'Putin is corrupt' says US Treasury

[Pakboong]

With the IRS still destroying hard disks against court orders the Treasury Department is claiming who is corrupt? I thought the IRS was part of the Treasury Department. Pot calling the kettle black?

I am pretty sure the IRS is private and not a part of the Treasury Dept but I am just too lazy to look it up. Established in 1913 along with the Federal Reserve Banking system.

[chuckd]

"The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The government agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue."

--------------------------------------------------------------

Formed July 1, 1862; 153 years ago^[1](though the name originates from 1918)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_Revenue_Service

Edited January 27, 2016 by chuckd

[Pakboong]

"The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The government agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue."

--------------------------------------------------------------

Formed July 1, 1862; 153 years ago^[1](though the name originates from 1918)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_Revenue_Service

Thanks, I stand corrected.

[Chicog]

If anyone is interested, Panorama did a programme entitled "Putin's Secret Riches".

I look forward to them doing one on the Rothschilds.

https://eztv.ag/ep/140178/panorama-2016-putins-secret-riches-720p-x265-hdtv/

[GinBoy2]

If anyone is interested, Panorama did a programme entitled "Putin's Secret Riches".

I look forward to them doing one on the Rothschilds.

https://eztv.ag/ep/140178/panorama-2016-putins-secret-riches-720p-x265-hdtv/

I just watched that., which mirrors very much the facts presented in the PBS Frontline program a few months ago.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/putins-way/

The Putinisnista's can love him for his machismo, but ultimately he's as corrupt as they get

[Rancid]

Putin is corrupt. So what, so are all the American polititians. ME ME ME only about me.

Some, for sure. But due to freedom of the press, mandatory financial disclosures, and an independent judiciary, they aren't even in the same league. Nowhere near.

Good use of sarcasm, fully agree, every one of those institutions now completely corrupt and rotten to the core.

Putin is a politician so has no doubt feathered his nest, just like every politician from every country. The US wants Putin gone however not for any sticky fingers he may have, but because he opposes their feudal world order. Either that or this is one huge con job we are all being suckered into.

[TuskegeeBen]

[TuskegeeBen]

With the IRS still destroying hard disks against court orders the Treasury Department is claiming who is corrupt? I thought the IRS was part of the Treasury Department. Pot calling the kettle black?

I am pretty sure the IRS is private and not a part of the Treasury Dept but I am just too lazy to look it up. Established in 1913 along with the Federal Reserve Banking system.

The Federal Income Tax Act was (from a Constitutional point of view) illegally ratified and passed by the U.S. Congress in September, 1916.

Edited January 27, 2016 by TuskegeeBen

[F430murci]

If anyone is interested, Panorama did a programme entitled "Putin's Secret Riches".

I look forward to them doing one on the Rothschilds.

https://eztv.ag/ep/140178/panorama-2016-putins-secret-riches-720p-x265-hdtv/

I just watched that., which mirrors very much the facts presented in the PBS Frontline program a few months ago.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/putins-way/

The Putinisnista's can love him for his machismo, but ultimately he's as corrupt as they get

Russian people know he is corrupt. They don't care. Corruption is so prevalent in everyday Russian life at all levels it is not only accepted, it is somewhat expected.

The allure of Putin was that he took Russua from the ashes, built an open market economy that allowed Russians to prosper in ways they had never seen on a personal level. They did not care what Putin or the ogligarchs did to gain wealth and they began to idolize them in many respects. This all contributed to restoring national pride. Russian are extremely proud people. I suppose you have to have strong pride to continually withstand the hardships they have endured.

[Rossen]

In Ukraine corruption level not so big like in Russia but Ukraine dying from corruption, thx Putin and our politics

[F430murci]

Putin is corrupt. So what, so are all the American polititians. ME ME ME only about me.

Some, for sure. But due to freedom of the press, mandatory financial disclosures, and an independent judiciary, they aren't even in the same league. Nowhere near.

Good use of sarcasm, fully agree, every one of those institutions now completely corrupt and rotten to the core.

Putin is a politician so has no doubt feathered his nest, just like every politician from every country. The US wants Putin gone however not for any sticky fingers he may have, but because he opposes their feudal world order. Either that or this is one huge con job we are all being suckered into.

Oh to live inside that brain. Aliens, shape shifters, Free Nasons, Illuminati . . . We are doomed. Paranoia will destroy you.

You guys actually live in areas where corruption is certainly a way of life. That does not mean there is a high level of corruption everywhere with every politician and that US wants a feudal world order. US and Obama are certainly more concerned about wealth shifting, equality and economic issues than Putin.

[F430murci]

In Ukraine corruption level not so big like in Russia but Ukraine dying from corruption, thx Putin and our politics

Yep. Ukraines level of corruption and inability to best allocate money and resources for the benefit of Ukranians is a direct result Putin retaining control over Ukraine.

[spidermike007]

Duh! Saying Putin is corrupt is a bit like saying Ida Amin was not kind to his people. Or Fat Kim is not a benevolent leader. Or Prayuth is competent. Or Obama is a good president.

Of course he is corrupt. Some estimate his net worth to be well north of $40 billion US. He got a large fee on every state monopoly that was broken up, and rarely does a huge deal get done in Russia, without him receiving a piece of the action. Few in the past decades have been more corrupt.

But, the timing of this announcement is strange. The US has known of his gang activities for decades. Why announce this now? It appears to be pure politics, and an attempt to isolate him even further, though he has little sympathy from me. He is a pig and a despot.

However, what about some of the fabulously corrupt American politicians? What ever happened to the over $30 billion US that "disappeared" from the pallets of cash the US was shipping to Iraq and Afghanistan, to pay informers? I am fairly certain that was divided by Cheney, Tiny George II, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz. $7.5 billion each. And how much additional money did Rumsfeld make on those Blackwater and Halliburton contracts? Was any of that ever investigated? Of course not.

"However, what about some of the fabulously corrupt American politicians? What ever happened to the over $30 billion US that "disappeared" from the pallets of cash the US was shipping to Iraq and Afghanistan, to pay informers? I am fairly certain that was divided by Cheney, Tiny George II, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz. $7.5 billion each. And how much additional money did Rumsfeld make on those Blackwater and Halliburton contracts? Was any of that ever investigated? Of course not."

Then why don't you get on your little moped and drive down to the nearest US Embassy and file a complaint. They will have an FBI agent in-house that will discuss it with you.

Be sure and take all your supporting documents, any tapes or photos you might possess and any other evidence you might have in your possession. They will want to see it all.

Please report back with your progress on this. In the meantime, continue trying to bash Trump.

You're better at that than dreaming up ridiculous conspiracies.

Of course. American presidents and people in a position of leadership would never in a million years steal huge amounts of money, like the billions that went missing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bush was a man of great integrity, as were his cronies, according to you, so why would they ever do such a thing?

I am sure the FBI would love to investigate Bush, as they investigated and prosecuted many former presidents. LOL.

Edited January 27, 2016 by spidermike007

[Publicus]

With the IRS still destroying hard disks against court orders the Treasury Department is claiming who is corrupt? I thought the IRS was part of the Treasury Department. Pot calling the kettle black?

I am pretty sure the IRS is private and not a part of the Treasury Dept but I am just too lazy to look it up. Established in 1913 along with the Federal Reserve Banking system.

The Federal Income Tax Act was (from a Constitutional point of view) illegally ratified and passed by the U.S. Congress in September, 1916.

Another hard core rear action doughboy combatant against the Income Tax Amendment to the Constitution.

Corrupt sleazebags in business, government, organised crime among other otherwise elusive law breakers have been bagged for federal income tax evasion, which makes it one of the most reliable ways to put people behind bars who otherwise could hide behind the actions of their underlings.

Racketeering and conspiracy laws are often too vague.

I'd bet Vlad the Putin is worth ten thousand times more than most of us here combined yet probably pays one percent of the taxes you or I pay on income whether it's earned or unearned. If any tax.

Authorities in St. Petersburg alone where Vlad had been deputy mayor and korrumpirovannyy supreme-o needed an IRS and the tax laws assigned to it by the US Congress to nail Putin before he was able to avoid them long enought to get to claim presidential immunity. Putin's take on most contracts ranged between 25% to 50% of their bottom line value.

IRS besides spends its time on the big bucks and otherwise high profile cheats because their big bucks in tax evasion pays off releative to the time, effort, expense to the IRS of its highly selective and thorough audits, from Al Capone to Leona Helmsley and many more. Doesn't get 'em all of course but Putin would have been behind bars in the USA long long ago whether for tax evasion or murder whichever could be proved in a court of law.

[craigt3365]

In Ukraine corruption level not so big like in Russia but Ukraine dying from corruption, thx Putin and our politics

Yep. Ukraines level of corruption and inability to best allocate money and resources for the benefit of Ukranians is a direct result Putin retaining control over Ukraine.

Your knowledge in this area in quite good. Putin was responsible for the corruption when his minion was in control of Ukraine. But now that he's gone, it's just endemic corruption that's plaguing Ukraine. A strong central government along with a strong and independent judiciary are necessary to combat corruption. Sadly, Ukraine has neither of these. I wish them the best of luck in trying to get their house in order.

[craigt3365]

Of course. American presidents and people in a position of leadership would never in a million years steal huge amounts of money, like the billions that went missing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bush was a man of great integrity, as were his cronies, according to you, so why would they ever do such a thing?

I am sure the FBI would love to investigate Bush, as they investigated and prosecuted many former presidents. LOL.

If there were actionable intelligence, the FBI would be all over it. They're after Hillary for her emails, which could have easily been brushed under the rug. Luckily, it wasn't. Who knows the outcome, but at least it became public. Something that would never happen in Russia under Putin's control. LOL

[mopar71]

Putin is corrupt. So what, so are all the American polititians. ME ME ME only about me.

No one can match Putin's level of corruption. Even though he has no need or personal wealth, in Russia he must have more than the oligarchs - and he does by a wide margin.

Comparing Putin to other corrupt leaders is ignorant, except maybe in cases where the other leaders' children become BILLIONAIRES during papa's rule despite offering nothing other than access to daddy. Ukraine's former president & Putin buddy Yanukovich comes to mind. His son the dentist because uber-wealthy from gov't contracts.

[spidermike007]

Again he wins the award for Organized crime and corruption person of the year.

https://www.occrp.org/personoftheyear/2014/

Vladimir Putin has been named the 2014 Person of the Year by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), an award given annually to the person who does the most to enable and promote organized criminal activity.

Putin was recognized for his work in turning Russia into a major money-laundering center; for enabling organized crime in Crimea and in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine; for his unblemished record of failing to prosecute criminal activity; and for advancing a government policy of working with and using crime groups as a component of state policy.

Putin has been a finalist every year so you might consider this a lifetime achievement award. He has been a real innovator in working with organized crime. He has created a military-industrial-political-criminal complex that furthers Russia’s and Putin’s personal interests. I think Putin sees those interests as one and the same.

- Drew Sullivan, editor of OCCRP

[spidermike007]

The degree of this mans corruption is beyond measure. There are absolutely no controls on his power, and he has used his position to amass one of the world's greatest fortunes, no doubt.

If you've ever wondered about the size of Russian President Vladimir Putin's private fortune, allow me to offer a clue: He doesn't need one.

From time to time, Western journalists and bloggers speculate about whether Putin is one of the world's richest men or just its wealthiest political leader. Look up "Putin's personal fortune" on Google, and you'll find estimates of between $40 billion and $70 billion.

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2013-09-17/vladimir-putin-the-richest-man-on-earth

"He’s the richest person in the world until he leaves power.”

Although Putin's exact wealth is unclear, hedge fund manager Bill Browder previously estimated it at $200 billion during an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria.

(As a reference point, that would make Putin 2.5 times as rich as Bill Gates, who is considerd to be the world's richest man.)

http://www.businessinsider.com/former-kremlin-banker-putin-is-the-richest-person-in-the-world-until-he-leaves-power-2015-7

[hawker9000]

Maybe the US Treasury needs to stop meddling in other countries and look closer to home!

Or maybe they finally got something right. This is not exactly an epiphany for the rest of us.

[spidermike007]

Duh! Saying Putin is corrupt is a bit like saying Ida Amin was not kind to his people. Or Fat Kim is not a benevolent leader. Or Prayuth is competent. Or Obama is a good president.

Of course he is corrupt. Some estimate his net worth to be well north of $40 billion US. He got a large fee on every state monopoly that was broken up, and rarely does a huge deal get done in Russia, without him receiving a piece of the action. Few in the past decades have been more corrupt.

But, the timing of this announcement is strange. The US has known of his gang activities for decades. Why announce this now? It appears to be pure politics, and an attempt to isolate him even further, though he has little sympathy from me. He is a pig and a despot.

However, what about some of the fabulously corrupt American politicians? What ever happened to the over $30 billion US that "disappeared" from the pallets of cash the US was shipping to Iraq and Afghanistan, to pay informers? I am fairly certain that was divided by Cheney, Tiny George II, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz. $7.5 billion each. And how much additional money did Rumsfeld make on those Blackwater and Halliburton contracts? Was any of that ever investigated? Of course not.

"However, what about some of the fabulously corrupt American politicians? What ever happened to the over $30 billion US that "disappeared" from the pallets of cash the US was shipping to Iraq and Afghanistan, to pay informers? I am fairly certain that was divided by Cheney, Tiny George II, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz. $7.5 billion each. And how much additional money did Rumsfeld make on those Blackwater and Halliburton contracts? Was any of that ever investigated? Of course not."

Then why don't you get on your little moped and drive down to the nearest US Embassy and file a complaint. They will have an FBI agent in-house that will discuss it with you.

Be sure and take all your supporting documents, any tapes or photos you might possess and any other evidence you might have in your possession. They will want to see it all.

Please report back with your progress on this. In the meantime, continue trying to bash Trump.

You're better at that than dreaming up ridiculous conspiracies.

Well, even if they did not steal that $30 billion, apparently I am not the only one that considered his administration to be very corrupt.

Historians may well judge the Bush scandals as more extensive than any that disgraced Grant, Harding, Nixon, or any other American president, due to their sheer scale. He ranks 39th out of 43 presidents in the Siena Institute's survey of 238 presidential scholars released in July, 2010.

http://mostcorrupt.com/Most-Corrupt-Administrations.html

[Pakboong]

True or not, it is careless of a US government official to make an official statement without real proof.

[Publicus]

True or not, it is careless of a US government official to make an official statement without real proof.

From the OP in respect of the statement by Adam Szubin, Treasury Department Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control which includes overseeing US sanctions against Russia, and monitors the sanctions of others such as the EU against Putin.

Mr Szubin would not comment on a secret CIA report from 2007 that put Mr Putin's wealth at around $40bn (£28bn). But he said the Russian president had been amassing secret wealth.

There's plenty of basis in what Atty. Szubin said.

[Scott]

Off-topic post removed.