At this point, I think we're probably still a long way from identifying the full web of influence, corruption, and misappropriation of resources behind Governor Ron DeSantis' concentration camp in the Florida Everglades, the obnoxiously named "Alligator Alcatraz." As such I'm going to keep this post pretty brief; more or less to keep the issue on our radar as more information emerges.

With that caveat noted however, this Talking Points Memo article talks about the outlet's extremely nascent investigation into how DeSantis built the concentration camp, who paid for it, and who profits from it. Would it surprise you to learn that Florida's fascist governor is using a fake "emergency" to make this monstrous bullshit happen, the money trail is a hot mess, and Florida taxpayers are going to be the folks footing the bill for Ron's nazi apology to Downmarket Mussolini? Yeah, it didn't surprise me either.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/contracts-desantis-alligator-alcatraz

Contracts Show Millions of Dollars and Diverted Disaster Resources Were Used to Build DeSantis’ ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

"TPM has obtained and analyzed over a dozen contracts and invoices related to the construction and operation of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” migrant detention camp in the Everglades. The documents identify eight previously undisclosed companies — including two firms with a Fortune 500 pedigree — involved with the controversial facility. They also show that, in at least one instance, resources allocated for the state’s “disaster preparedness” apparatus were diverted to the site as DeSantis’ office used emergency powers to quickly establish the camp, causing a shortfall that needs to be addressed during the ongoing hurricane season."

I must confess that part of me feels like I'm insulting my readers' intelligence when I remind folks, over and over again, that nightmare concentration camps for migrants, many of whom are guilty of nothing more than a civil violation, would be an unacceptable eliminationist outrage even if nobody was profiteering from it and it cost the public coffers zero dollars. In the grand scheme of things the lies, corruption, and misappropriation of public funds are a side story compared to the fact that we've just opened a real as fuck concentration camp in a remote part of Florida and there are already reports of widespread human rights abuses and unsafe conditions emerging mere weeks after "Alligator Alcratraz" opened. With that having been said, informed observers must know by now that the rich nazis running the larger American fascist movement do have designs on profiting from fascist repression, ethnic cleansing, and the migrant carceral complex - and projects like Alligator Alcatraz demonstrate how that odious business functions.

If you want to know the names of the eleven companies already identified as working with the government of Florida to make this eliminationist bullshit possible, who is getting paid for what, and how many of the folks directly profiting from this are DeSantis donors (there are several) I recommend you just read the article. The short version here however is that like Trump, DeSantis has declared "an alarming number of migrants in Florida" to be a state level crisis, he then used emergency powers to divert a bunch of money, including from disaster prevention and relief funding in a state notorious for having a "hurricane season," to build a fucking concentration camp surrounded by alligators as a make up gift for his ally and former GOP nomination opponent, President Trump. Along the way a bunch of very shitty companies are raking in the money for substandard work, and the entire DeSantis administration is working overtime to keep as much of this as possible a complete secret from anyone who might be in a position to conduct any oversight on this genocidal nazi boondoggle. Think "Halliburton in post-Saddam Iraq" but on a smaller scale.

There had been “an unusual concentration of armed robberies of people who were not from #Louisiana,” Van Hook said, noting that 2 other people were also charged in the alleged scheme.

“In fact, the armed robberies never took place,” he said.

Earlier this month, a federal grand jury in Shreveport returned a 62 count #indictment charging the 5 defendants with crimes including #conspiracy to commit #visa #fraud, visa fraud, #bribery, mail fraud & #MoneyLaundering, Van Hook said.

The false #police reports would indicate that the #immigrant was a victim of a #crime that would qualify them to apply for a so-called #Uvisa, US Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook said at a news conference in Lafayette. He said the police officials were paid $5k for each name they provided falsified reports for, & that there were hundreds of names.

@theintercept follow the money! Kickbacks to #trumpcrimefamily
#bribery #corruption

..BAE has faced multiple major #corruption scandals, including a £286 million #UK settlement and a $400 million fine in the US over #bribery in arms deals

University partnerships whitewash BAE’s image, giving it legitimacy and access to students—despite its central role in the global war machine

The Open University’s collaboration with #BAE helps normalise the arms trade, making students complicit unless we speak out.
War is not only deadly..

#press #news #BreakingNews #media #FreePalestine

The prosecution was also unable to prove to the 12-person jury that #SeanCombs had run a #criminal #conspiracy or an #OrganizedCrime syndicate within the #racketeering charge. They had accused Combs of several related crimes within this charge, including forced labor [#slavery], #bribery & #obstruction of justice.

…Senators like #ElizabethWarren of Massachusetts & #BernieSanders of Vermont have warned that any payment by #Paramount to #Trump could be construed as a #bribe, & they said they would consider holding a congressional hearing about it.

The prospect of being accused of #bribery, & perhaps facing legal action because of it, had vexed Paramount’s directors, who had to weigh the corporate benefits of a #settlement against the perception that they were greenlighting a deal to secure a merger.

The size of the settlement, $16 million, is the same sum that #ABC News agreed to pay in December to settle a *defamation* case filed by #Trump against the network & one of its anchors, George Stephanopoulos. #Paramount’s board was concerned that paying a higher amount to settle the case could increase the company’s exposure to potential legal actions from shareholders accusing them of #bribery.