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Reposted by Zack Kopplin

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 15h

In Iraqi Kurdistan, the Golden Eagle Global conglomerate trades in construction and ads, also working with local security forces and the U.S. military.

Leaked docs suggest the company is controlled by Mustafa Barzani, brother of the region’s prime minister.

www.occrp.org/en/investiga...

Mansions, Horses, and Designer Bags: How the Ruling Family of Iraqi Kurdistan Splurged in the U.S.

The five sons of Iraqi Kurdistan’s founding president acquired real estate across the United States and went on luxury shopping sprees. At least some of the money came from major Kurdish…

www.occrp.org

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Zack Kopplin @zackkopplin.bsky.social · 13h

Oh man

Zack Kopplin @zackkopplin.bsky.social · 16h

Do alarm bells go off in the heads of imaginary friends?

Zack Kopplin @zackkopplin.bsky.social · 16h

Meet the Barzanis

therealdeal.com/national/202...

Iron gates & pirate names: How Iraqi Kurdistan’s ruling family built a $100 million portfolio of US real estate

Leaked documents expose how Iraqi Kurdistan's ruling Barzani family concealed ownership of over $100 million in US real estate through offshore companies and pirate-named LLCs.

therealdeal.com

Zack Kopplin @zackkopplin.bsky.social · 16h

Giving Elon Musk send me your code to review vibes

Oliver Darcy @oliverdarcy.bsky.social · 17h

Here's the full memo.

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Zack Kopplin @zackkopplin.bsky.social · 1d

The Hague should send special forces to raid CBS and rendition all these war criminals

max tani @maxtani.bsky.social · 1d

New: Bari Weiss booked Hillary Clinton, Mike Pompeo, and Antony Blinken for a roundtable on Gaza, her first major move at CBS.

Notably on a CBS call today in which the panel was floated, one producer also repeatedly emphasized the need to hear from Palestinians in Gaza (Weiss did not respond).

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Zack Kopplin @zackkopplin.bsky.social · 1d

This story took about two years of work for a team of reporters at the Government Accountability Project and OCCRP. It shows a serious issue with the American corporate system that allows people like the Barzani family to hide money in the United States using American companies

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 2d

In 2007, an employee of Iraqi Kurdistan’s ruling Barzani family wrote to a U.S. lawyer with a problem.

Two Barzani brothers had bought properties in the U.S. — but they were concerned that this information was public.

So the lawyer looked to the Pirates of the Caribbean.

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Reposted by Zack Kopplin

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 2d

Dive into the Barzanis’ luxury lifestyles — and the sources of their spending — in our investigation with @govacctproj.bsky.social

www.occrp.org/en/investiga...

Mansions, Horses, and Designer Bags: How the Ruling Family of Iraqi Kurdistan Splurged in the U.S.

The five sons of Iraqi Kurdistan’s founding president acquired real estate across the United States and went on luxury shopping sprees. At least some of the money came from major Kurdish…

www.occrp.org

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Reposted by Zack Kopplin

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 2d

OCCRP repeatedly requested comment from the other four Barzani brothers, both directly and through various lawyers, as well as from Golden Eagle Global and the Kurdish government. None replied.

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Reposted by Zack Kopplin

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 2d

The lawyers also said that there is “nothing unlawful about the ownership of property in other jurisdictions”, and that it is “neither uncommon nor unreasonable for wealthy, high profile individuals to protect their privacy and security.”

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Reposted by Zack Kopplin

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 2d

Lawyers for Masrour Barzani, Iraqi Kurdistan’s prime minister, said he “vehemently rejects” any wrongdoing. They didn’t respond to questions about potential conflicts of interest.

The lawyers added that Barzani’s “fervent commitment” to anti-corruption and anti-terrorism is a “matter of record”.

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Reposted by Zack Kopplin

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 2d

The Barzanis have positioned themselves as close U.S. allies and are well-connected in Washington D.C.

Our findings raise questions about possible conflicts of interest over their ties to Golden Eagle Global.

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Reposted by Zack Kopplin

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 2d

Kurdish conglomerate Golden Eagle Global, working in sectors from construction to U.S. military contracts, has no public ownership ties to the Barzanis.

But leaked emails and docs suggest it was controlled by Mustafa Barzani, bankrolling millions of dollars of personal spending.

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Reposted by Zack Kopplin

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 2d

Leaked docs reveal that, between 2005 and 2019, four sons of Iraqi Kurdistan’s founding president Masoud Barzani bought over $100m in U.S. properties.

At least some of the money came from Kurdish firms controlled by two brothers, leaked records suggest.

www.occrp.org/en/investiga...

Mansions, Horses, and Designer Bags: How the Ruling Family of Iraqi Kurdistan Splurged in the U.S.

The five sons of Iraqi Kurdistan’s founding president acquired real estate across the United States and went on luxury shopping sprees. At least some of the money came from major Kurdish…

www.occrp.org

1 2 2

Reposted by Zack Kopplin

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 2d

The law firm had a plan to keep the Barzanis’ names “off of the public records.”

Each of the five brothers would own an offshore firm named after a pirate from the movie series.

These companies would then anonymously own U.S. companies that held the property deeds.

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Reposted by Zack Kopplin

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 2d

In 2007, an employee of Iraqi Kurdistan’s ruling Barzani family wrote to a U.S. lawyer with a problem.

Two Barzani brothers had bought properties in the U.S. — but they were concerned that this information was public.

So the lawyer looked to the Pirates of the Caribbean.

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Reposted by Zack Kopplin

Winthrop Rodgers @wrodgers2.bsky.social · 2d

A massive scoop by @occrp.org about personal luxury spending of the Barzani family in the US. Reporting shows them using a combined $28m from Golden Eagle Global and Ster Group, which are connected with senior KDP leaders, to finance lavish purchases.
www.occrp.org/en/investiga...

Mansions, Horses, and Designer Bags: How the Ruling Family of Iraqi Kurdistan Splurged in the U.S.

The five sons of Iraqi Kurdistan’s founding president acquired real estate across the United States and went on luxury shopping sprees. At least some of the money came from major Kurdish conglomerates...

www.occrp.org

1 1

Reposted by Zack Kopplin

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 2d

NEW: Four brothers from Iraqi Kurdistan’s ruling Barzani family bought over $100 million in U.S. properties, leaked documents show.

At least some of the money came from major Kurdish companies two of the brothers secretly controlled, leaked records suggest.

www.occrp.org/en/investiga...

Mansions, Horses, and Designer Bags: How the Ruling Family of Iraqi Kurdistan Splurged in the U.S.

The five sons of Iraqi Kurdistan’s founding president acquired real estate across the United States and went on luxury shopping sprees. At least some of the money came from major Kurdish…

www.occrp.org

1 6 7

Reposted by Zack Kopplin

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 2d

Mansions, Horses, and Designer Bags: How the Ruling Family of Iraqi Kurdistan Splurged in the U.S.

www.occrp.org/en/investiga...

Mansions, Horses, and Designer Bags: How the Ruling Family of Iraqi Kurdistan Splurged in the U.S.

The five sons of Iraqi Kurdistan’s founding president acquired real estate across the United States and went on luxury shopping sprees. At least some of the money came from major Kurdish conglomerates...

www.occrp.org

3 6

Zack Kopplin @zackkopplin.bsky.social · 2d

Friday was my last day with the @govacctproj.bsky.social before joining @occrp.org. I was really hoping to get this one last story out that we had partnered on before I officially left, but anyway, I'm really proud of it and all the work I did in almost 9 years at GAP

www.occrp.org/en/investiga...

Mansions, Horses, and Designer Bags: How the Ruling Family of Iraqi Kurdistan Splurged in the U.S.

The five sons of Iraqi Kurdistan’s founding president acquired real estate across the United States and went on luxury shopping sprees. At least some of the money came from major Kurdish conglomerates that two of the brothers appear to have secretly controlled, according to leaked documents.

www.occrp.org

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Zack Kopplin @zackkopplin.bsky.social · 2d

I know I live in this economy but I’d prefer them to just salt the earth

Michael Caley @michaelcaley.bsky.social · 2d

so for no reason at all I was thinking about what Democrats should do if the AI bubble pops in the near term and Trump needs a stimulus bill

they should take a page from constitutional monarchies and demand a new set of ministers

Miller, Vought, Bondi, Hegseth, Kennedy, Lutnick out at minimum

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Reposted by Zack Kopplin

Meredith Shiner @meredithshiner.com · 2d

Bridging my current life in Chicago and my past life in D.C., I argue today at @newrepublic.com that Democrats should ~never~ vote to fund this government. Make John Thune blow up Senate rules and Republicans wholly own the U.S. extra-military military doing war crimes against us, funded by us.

The Case for the Forever Shutdown

Senate Democrats actually allowing the GOP to stop funding the government is only the first step. Now they have to make the case that Trump’s government is illegitimate.

newrepublic.com

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Reposted by Zack Kopplin

Emissary Of Night | ليلى @diplomatofnight.com · 3d

Fascinating report just released by DropSite which reveals that David Frum, while working on a profile of an Israeli ambassador to the United Nations for the Atlantic, was also shadow-writing speeches for that same ambassador.

David Frum, Douglas Murray Secretly Drafted Speeches for Israeli Ambassador

Leaked emails from former Israeli UN Ambassador Ron Prosor show David Frum, Douglas Murray offering to write his speeches and a CNN producer fundraising for Israel’s Iron Dome during Israel’s 2014 war

www.dropsitenews.com

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Zack Kopplin @zackkopplin.bsky.social · 3d

Seen a lot of people reference Kent State but honestly Nisour Square seems more apt of a potential future. Some trigger happy nutcases get scared of civilians and go crazy on a public street

Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 3d

A federal agent points a weapon at a woman who was recording them.

Jess, a U.S. citizen and member of a neighborhood patrol team that documents and shares ICE activity across the city, was filming when the incident occurred earlier today in the Berwyn area.
@lauranrodriguez.bsky.social

Reposted by Zack Kopplin

Julia Carrie Wong @joolia.bsky.social · 4d

its funny how not a single actual journalist has been like, “actually she’s good at journalism”

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