Kleptocracy – And so it begins in the US
Up to now the US has been able to clearly say that we do not embrace or have kleptocrats. We have had corrupt individuals, as can be seen by our politicians who have found themselves spending time in jail, but this has not been encouraged or allowed. During my career, having addressed kleptocracy worldwide, working with governments as they attempt to prevent such actors and ensure that the laws regarding conflicts of interest and transparency are there, I have been shocked how quickly we have our own kleptocrats. Within three weeks of the Trump presidency kleptocracy is now moving ahead, specifically in the form of Elon Musk and his business interests. On 13 February the New York Times’ article described the situation:
“Mr. Musk spent more than $250 million to help elect Mr. Trump, who then appointed him as the leader of a cost-cutting initiative that’s been called the Department of Government Efficiency.
The purchase of Cybertrucks, an atypical choice for government armored transport, is likely to raise conflict of interest issues, especially as Mr. Musk trumpets his own efforts to root out what he regards as unnecessary spending.”
Additionally, Politico in its February 12 West Wing Playbook, made a very compelling case for the new kleptocracy in Washington DC.
The brazenness of these actions as well as the clear conflict of interest is shocking and yet, here we are. As always, my next question is what do we do? Previously, as in three weeks ago, we would look to our structures and our legal remedies. The other groups would appeal decisions and if there is a concern about retaliation, a citizen could submit their concerns to the State Department’s Office of the Inspector General. Today neither of these structures can be seen to work as 17 IG’s have been fired, including the State Department’s IG, as well as the USAID IG being the 18th, almost immediately being fired after having filed a report on February 10, concluding that the degradation of “USAID’s ability to distribute and safeguard taxpayer-funded humanitarian assistance”.
What can be done in this environment? Again, the American taxpayer must continue ensuring that all processes are being followed, and that any information must continue to be brought to light. As always, if necessary, American strong legal structures should be used. And for now, we will sese if these will hold as the State Department’s IG has filed a lawsuit with the other IGs on February 12, looking for “redress for their unlawful and unjustified purported termination by President Donald Trump and their respective agency heads.”
Link:
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/west-wing-playbook/2025/02/12/stop-me-if-you-dare-0020390