Molly Redden retweeted
In August, Trump announced the “BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY!”
But is it?
The text of the accord — which grants the U.S. sweeping access to Venezuela’s oil reserves — has been one of DC’s most sought-after secrets.
ProPublica got to see a copy. 🧵
But is it?
The text of the accord — which grants the U.S. sweeping access to Venezuela’s oil reserves — has been one of DC’s most sought-after secrets.
ProPublica got to see a copy. 🧵
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“[It’s] corruption at its best,” Kao said. “But I am the only one rotting in prison.”
READ MORE: propublica.org/article/navate…
READ MORE: propublica.org/article/navate…
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Graham’s spokesperson also said that requiring a fundraising minimum for a donor event was normal practice.
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“A donation would never cause Congressman Clyburn to increase his support for the donor’s request,” his office wrote.
“Allegations of quid-pro-quo behavior or wrongdoing by the late Senator Lindsey Graham or his staff are simply false,” Graham’s office said.
“Allegations of quid-pro-quo behavior or wrongdoing by the late Senator Lindsey Graham or his staff are simply false,” Graham’s office said.
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Spokespeople for Clyburn, Wilson, and the late Graham all denied Kao’s story:
“Congressman Wilson does and has always abided by campaign donation regulations,” his team told us.
“Congressman Wilson does and has always abided by campaign donation regulations,” his team told us.
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The FBI agents began to investigate Graham, Wilson and Clyburn. But before they could get very far, Trump returned to office intent on purging anyone at the FBI and DOJ who had previously investigated him – including these agents. Both were pushed out of the FBI.
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Because of his credibility issues, two seasoned FBI agents took a hard look at thousands of documents seized from Navatek for corroboration. And they found that much of Kao’s story lined up.
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Kao confessed to FBI investigators while he was looking at serious prison time. He had pleaded guilty to fraud and to campaign finance crimes for making illegal donations to Sen. Susan Collins and her super PAC. He hoped to reduce his sentence through cooperation.
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Kao told the FBI he cut the same deal – $100k in contributions for contracts – with Clyburn, then the No. 3 Democrat in the House, and Wilson, another influential S. Carolina lawmaker.
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A former Navatek executive said the company’s research was a joke. Projects “looked like a college senior’s graduation project” or “something you go get from Radio Shack.”
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After Graham’s fundraiser accepted an envelope of checks, Kao later told the FBI, Kao asked Graham to insert $10 mil into the defense spending bill to fund a research contract for his company, Navatek. Graham agreed, Kao said – the “yes” Kao wanted – for another $60k in donations
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Our story starts in 2020 in a private room at Charlie Palmer Steak. In exchange for $40k in campaign donations, Graham has agreed to meet with a defense contractor for 45 min. The contractor, Martin Kao, said that’s plenty of time: “All he has to really do is stop by and say yes”
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New: In early 2025, the FBI embarked on a major bribery investigation involving some of the most powerful men in Washington: Sen. Lindsey Graham, Rep. Jim Clyburn, and Rep. Joe Wilson. Then Trump purged the FBI and DOJ, leaving no one to carry out the investigation. It’s dead. 🧵
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Molly Redden retweeted
this story
Advocates for people with incarcerated family say prisons often cancel visits for what they deem is excessive contact with loved ones. “There are so many other experiences like that where just a simple hug or a peck is constituted as excessive contact.”
boltsmag.org/california-pri…
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There's a secret Slack where the FDA has invited tech giants to shape future regulations on AI healthcare apps, and you're not invited: cbsnews.com/news/ai-tech-l…
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Abbott continued, “ProPublica bought it hook, line, and sinker.”
But of course, we didn’t take Kao’s word, either. Over many months, we reviewed a trove of evidence gathered by the FBI and interviewed dozens of people connected to the story. Then we published the receipts.
But of course, we didn’t take Kao’s word, either. Over many months, we reviewed a trove of evidence gathered by the FBI and interviewed dozens of people connected to the story. Then we published the receipts.
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Collins' campaign manager also repeated false claims yesterday, saying Kao “tried to sell this story to the FBI. They didn't buy it.”
In reality, we report, agents sifted through 100,000s of documents to corroborate Kao and sought a full investigation based on what they found.
In reality, we report, agents sifted through 100,000s of documents to corroborate Kao and sought a full investigation based on what they found.
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…Because Trump had them purged from the FBI for having worked on investigations he didn’t like. With no one left to carry out the investigation, it simply died.
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