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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Sep 4

New: Trump Is Accusing Foes With Multiple Mortgages of Fraud.

Records Show 3 of His Cabinet Members Have Them.

www.propublica.org/article/trum...

Trump Is Accusing Foes With Multiple Mortgages of Fraud. Records Show 3 of His Cabinet Members Have Them.

The White House has targeted opponents, including a Fed governor, for having more than one primary residence on their loan papers. ProPublica found that, in one case, a Trump cabinet secretary got two...

www.propublica.org

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Aug 22

Horryifying.

DOGE made false allegations against an Afghan man who had helped the U.S.

Then the Taliban captured, blindfolded and beat his family.

www.propublica.org/article/doge...

DOGE Targeted Him on Social Media. Then the Taliban Took His Family.

Afghan scholar Mohammad Halimi, who fled the Taliban in 2021, had worked to help U.S. diplomats understand his homeland. Then DOGE put his family’s lives at risk by exposing his sensitive work for a U...

www.propublica.org

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · May 14

Records show Attorney General Pam Bondi sold between $1 and $5 million worth of Trump Media shares on April 2.

That same day, after the market closed, Trump announced his Liberation Day tariffs, sending the stock market plunging.

www.propublica.org/article/pam-...

U.S. AG Pam Bondi Sold More than $1 Million in Trump Media Stock the Day Trump Announced Sweeping Tariffs

Disclosure forms show that Bondi sold between $1 million and $5 million worth of shares on April 2. That day, after the market closed, Trump’s “Liberation Day” press conference sent the market tumblin...

www.propublica.org

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Mar 12

When a participant in the meeting asked him why he wouldn’t more forcefully call out Trump’s false claims about Social Security fraud, Dudek answered, “This is dealing with — have you ever worked with someone who’s manic-depressive?”

Ken Schwencke @schwanksta.com · Mar 12

“I don’t want the system to collapse,” Dudek said in a closed-door meeting last week. He also said that it “would be catastrophic for the people in our country” if DOGE were to make changes at his agency that they made in others.

www.propublica.org/article/reco...

“The President Wanted It and I Did It”: Recording Reveals Head of Social Security’s Thoughts on DOGE and Trump

In a recording obtained by ProPublica, acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek portrayed his agency as facing peril, while also encouraging patience with “the DOGE kids.”

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Robert Faturechi

Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · Mar 6

New:

The evangelical pastor running a secretive influence project appears to be running a group house for lawmakers in D.C.

In addition to Mike Johnson living there, Trump ally Andy Ogles has the keys.

www.propublica.org/article/room...

w/ @josh-kaplan.bsky.social @amierjeski.bsky.social

Secretive D.C. Influence Project Appears to Be Running a Group House for Right-Wing Lawmakers

Evangelical pastor Steve Berger’s political influence campaign operates out of his D.C. townhouse. In addition to House Speaker Mike Johnson living there, a prominent Trump ally, Rep. Andy Ogles, has ...

www.propublica.org

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Mar 4

NEW: Sen. Joni Ernst had relationships with two military officials who lobby her committee, according to sources.

“From an ethics standpoint, it’s severely problematic,” one former legislative affairs official said.

www.propublica.org/article/joni...

Ethical Concerns Surround Sen. Joni Ernst’s Relationships With Top Military Officials Who Lobbied Her Committee

Ernst, an Iowa Republican, is one of the most influential voices in Congress on military topics. Ethics and military experts say her relationships with top Air Force and Navy officials created potenti...

www.propublica.org

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Feb 7

New: DOGE is expected to examine another sensitive system at Treasury next week
www.propublica.org/article/elon...

Elon Musk’s DOGE Is Expected to Examine Another Treasury System Next Week

The new target, sources said, is a sensitive database that tracks the flow of money across the government.

www.propublica.org

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Feb 6

@propublica.org revealed the details of those tax breaks in 2021

www.propublica.org/article/the-...

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Feb 2

This is significant:

Lawyers at the SEC have been told they need to seek permission from the politically appointed leadership before formally launching probes.

finance.yahoo.com/news/exclusi...

SEC's Republican-led commission tightens oversight of probes, sources say

Lawyers at the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) have been told they need to seek permission from the politically appointed leadership before formally launching probes, two sources briefed on ...

finance.yahoo.com

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Jan 31

Donald Trump sued CBS over its editing of a Kamala Harris interview.

Now Trump's new FCC chairman demanded CBS turn over the full, unedited transcript of the Harris interview, including footage from different camera angles.

www.latimes.com/entertainmen...

FCC demands CBS News turn over '60 Minutes' interview amid Trump lawsuit

The latest development comes as Paramount Global lawyers engaged in preliminary talks to settle the lawsuit Trump filed in October over his objection to edits to the '60 Minutes' interview with Harris...

www.latimes.com

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Reposted by Robert Faturechi

Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · Jan 31

NEW: The Trump admin told a US-funded aid group that gives food & medicine to starving children in Sudan to shut down.

Children would die.

They’re defying the order.

But the aid world is in chaos.

Brett Murphy & Anna Barry-Jester:

www.propublica.org/article/trum...

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Dec 10

NEW: There have been internal concerns that Trump Media has misled investors about Truth Social's performance, a source said.

But with Donald Trump, $DJT's largest shareholder, about to be president, will the SEC be up to the job of investigating?

www.propublica.org/article/dona...

Donald Trump Controls a Publicly Traded Company. Now He Will Pick Its Regulator.

There have been internal concerns that Trump Media could be misleading investors, a source said. But with its largest shareholder about to be president, experts doubt the SEC is up to the job of inves...

www.propublica.org

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Dec 3

Help us continue to expose abuses of power.

ProPublica @propublica.org · Dec 3

On #GivingNewsDay, join our community of 55k+ members who fuel ProPublica’s independent journalism.

Gifts of $40+ receive an etched glass or T-shirt — a thank you from us to you!

Donate now: propub.li/4fRtsmM

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Nov 22

Bondi was a central player in
@ericliptonnyt.bsky.social's Pulitzer Prize-winning series about state AGs accepting travel/ gifts/campaign $$ from corporate interests trying to avoid scrutiny and get investigations dropped.
nytimes.com/2014/10/29/u...

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Nov 19

12/ Trump’s company has defended their actions as proper, and threatened to sue us more than once for our reporting.

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Nov 19

11/ Part of the anger from Trump Media’s staff came from management outsourcing jobs to Mexico and elsewhere.

How will the company’s actions square with Trump’s promise to punish companies that outsource abroad during a second term?
www.propublica.org/article/dona...

Trump Media Outsourced Jobs to Mexico Even as Trump Pushes “America First”

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump threatened businesses that send jobs south of the border, while his own company that runs the Truth Social platform outsourced coding jobs to workers in Mexico, out...

www.propublica.org

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Nov 19

10/ We revealed that the company is currently in turmoil. An internal whistleblower complaint alleging mismanagement went to the board. A group of executives and high-level employees were forced out - a move viewed internally as retaliation.
www.propublica.org/article/trum...

Top Execs Exit Trump Media Amid Allegations of CEO’s Mismanagement and Retaliation

Several people involved with the former president’s company, operator of Truth Social, believe the departures were retaliation following internal complaints about CEO Devin Nunes to the company board.

www.propublica.org

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Nov 19

9/ It was the first known instance of Trump's company dealing directly with a foreign gov't — in this case one eager for a future Trump administration’s help.

Will this impact U.S. foreign policy under a second Trump administration? Will other foreign governments follow suit?

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Nov 19

8/ We reported that Trump Media’s CEO, former congressman Devin Nunes held an unexplained business meeting with the prime minister of North Macedonia.

www.propublica.org/article/trum...

Trump Company CEO’s Unexplained Meeting With Balkans Leader Raises Specter of New Conflict

Devin Nunes, the former congressman who runs the company behind Truth Social, traveled to North Macedonia as former President Trump vies to once again shape U.S. foreign policy.

www.propublica.org

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Nov 19

7/ A former aide for the lawmaker told us she thought the request from Trump’s company was improper, but the congressman “suggested I needed to deal with it.”
(The congressman’s office denied that Trump's company was given special treatment.)

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Nov 19

6/ Will GOP lawmakers and federal agencies feel pressure to grant Trump Media special favors?

We obtained emails that showed Trump Media leaned on a Republican member of the House to help one of its executives jump the line for a foreign visa.

www.propublica.org/article/trum...

Exec at Trump Media Jumped the Line for U.S. Visa After Company Lobbied GOP Lawmaker

A former aide to Rep. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, said she intervened on the company’s behalf even though she thought it was inappropriate. “It was specifically the congressman that suggested I ...

www.propublica.org

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Nov 19

5/ He had already successfully used his connections to secure federal $$ during the first Trump admin. Moving into a 2nd term, he’s in an even better position to gain influence.

(Reached by ProPublica, the donor denied he personally played a role in the deal before hanging up)

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Nov 19

4/ Trump’s company quietly entered into a business deal with a major GOP (and Trump) donor - an energy magnate who has vast lobbying interests.
www.propublica.org/article/trum...

Trump Media Quietly Enters Deal With a Republican Donor Who Could Benefit From a Second Trump Administration

The deal with energy magnate James E. Davison illustrates how Trump’s stake in the Truth Social company, which makes up a majority of his net worth, presents conflicts of interest.

www.propublica.org

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Nov 19

3/ We’ve already found multiple instances of Trump’s for-profit business and his political agenda overlapping in ways ethics experts have been alarmed by:

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Robert Faturechi @robert-faturechi.bsky.social · Nov 19

2/ His stake could create conflicts of interest that eclipse the concerns during his first term about his hotel biz.
Wealthy individuals looking to curry favor can invest driving the share price up, buy ads, enter into vendor contracts with the company, etc.

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