Bribe, Swindle or Steal

Latest Episodes:

Using Universities to Launder Reputations Jun 16, 2021

Show notes

John Heathershaw of the University of Exeter discusses the working paper he co-authored for the National Endowment for Democracy: "Paying for a World Class Affiliation: Reputation Laundering in the University Sector of Open Societies." He shows how vulnerable universities are to abuse by kleptocrats seeking to shape the conversation, often quite subtly, about their governments and their legacies.

Episode resources:

Paying for a World Class Affiliation: Reputation Laundering in the University Sector of Open Societies, a working paper by Alexander Cooley, Tena Prelec, John Heathershaw and Tom Mayne for the National Endowment for Democracy's International Forum for Democratic Studies, 25 May 2021
For related work, visit the Global Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence project.

Profiting From Human Rights Atrocities in Syrian Prisons Jun 09, 2021

Show notes

Omar Alshogre, refugee, political activist with the Syrian Emergency Task Force, and first year Georgetown University student, shares the wrenching story of his three years as a political prisoner in the worst of Syria's prisons. He discusses the role that extortion plays there, simultaneously delegitimizing the regime further and propping it up financially.

Episode resources:

Mentioned at (00:33): The Syrian Emergency Task Force
Mentioned at (00:45): Omar's testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 11 March 2020

Treasury's Role in Confronting Kleptocracy Jun 02, 2021

Show notes

Josh Rudolph at the Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund discusses how we should approach corruption and kleptocracy from a policy perspective and why Treasury needs to 'get with the program.'

Episode resources:

Mentioned at (00:41): The Fight Against Corruption Needs Economists, by Josh Rudolph, Foreign Affairs, 17 May 2021
Mentioned at (03:06): Investment Funds: Massive Transparency Loopholes with Josh Kirschenbaum, senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund's Alliance for Securing Democracy, Bribe, Swindle or Steal, 21 April 2021
Mentioned at (04:46): Treasury's War on Corruption : A U.S. Treasury Department Strategy to Fight Kleptocracy and Root Dirty Money Out of the U.S. Financial System, by Josh Rudolph, Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, 22 December 2020
Mentioned at (10:37): Letter from Sen. Whitehouse and Rep. Malinowski to Secretary Janet Yellen, 3 May 2021
Josh's latest report: Coordinating the War on Corruption: An Administrative Plan for the White House to Combat Corruption and Kleptocracy, by Josh Rudolph, Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, 17 May 2021

Fraudulent Vaccination Cards May 26, 2021

Show notes

Hayley Smith with the Los Angeles Times, discusses the story she broke about the sale of phony COVID-19 vaccination cards out of the Old Corner Saloon in California.

Cannabis and Compliance May 19, 2021

Show notes

Amy McDougal of CLEAResources discusses the rapidly shifting cannabis landscape and how to prepare for the many employment and compliance issues it raises.

Ransomware May 12, 2021

Show notes

Renee Dudley of ProPublica discusses her fascinating research into the unsettling world of ransomware: how it works, the role that "recovery services" play and where the ransom money ends up.

Madoff and Belfort May 05, 2021

Show notes

Ike Sorkin, lawyer to both Madoff and Belfort, talks us through their criminal financial schemes and how regulatory safeguards failed.

Moneyland, Kleptopia and On Corruption in America Apr 28, 2021

Show notes

Oliver Bullough, Tom Burgis and Sarah Chayes, authors of three of the best books on global corruption, gather for a panel at the Annapolis Book Festival for a fascinating discussion about how the corrupt operate, often with impunity, and what can be done to slow the pace of looting.

Investment Funds: Massive Transparency Loopholes Apr 21, 2021

Show notes

Josh Kirschenbaum is a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund's Alliance for Securing Democracy and formerly served as acting director of the Office of Special Measures at Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). He joins the podcast to discuss investment funds and the gaping loophole they create through which vast sums of money can move with no accountability.

Bernie Madoff: "The Wizard of Lies" Apr 14, 2021

Show notes

Diana Henriques drew on her years of financial journalism and extraordinary access to the title character to write the definitive book about Bernie Madoff. It was turned into an HBO movie in early 2017 starring Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer and Diana, playing herself.

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