organized crime

America's Problem: Trump Is Married To The Mob

Trump's Mafia connections have been dogging him for his whole life. Somehow they didn't impress his supporters-- except maybe in Staten Island where Mon connections are considered a plus. Yesterday David Von Drehle gave it another try in the Washington Post: All The President's Wiseguys. Trump, he wrote, "spent plenty of time in mobbed-up milieus.

In Mexico, Resistance to Govt Collusion with Capitalists and Organized Crime Triggers Criminalization of Dissent

MEXICO CITY — Leon Fierro spent 20 days in a Mexican jail on trumped-up attempted-homicide charges he says came on orders from the government. Upon his release, the human rights activist returned to organizing Mexicans against efforts to privatize their water, visiting Mexico City to speak out against the government’s efforts to intimidate him and derail the movement he leads.
Fierro told MintPress News:

Bulgaria Acquired $3.6 Billion in Bitcoin After Organized Crime Bust

Bulgaria acquired 213,519 Bitcoin after an organized crime ring was busted for placing a virus into computers at the Customs office that allowed members of the ring to avoid import taxes on their cargo. The group converted its gains​ ​to​ Bitcoin, which now is valued at $3.6 billion. [It is not clear from this article how the government was able to confiscate the Bitcoin inasmuch as cryptocurrencies are supposed to be secure against theft or government seizure.

Arizona Republicans Want Racketeering Laws Applied To Protesters

In this Feb., 2011 photo, protesters gather around Republican State Sen. Russell Pearce, the author of Arizona’s SB1070 immigration bill, outside the Sandra Day O’Connor Federal Courthouse in Phoenix. (AP/Matt York,)
(REPORT) — If Republicans in Arizona’s senate have their way, police in that state could soon have the power to seize assets and property from protesters, the Arizona Capitol Times reports.
From a February 22 article:

Will Stories of Mob Ties and Crooked Deals Sink Donald Trump?

Does Donald Trump have an Achilles heel? by Gaius PubliusThe Trump phenomenon is taking off and shows every sign of "having wings," to not mix a metaphor. According to this excellent analysis by Lee Drutman, "What Donald Trump gets about the electorate," Trump has found a policy sweet spot with Republican voters (as opposed to the party's money-bought leaders):

Is There Any Actual "News" In The Michael Grimm Sentencing? Not For Our Brilliant Journalists

Friday, Brooklyn Federal District Court Judge Pamela Chen gave Mafia thug-turned-congressman Michael "Mikey Suits" Grimm, a very harsh dressing down-- very harsh. No one can ever accuse Pamela Chen of not being one harsh dresser-downer. "That this type of crime is common does not lessen its significance," the judge said. "Your moral compass, Mr.