TheRepublic.com - Political corruption News

Georgian ex-PM detained on abuse of office charge

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:32:17 -0400

TBILISI, Georgia - Allies of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili - a former prime minister and a provincial governor - were charged on Tuesday with embezzlement and abuse of office in another sign of an ongoing power struggle between the country's top two officials.

Ark. GOP House leader calls for Shoffner's removal

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:08:32 -0400

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas - The top Republican in the Arkansas House called on the governor Tuesday to move quickly to remove state Treasurer Martha Shoffner from office over federal charges alleging that she steered business to an investment broker in exchange for cash bribes.

Mo. life sentence for juveniles still in flux

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:51:03 -0400

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri - Prison sentences for Missouri juveniles convicted of first-degree murder remain uncertain because lawmakers did not pass a new sentencing scheme before adjourning.

SC Gov Haley: Finish work on ethics bill this year

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:37:13 -0400

COLUMBIA, South Carolina - Gov. Nikki Haley is calling on legislators to get a bill strengthening the state's weak ethics laws to her desk.

Ark. treasurer accused of taking cash from broker

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:53:43 -0400

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas - Arkansas' state treasurer was accused Monday of taking at least $36,000 in cash - sometimes stashed in a pie box - from a broker who later came to manage a large share of the state's $3.3 billion investment portfolio.

Penn urges US to pressure Bolivia to free US man

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:41:21 -0400

WASHINGTON - Actor Sean Penn on Monday urged the U.S. government to pressure Bolivia to free an American businessman detained without charge since 2011 in a case that has drawn accusations he was the victim of corrupt local prosecutors.

Gov't presses ahead on another leak case

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:01:02 -0400

WASHINGTON - In another case of the Obama administration investigating classified information improperly disclosed to reporters, the government is prosecuting a State Department expert on North Korea in a probe that appears to step into uncharted territory - by declaring that a journalist is committing a crime in disclosing leaked information.

Carney: Senior White House staff knew of IRS probe

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:53:07 -0400

WASHINGTON - The White House says White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler was first informed about an audit of the IRS' inappropriate targeting of conservative groups on April 24 and that she notified senior staff, including Denis McDonough, the chief of staff to President Barack Obama. White House press secretary Jay Carney says Ruemmler "appropriately" decided not to tell Obama at the time because the audit was ongoing.

Rights group criticizes Sri Lanka's rights record

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:01:07 -0400

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - An international human rights group said Monday that respect for basic rights and liberties has declined in Sri Lanka in the four years since the government defeated separatist Tamil rebels to end a civil war.

GOP ponders how to capitalize on Obama's woes

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:31:28 -0400

WASHINGTON - The scandals dogging President Barack Obama are a political gift to Republicans, who could use some good luck after recent election losses. It's not clear, however, how Republicans can best capitalize on Democrats' woes, legislatively or politically.

Mass. lawmaker: Recoup benefits from terrorists

Sat, 18 May 2013 12:13:04 -0400

BOSTON - A Republican lawmaker is pushing for a law allowing Massachusetts to recoup public benefits given to anyone later convicted of using of a weapon of mass destruction.

IRS probe ignored most influential groups

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:44:42 -0400

WASHINGTON - There's an irony in the Internal Revenue Service's crackdown on conservative groups.

Politics, bribery charges swirl around Ugandan oil

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:37:27 -0400

KAMPALA, Uganda - Even before the first drops flow, Uganda's oil sector is beset by bribery allegations against officials, tax-related cases abroad that cost the government millions in legal fees, and the alleged interference of a president whose firm control of the sector worries transparency campaigners.

SPIN METER: GOP raps Dems for IRS union cash

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:52:14 -0400

WASHINGTON - Seeking maximum political gain from the string of controversies swirling around the White House, Republicans are on the attack against Democratic lawmakers who accepted donations from the union that represents Internal Revenue Service employees.

Ga. Rep. Brooks of Atlanta indicted for wire fraud

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:56:33 -0400

ATLANTA - Georgia state Rep. Tyrone Brooks has been charged in a 30-count federal grand jury indictment with mail fraud, wire fraud and filing false tax returns, U.S. District Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said Thursday.

Colombia court convicts ex-lawmaker in massacre

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:43:05 -0400

BOGOTA, Colombia - Colombia's Supreme Court has convicted a former longtime congressman of being the mastermind behind the massacre of 43 people by right-wing paramilitary fighters in the north of the country more than two decades ago. It has sentenced him to 30 years in prison.

Utah Speaker: Only informal AG impeachment talks

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:06:01 -0400

SALT LAKE CITY - Legislators have had informal discussions about the procedures of a possible impeachment of Utah's embattled Attorney General John Swallow, but no formal discussions were held as lawmakers met at the Capitol this week, House Speaker Becky Lockhart said.

Ex-death row inmates: Veto Timely Justice Act

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:16:27 -0400

MIAMI - Two former death row inmates who have since been exonerated urged Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday to veto legislation that would expedite the state's capital punishment process, worrying it will condemn some innocent men to death.

Mo. ethics panel fines ex-Sen. Wright-Jones $270K

Wed, 15 May 2013 14:59:39 -0400

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri - Former state Sen. Robin Wright-Jones has been fined more than $270,000 by the Missouri Ethics Commission for violating numerous campaign finance laws, including using campaign money for personal expenses such as food and clothing.

Swiss to crack down on business, sports bribery

Wed, 15 May 2013 07:14:03 -0400

GENEVA - The Swiss government wants to broaden its anti-corruption laws to make bribery a criminal offense in almost all cases.

Trio of troubles threatening Obama's second term

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:04:45 -0400

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama seemed to lose control of his second-term agenda even before he was sworn in, when a school massacre led him to lift gun control to the fore. Now, as he tries to pivot from a stinging defeat on that issue and push forward on others, the president finds himself rocked by multiple controversies that are demoralizing his allies, emboldening his political foes and posing huge distractions for all.

Va. judge sets new dates in ex-mansion chef's case

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:07:36 -0400

RICHMOND, Virginia - A judge on Tuesday set new hearing and trial dates and agreed to modify a gag order in the politically charged embezzlement case against a former chef at Virginia's governor's mansion.

Correction: Former Senator indicted story

Tue, 14 May 2013 16:01:37 -0400

MONTGOMERY, Alabama - In a story May 13 about criminal charges against former state Sen. Lowell Barron, The Associated Press reported erroneously, based on an earlier version of a story on al.com, that defense attorneys asked a judge to seal court filings in the case. Attorneys filed a motion that would require prosecutors to file any documents pertaining to allegations or evidence against Barron under seal. The attorneys did not request that all filings be sealed.

Utah lawmakers at Capitol to prep for next year

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:44:20 -0400

SALT LAKE CITY - Utah lawmakers are expected to discuss the possible impeachment of embattled Utah Attorney General John Swallow during interim meetings this week.

UK: Another editor at The Sun charged over bribery

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:43:29 -0400

LONDON - Britain's prosecutors say that a politics and government editor with The Sun tabloid has been charged over a conspiracy to pay thousands of pounds (dollars) worth of bribes to a press officer working in the British government's tax department.