “Steele Dossier,” was riddled with misstatements,
misrepresentations and, most of all, flat out lies. In truth, the Steele
Dossier was largely based upon information provided to Steele by his
primary
sub-source, Igor Danchenko, who was subsequently indicted for falsifying
his claims. Even more damning, Danchenko had close ties to senior Clinton
Campaign official, Charles Halliday Dolan, Jr., who knowingly provided
false information to Danchenko, who relayed it to Steele, who
reported it in the Steele Dossier and eagerly fed the deceptions to both
the media and the FBI. This duplicitous arrangement existed for a singular
self-serving purpose – to discredit Donald J. Trump
and his campaign.

5. At the same time, Michael Sussmann, in his hunt for damaging intel
against the
Trump Campaign, turned to Neustar, Inc., an information technology company,
and one of its top executives, Rodney Joffe, a fervent anti-Trumper who had
recently been promised a high-ranking position with the Clinton
Administration, to exploit their access to non-public data in search of a
secret “back channel” connection between Trump Tower and Alfa Bank. When it
was discovered that no such channel existed, the Defendants resorted to
truly subversive measures – hacking servers at Trump Tower, Trump’s private
apartment, and, most alarmingly, the White House. This
ill-gotten data was then manipulated to create a misleading “inference” and
submitted to law enforcement in an effort to falsely implicate Donald J.
Trump and his campaign.2 All of these acts
were carried out in coordination with the Clinton Campaign and the DNC, at
the behest of certain Democratic “VIPs.”3

6. While their multi-pronged attack was underway, the Defendants seized on
the
opportunity to publicly malign Donald J. Trump by instigating a full-blown
media frenzy. Indeed, the Clinton Campaign and DNC—admittedly on a
“mission” to “raise the alarm” about their contrived Trump-Russia
link4—repeatedly fed disinformation to the media and shamelessly
promoted their false narratives. All the while, Hillary Clinton, Jake
Sullivan, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and others did their best to
proliferate the spread of those dubious and false claims thro

BREAKING: Justices Will Hear Philly Bridge Project Fraud

[Gunnar Larson]

BREAKING: Justices Will Hear Philly Bridge Project Fraud Case


By Matthew Santoni

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether a Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation contractor's false promise to give a certain share of its
business to minority-owned subcontractors rises to the level of depriving
the state agency of property, the court announced Monday.

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BREAKING: Justices To Decide If False Claims Act Applies To E-Rate

[Gunnar Larson]

BREAKING: Justices To Decide If False Claims Act Applies To E-Rate


By Ali Sullivan

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to review whether reimbursement
requests made to the Federal Communications Commission's E-rate program for
schools and libraries are "claims" under the False Claims Act.

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Sullivan & Cromwell’s Legal Work for Sam Bankman-Fried’s Crypto House of Fraud Is Getting a Closer Look in Two Federal Court Cases

[Gunnar Larson]

https://wallstreetonparade.com/2024/06/sullivan-cromwells-legal-work-for-sam-bankman-frieds-crypto-house-of-fraud-is-getting-a-closer-look-in-two-federal-court-cases/


By Pam Martens and Russ Martens: June 17, 2024 ~

Ryne Miller, Former Sullivan & Cromwell Partner; Now General Counsel of
FTX.US
Ryne Miller, Former Sullivan & Cromwell Partner Who Became General Counsel
of FTX.US

Last Monday, Robert J. Cleary of law firm Patterson Belknap filed a motion
in the bankruptcy proceeding of Sam Bankman-Fried’s collapsed fraud, the
FTX crypto exchange, seeking to launch three new investigations into legal
work done by Sullivan & Cromwell for Bankman-Fried and FTX prior to the
collapse of the fraud.

Cleary is the independent examiner appointed by the U.S. Department of
Justice’s U.S. Trustee, which acts as a watchdog in federal bankruptcy
cases. Adding to the embarrassment for Sullivan & Cromwell with the
announcement of the new investigations is the fact that Sullivan & Cromwell
fought against allowing the U.S. Trustee to appoint an independent examiner
after it had maneuvered itself into the position of lead counsel to the FTX
bankruptcy proceeding, despite its multitude of conflicts with FTX. The
presiding judge in the bankruptcy case, John Dorsey, had sided with
Sullivan & Cromwell in the matter.

The U.S. Trustee was forced to take the issue to the Third Circuit Court of
Appeals. On January 19, a sharp rebuke to Sullivan & Cromwell and the judge
was handed down. The court wrote in its decision:

“Under the Bankruptcy Court’s interpretation, the appointment of an
examiner under either subsection of Section 1104(c) would be subject to a
court’s discretion and a judge would have the final say as to whether an
investigation was warranted. But this interpretation runs counter to the
statute’s plain language and established canons of construction.”

The court added this:

“First, an examiner must be ‘disinterested’… This requirement of
disinterest is particularly salient here, where issues of potential
conflicts of interest arising from debtor’s counsel serving as pre-petition
advisors to FTX have been raised repeatedly….”

The independent examiner’s June 10 motion explains the three new areas it
wants to investigate as follows:

“The first recommendation concerns S&C’s representation of Sam
Bankman-Fried… in connection with his purchase of the Robinhood Shares…This
inquiry would focus on (1) the scope and contours of that representation,
and (2) based on that representation, what, if anything, S&C knew or should
have known about the FTX Group’s misconduct and/or fraud…

“The second recommendation concerns potential claims against the former
shareholders of Ledger Holdings, Inc [parent of LedgerX]…that sold their
interests prepetition to West Realm Shires Inc. [a/k/a FTX.US]…This inquiry
would (1) seek to determine whether an avoidance action(s) is warranted
with respect to unreleased shareholders, and (2) enable the Examiner to
report on the underlying details of the prepetition sale of LHI to WRS,
which report and findings would be in the public interest…

“The third recommendation concerns the ‘holes’ or balance sheet shortfalls
at FTX.US…This inquiry would center on (1) the existence of and the reasons
these holes arose at FTX.US, (2) whether the balance sheet holes were the
result of commingling of customer or corporate assets, (3) the frequency
and magnitude of the holes, and (4) how they were resolved and by whom….”

The independent examiner is asking for 10 weeks and $3 million to conduct
the three new investigations. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for
today in the federal bankruptcy court in Delaware before Judge John Dorsey.

The independent examiner had released a preliminary report on May 23, which
found no wrongdoing on the part of Sullivan & Cromwell. That report,
however, indicated that further investigations would be requested by the
independent examiner.

Adding pressure on the independent examiner is the fact that powerful
sleuthing into Sullivan & Cromwell’s work on behalf of FTX is being done by
law firms representing plaintiffs who are suing Sullivan & Cromwell (S&C)
in federal district court in Florida. The plaintiffs write in their
complaint:

“For its part, S&C facilitated the scheme to defraud and RICO enterprise by
agreeing to provide and providing legal services to FTX US and FTX Trading
Ltd…S&C did so knowingly, recklessly, or with willful blindness to the
nature of the RICO enterprise but within the scope of the S&C’s employment
and in furtherance of the firm’s business. In fact, in exchange for S&C’s
counsel in these matters, FTX paid S&C significant fees.”

There is no question that Sullivan & Cromwell’s ties to FTX were
significant. One of Sullivan & Cromwell’s law partners, Ryne Miller, moved
to FTX.US and became its General Counsel. Another former Sullivan &
Cromwell lawyer, Tim Wilson, became General Counsel for FTX Ventures, the
venture capital arm of FTX. Sullivan & Crom

Fwd: NY-DFS Proposed Guidance on Character and Fitness (Extension Appeal)

[Gunnar Larson]

-- Forwarded message -
From: Gunnar Larson 
Date: Wed, Jun 5, 2024, 5:31 AM
Subject: Fwd: NY-DFS Proposed Guidance on Character and Fitness (Extension
Appeal)
To: 
Cc: , Harris, Adrienne A (DFS) <
adrienne.har...@dfs.ny.gov>


They said if I go to Chuch today, I would be shot.

-- Forwarded message -
From: Gunnar Larson 
Date: Mon, May 27, 2024, 2:20 AM
Subject: NY-DFS Proposed Guidance on Character and Fitness (Extension
Appeal)
To: 



-- Forwarded message -
From: Gunnar Larson 
Date: Wed, Jun 28, 2023, 2:14 AM
Subject: Re: NY-DFS Proposed Guidance on Character and Fitness (Extension
Appeal)
To: 
Cc: , 


Ms. Scott:

Additionally, xNY.io - Bank.org respectfully submits Coinbase's Brian
Armstrong on Bloomberg.com:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2023-01-12/the-david-rubenstein-show-coinbase-s-brian-armstrong
as
a matter for public  comment for NY-DFS' "Proposed Guidance on Character
and Fitness."

The Bloomberg interview with Coinbase showed top journalistic integrity,
yet, Coinbase failed to mention any NY-DFS investigation or pending action.
The interview aired last December, before the 100M Coinbase settlement was
announced by NY-DFS concerning Coinbase's BitLicense compliance.

NY-DFS' approach to Coinbase and Goldman Sachs (who took Coinbase public)
share independent insider trading scenarios that could disrespect the
United States Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section and
Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section compliance programs.

We have collated 34 highlights that describe a corporate opportunity policy
framework to gauge character and fitness of the "first Bitcoin loan" backed
by a New York banking institution here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Yx88RMoeLyyfbNK0RtPl4r-m8N21_1Sp/view?usp=drivesdk
.

Per point one of NY-DFS' "Suggested Questions to Facilitate Initial and
Ongoing Assessment of Designated Persons’ Character and Fitness," can you
kindly acknowledge that you have reviewed and understand our appeal seeking
extension for public comment to August 5, 2023?

We feel extra time for public comment is warranted to ensure that xNY.io -
Bank.org did not play a significant role or otherwise contribute in a
meaningful way to the conduct that led to regulatory action or proceeding
without ample notice.

Thank you,

Gunnar

On Wed, Jun 28, 2023, 12:04 AM Gunnar Larson  wrote:

> Ms. Scott:
>
> NY-DFS recently asked for public comment concerning "Proposed Guidance on
> Assessment of the Character and Fitness of Directors, Senior Officers, and
> Managers" mentioned here:
> https://www.dfs.ny.gov/industry_guidance/industry_letters/il20230509_guidance_assessment_fitness
> .
>
> xNY.io - Bank.org asks if the NY-DFS will extend deadline for public
> comment to August 5, 2023 from June 30, 2023.
>
> As requested by NY-DFS, today we provide (in a separate attachment)
> evidence of any documented exceptions to compliance with the "Suggested
> Questions to Facilitate Initial and Ongoing Assessment of Designated
> Persons’ Character and Fitness."
>
> We have collated 19 references comprising 205 highlights that touch on the
> five key areas below:
> https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FTRRFFhQHDxf-oR9WOZz0a2gRtC9ZWVO.
>
> -Harassment and Discrimination Policies
>
> -Conflict of Interest Policy
>
> -Insider Trading Policy
>
> -Records Management Policy
>
> -Corporate Opportunity Policy
>
> xNY.io - Bank.org is seeking NY-DFS' extension for public comment to
> August 5, 2023 so that the New York Banking community has time to complete
> Q2-23 earnings call disclosures.
>
> As documented in the above 19 references, we feel extra time for public
> comment is warranted to ensure that xNY.io - Bank.org did not play a
> significant role or otherwise contribute in a meaningful way to the conduct
> that led to regulatory action or proceeding without ample notice.
>
> Per point one of NY-DFS' "Suggested Questions to Facilitate Initial and
> Ongoing Assessment of Designated Persons’ Character and Fitness," can you
> kindly acknowledge that you have reviewed and understand our appeal seeking
> extension for public comment to August 5, 2023?
>
> We hope to hear from you before June 30, 2023 given obvious factors.
>
> Sending you the very best regards.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Gunnar
>
> --
> Gunnar Larson
> xNY.io | Bank.org
> MSc - Digital Currency
> MBA - Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ip)
>
> g...@xny.io
> +1-917-580-8053
> New York, New York 10001
>
>

BREAKING: Justices To Hear Nvidia Case On Securities Pleading Standard

[Gunnar Larson]

BREAKING: Justices To Hear Nvidia Case On Securities Pleading Standard


By Jessica Corso

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear an appeal of a Ninth
Circuit ruling that revived investor's claims over chipmaker Nvidia's
crypto mining sales, giving the high court a chance to weigh in on the
pleading requirements needed to sustain a shareholder class action lawsuit.

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Fla. Court Says Navy Vet Can Sue CNN For Punitive Damages

[Gunnar Larson]

Fla. Court Says Navy Vet Can Sue CNN For Punitive Damages


By David Minsky

A Florida state appellate court has ruled that a Navy veteran turned
private contractor can include punitive damages in his defamation lawsuit
against CNN, saying he made a "sufficient preliminary evidentiary showing"
of malice over the network's reporting on evacuating citizens of
Afghanistan in 2021.

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Elon Musk's Court Cases Remain A Live Issue In Delaware

[Gunnar Larson]

Elon Musk's Court Cases Remain A Live Issue In Delaware


By Jeff Montgomery

Delaware's courts will continue to assert control over a
multibillion-dollar Tesla Inc. legal fee dispute despite the company's
rushed effort to reincorporate in Texas and potentially put CEO Elon Musk's
massive, multiyear compensation plan beyond the state's reach, those
familiar with the case said Friday.

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9th Circ. Balks At Gas Buyers' Price-Fix Fight Over Trump Pact

[Gunnar Larson]

9th Circ. Balks At Gas Buyers' Price-Fix Fight Over Trump Pact


By Dorothy Atkins

A Ninth Circuit panel appeared skeptical Friday of efforts to revive a
proposed antitrust class action alleging that Chevron, Exxon Mobil and
others fixed gasoline prices following the Trump administration's 2020 oil
production deal with Russia and Saudi Arabia, with each judge doubting that
federal courts have jurisdiction over the dispute.

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3 Ways To Fight Alice Rejections Of Blockchain Patents

[Gunnar Larson]

3 Ways To Fight Alice Rejections Of Blockchain Patents


With blockchain-related patent application filings on the rise, Thomas
Isaacson at Polsinelli offers strategies for responding to U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office determinations that the blockchain network is just a
generic computer and patent-ineligible under the U.S. Supreme Court's 2014
Alice v. CLS Bank decision.

Guo's Crypto Venture Raised 'Red Flags,' Investigator Says

[Gunnar Larson]

Guo's Crypto Venture Raised 'Red Flags,' Investigator Says


By Rachel Scharf

A compliance investigator at cryptocurrency wallet provider BitGo testified
in Manhattan federal court Friday that he identified multiple "financial
crime red flags" in the digital asset exchange promoted by Chinese
dissident Miles Guo.

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Judge Declines To Decide Whether Gemini Misled CFTC

[Gunnar Larson]

Judge Declines To Decide Whether Gemini Misled CFTC


By Aislinn Keely

A Manhattan federal judge declined to decide whether crypto exchange Gemini
is responsible for alleged misstatements made to the U.S. Commodity Futures
Trading Commission through the listing exchange of a proposed bitcoin
futures contract.

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Ripple Cites Terraform Fine In Call To Limit SEC Penalty

[Gunnar Larson]

Ripple Cites Terraform Fine In Call To Limit SEC Penalty


By Jessica Corso

Ripple Labs Inc. says the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent
settlement with fellow crypto firm Terraform Labs, with the company
agreeing to pay a $420 million civil penalty, is further proof of the
"unreasonableness" of the agency's request that it be made to pay a much
larger fine for activities that did not amount to fraud.

 Letter attached | Read full article »

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Gemini, NYAG Settle Crypto Lending Fraud Case

[Gunnar Larson]

Gemini, NYAG Settle Crypto Lending Fraud Case


By Aislinn Keely

The Winklevoss-led crypto exchange Gemini on Friday resolved the New York
attorney general's claims it had a hand in defrauding users of its lending
program with a settlement that the attorney general's office said would
recover $50 million for the platform's users and require the firm's
cooperation as it takes on the remaining defendants.

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Fla. Bar, State High Court Beat Atty's Racketeering Suit

[Gunnar Larson]

Fla. Bar, State High Court Beat Atty's Racketeering Suit


By Ryan Boysen

A Florida attorney who faces disbarment for "brandishing a dangerous
weapon" was not wrongfully prevented from changing his status to "permanent
retirement" instead, a federal judge has ruled, dismissing the disgruntled
attorney's lengthy racketeering lawsuit against the Supreme Court of
Florida and the Florida Bar.

 Opinion attached | Read full article »

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Ozy Trial Gets Heated, Exec Tells Of Lies, Google CEO Pops In

[Gunnar Larson]

Ozy Trial Gets Heated, Exec Tells Of Lies, Google CEO Pops In


By Stewart Bishop

Courtroom tempers flared, Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai dropped by
and a former Ozy Media executive on Friday told the jury weighing fraud
charges against the startup's charismatic founder Carlos Watson of how they
nearly conned Buzzfeed into buying the company by faking its financials.

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