President Trump Participates in a National Day of Prayer Event 11:00am Livestream
May 1, 2025 | Sundance | 1 Comment
President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will be participating in a National Day of Prayer event at the White House. Anticipated Start Time 11:00am, with livestream links below:
https://youtu.be/LofSceZmcig
Stephen Miller and Press Secretary Leavitt Hold a Press Briefing– 8:30am ET
May 1, 2025 | Sundance | 53 Comments
Continuing to celebrate President Trump’s first 100 days in office this week, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will be accompanied by White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor, Stephen Miller. The theme is “Restoring Common Sense.”
The anticipated start time is 9:00am ET. Livestream Links Below:
https://youtu.be/RLPoMX3Qh1M
That video was double defective, here's another link
Stephen Miller and Press Secretary Leavitt Hold a Press Briefing
May 1, 2025 | Sundance | 53 Comments
Continuing to celebrate President Trump’s first 100 days in office this week, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will be accompanied by White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor, Stephen Miller. The theme is “Restoring Common Sense.”
The anticipated start time is 9:00am ET. Livestream Links Below:
39:15
https://youtu.be/NJkZT51VADc
BREAKING: Mike Waltz out as national security advisor, additional names 'likely to come'7 minutes ago
Mike Waltz is out as the national security advisor, along with his deputy. Chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin reports the latest on the ousting and what's likely to come. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce also reacts.
Sundance called it about 4 days agoAnd Waltz was just on Fox, last night and played this am
12:24
https://youtu.be/-6m32f7oReQ
His Assistant Alex Wong is out with Waltz
Senate Effort to Block President Trump Tariff Authority Fails Despite Three Republicans In Support
April 30, 2025 | Sundance |
Republican senators Rand Paul, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski all voted in support of removing President Trump’s ability to impose tariffs under national security grounds. However, theoverall vote failed in the Senate 49-49.
The vote was mostly symbolicfor the upper chamber as the House previously approved a rule to block any effort to restrict President Trump’s trade authority, and theWhite House would obviously veto any billthat might pass. However, the vote does showcase the Republicans who are in support of multinational corporations outsourcing jobs and manufacturing.
The bill was originally created by Republican Senator Rand Paul and Democrat Senator Ron Wyden. The intransigent neocon wing of the GOPe,those who take funds from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (aka Decepticons) also supported the bill, but given the certainty of Trump’s veto, needed to retain their masks.
WASHINGTON – […] The legislation, designed to end the national emergency Trump used to impose his now-paused “Liberation Day” tariffs, failed by a vote of 49 to 49 despite three Republicans joining all Democrats. {Full Story}
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/04/30/senate-effort-to-block-president-trump-tariff-authority-fails-despite-three-republicans-in-support/
Treasury Announces Joint U.S-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund (Minerals Deal) to Repay USA for Spending in Ukraine War
April 30, 2025 | Sundance |
Will U.S. taxpayers ever see a dime repaid? Probably not, because the proceeds will likely end up in the pockets of the professional political class; however, the concept is a good idea in principle. It is more than likelyZelenskyy has sold his “minerals” to several countriesin his perpetual tin cup tour.
The ‘investment fund’ aspect is just another way to transfer proceeds into the bank accounts of U.S. Senators.
The previously called “minerals deal” is now essentially a fund created between the USA and Ukraine where proceeds from exploiting Ukraine natural resources will be used to rebuild the country and repay the USA for prior financial support. According to ABC News, “Both sides were ready to sign the agreement on critical minerals and other resources earlier, but the U.S. said it wanted the main minerals resources agreement signed and the creation of an investment fund document signed at the same time, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and a source in the Ukrainian president’s office said.”
WASHINGTON — On April 30, the United States and Ukraine signed an agreement to establish the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund. In recognition of the significant financial and material support that the people of the United States have provided to the defense of Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion, this economic partnership positions our two countries to work collaboratively and invest together to ensure that our mutual assets, talents, and capabilities can accelerate Ukraine’s economic recovery.
Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, the Treasury Department and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) will work together with the Government of Ukraine to finalize program governance and advance this important partnership.
“Thanks to President Trump’s tireless efforts to secure a lasting peace, I am glad to announce the signing of today’s historic economic partnership agreement between the United States and Ukraine establishing the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund,” said U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “As the President has said, the United States is committed to helping facilitate the end of this cruel and senseless war. This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term. President Trump envisioned this partnership between the American people and the Ukrainian people to show both sides’ commitment to lasting peace and prosperity in Ukraine. And to be clear, no state or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be allowed to benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine.”
Both the United States and the Government of Ukraine look forward to quickly operationalizing this historic economic partnership for both the Ukrainian and American people. (LINK)
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/04/30/treasury-announces-joint-u-s-ukraine-reconstruction-investment-fund-minerals-deal-to-repay-usa-for-spending-in-ukraine-war/
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
@SecScottBessent
Thanks to @POTUS @realDonaldTrump’s tireless efforts to secure a lasting peace, I am glad to announce the signing of today’s historic economic partnership agreement between the United States and Ukraine establishing the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund to help accelerate Ukraine’s economic recovery. Economic security is national security.
@DFCgov will work closely with the Government of Ukraine to establish this fund, and we look forward to quickly operationalizing this historic economic partnership for both the Ukrainian and American people.
1:01
5:46 PM · Apr 30, 2025
·1.9M Views
https://x.com/SecScottBessent/status/1917697018551754802
(They should depose Zelensky now and disappear him, or he'll run to his money now.)
1 May, 2025 14:33
US rejected Ukraine’s security guarantee demands – NYT
Washington reportedly refused to include any formal commitments early in the negotiation process
The US has rejected Ukraine’s request for security guarantees as part of a newly signed mineral resources agreement, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the talks.
The nine-page deal, signed the same day after months of negotiations and published on Thursday by the Ukrainian government, gives Washington preferential access to Ukraine’s mineral projects, including rare-earth metals. It also establishes a joint investment fund to support Ukraine’s post-conflict reconstruction.
Despite its scope,the final agreement contains no formal pledge of future US military support, a key demand from Ukraine during negotiations.
Instead, it vaguely mentions a “long-term strategic alignment” and promises US backing for Ukraine’s “security, prosperity, reconstruction, and integration into global economic frameworks.”
One source told the NYT that the US dismissed the idea of providing Kiev with explicit security guarantees early in the talks. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce defended the agreement, suggesting that US involvement alone offers implicit protection.
“When America is your friend and your partner, your nation is going to be better off. And there is a security component just in our presence,” she told Fox Business.
Analysts told the NYT that the deal could help secure US President Donald Trump’s continued interest in Ukraine now that he is directly invested, and will potentially open the door to further discussions on military aid and a ceasefire with Russia. Still, critics argued that without binding guarantees, the deal’s impact may be limited if the conflict continues.
Ukraine’s parliament is expected to ratify the agreement within two weeks. The US has framed the deal as a way for Ukraine to repay past military aid – estimated at $350 billion by Trump, though Kiev claims the figure is closer to $100 billion and that the support was unconditional.The debt repayment clause, however, was dropped from the final text. After signing, Trump said the US could “in theory” recover “much more” than $350 billion through the deal.
Commenting on the deal, deputy head of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said the US has essentially “forced the Kiev regime to pay for American aid with minerals,” warning thatall future military supplies will have to be paid “with the national wealth of a vanishing country.”
https://www.rt.com/news/616623-us-ukraine-guarantees-deal/
1 May, 2025 14:57
Zelensky sanctions former top aide
Alexey Arestovich has accused the Ukrainian leader of corruption and suggested that Kiev should cede land to Russia
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has announced sanctions against his former top adviser. Alexey Arestovich has frequently criticized both Ukraine’s leadership and its military strategy in its conflict with Russia.
Arestovich was among several Ukrainians mentioned in a decree released by Zelensky’s office on Thursday.
Penalties imposed includeasset freezes, restricted trade and financial transactions, travel, and the revocation of state awards.
Arestovich served as an adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine between 2020 and January 2023. He resigned in controversy after claiming that a Russian missile hit a residential building in the city of Dnepr only because it had been downed by Ukrainian air defenses. Following public outrage and accusations that he had discredited the Ukrainian army, Arestovich backtracked, apologized, and submitted his resignation.
He has since become a prominent commentator on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, often presenting views that diverge from the official Ukrainian narrative. Last month,he suggested that Kiev should agree to cede land to Russia as part of a potential US-brokered peace deal, warning that any attempts to reclaim lost territories would only backfire.
“Why should we give up four regions? So that in six months or a year we don’t lose another six or eight,” he said, referring to four former Ukrainian territories that in 2022 voted in public referendums to join Russia.
Kiev has consistently refused to acknowledge any territorial losses, however..
Arestovich has also accused the Ukrainian leadership of corruption. He has claimed thatZelensky is personally involved in numerous graft schemes and that Kiev’s Western backers are well aware of his activities.
He has also signaled that he wants to run for president of Ukraine. Zelensky, whose term expired last year, has refused to call new elections, citing martial law, which has been extended more than a dozen times.
Addressing the sanctions, the ex-adviser predicted that the Ukrainian authorities would now try to limit his media reach by cutting off access to his YouTube channel from the country’s territory.
https://www.rt.com/russia/616626-zelensky-aide-arestovich-sanctions/
1 May, 2025 13:05
US-Ukraine deal ‘important step to end war’ – Rubio
The US secretary of state highlighted the importance of the long-drafted agreement with Kiev as Washington negotiates with Moscow to end the conflict
The natural resource deal signed between Washington and Kiev is an “important step” toward ending the Ukraine conflict, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has claimed.
The long-awaited agreement, which allows Washington to tap into Ukraine’s extensive mineral reserves in return for assistance with the country’s economic recovery, was signed on Wednesday.
Notably, the document does not include any provisions for the US to offer security guarantees to Ukraine, despite this being “one of its initial goals,” as reported by Reuters. The New York Times indicated that the concept of security guarantees was dismissed by the US “early in the process.”
In an X post on Thursday, Rubio thanked US President’s Donald Trump leadership, under which the deal was signed. Rubio called it “a milestone in our shared prosperity and an important step in ending this war.”
Negotiations for the agreement stretched on for several months, although both parties intended to finalize it during Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky’s visit to the White House in late February. The televised meeting led to a tense confrontation during which Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of ingratitude and “gambling with World War III.”
This comes as Washington is in talks with Moscow over a possible peace deal that would end the Ukraine conflict.
Multiple media sources indicate that the agreement put forward by Washington entailsthe US recognizing Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea. Additionally, the proposal reportedly includes a “freezing” of the conflict along the existing front line and an acknowledgment of Moscow’s control over significant portions of four former Ukrainian regions that voted to join Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a halt to all military operations against Ukrainian forces from midnight on May 7 until midnight on May 10, stating that this is being done for “humanitarian reasons.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pointed out that Russia considers the ceasefire “the start of direct negotiations with Kiev without preconditions.”
Zelensky branded Moscow’s three-day truce declaration a “manipulation attempt,” saying he wanted an immediate 30-day ceasefire instead. According to Lavrov, “a [30-day] ceasefire in this situation is considered a precondition that will be used to further support the Kiev regime and strengthen its military capabilities.”
https://www.rt.com/news/616621-us-ukraine-deal-rubio/
30 Apr, 2025 20:38
Dmitry Trenin: Here’s why Trump’s foreign policy is calculated, not chaotic
America’s new realism means peace with Russia and focus on China
The first 100 days of Donald Trump’s second presidency have sparked a wave ofcommentary portraying him as a revolutionary. Indeed, the speed, pressure, and determination with which he has acted are striking.But this view is superficial. Trump is not dismantling the foundations of the American state or society. On the contrary, he seeks to restore the pre-globalist republic that the liberal elite long ago diverted onto a utopian internationalist path.
In this sense, Trump is not a revolutionary, but a counterrevolutionary – an ideological revisionist determined to reverse the excesses of the liberal era.
At home, Trump benefits from Republican majorities in both houses of Congress. Legal challenges to his policies – particularly on downsizing government and deporting illegal immigrants – have so far made little progress.
Accustomed to media attacks, Trump continues to hit back hard. The recent story alleging that top officials debated strikes on Yemen over Signal has not gained political traction.If anything, it reinforces Trump’s image as a president who acts decisively and without fear of scandal.
Trump’s economic course is clear: re-industrialization, tariff protectionism, and investment in cutting-edge technologies. He is reversing decades of globalist integration, pressing allies to pool financial and technological resources with the US to rebuild its industrial base.Tactically, Trump applies pressure early, then offers retreats and compromisesto lure competitors into negotiations favorable to America.
This approach has been effective, particularly with Washington’s allies. Even with China, Trump is betting that Beijing’s reliance on the US market, and America’s influence over EU and Japanese trade policy, will yield strategic concessions.
In geopolitics, Trump embraces a realist doctrine grounded in great-power competition. He has defined his global priorities: secure North America as a geopolitical fortress from Greenland to Panama; redirect US and allied power toward containing China; make peace with Russia; and consolidate influence in the Middle East by supporting Israel, partnering with Gulf monarchies, and confronting Iran.
In the military sphere, Trump is pursuing greater American strengthby purging the armed forces of “gender liberalism” and accelerating strategic nuclear modernization. Despite his public peace overtures, he has continued airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen and has warned of devastating retaliation against Iran should negotiations fail.
His approach to Ukraine reflects strategic pragmatism. Trump aims to end the war quickly, not out of sympathy for Russia, but to free US resources for the Pacific theater and to reduce the risk of escalation into a nuclear conflict. He expects Western Europe to assume more responsibility for its own defense.
Importantly, Trump does not see Russia as a primary adversary. He views Moscow as a geopolitical rival, but not a military or ideological threat. Rather than pushing to sever Russia from China, he aims to re-engage Russia economically – in areas like energy, the Arctic, and rare earths – with the expectation that greater Western economic engagement will reduce Moscow’s dependence on Beijing.
In fact, outreach to the Kremlin has become the centerpiece of Trump’s foreign policy in his second term. His goal is not to divide Moscow and Beijing outright, but to lay the groundwork for a new global balance of power in which Russia has options beyond the Chinese orbit.
In sum, Trump is not tearing down the American system but striving to restore it. His counterrevolution is aimed at reversing liberal-globalist distortions, reinforcing sovereignty,and returning realism to international affairs. It is this mission – not chaos or confrontation – that is defining his presidency.
https://www.rt.com/news/616578-trumps-foreign-policy-calculated/
(This man really understands Trump, refreshing take.)
By Dmitry Trenin, a research professor at the Higher School of Economics and a lead research fellow at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations. He is also a member of the Russian International Affairs Council
1 May, 2025 10:18
Musk labels WSJ ‘a discredit to journalism’
The outlet has published a “deliberately false” piece about him, the world’s richest man has said
Elon Musk has branded the Wall Street Journal a “discredit to journalism,” categorically denying the outlet’s claim that Tesla’s board wants to replace him as the CEO of the electric car company.
The WSJ claimed, citing anonymous sources, that about a month ago Tesla’s board reached out to a number of executive search firms to work on a formal process for finding a new CEO. The directors “got serious” after Tesla’s stock plunged and investors got “irritated” by Musk’s focus on his job as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Tesla Chair Robyn Denholm issued a statement in whichshe called the report “absolutely false.”
“The CEO of Tesla is Elon Musk and the board is highly confident in his ability to continue executing on the exciting growth plan ahead,” Denholm stressed.
Musk reacted to the report on his X platform on Thursday, insisting that “it is an extremely bad breach of ethics that the Wall Street Journal would publish a deliberately false article” and slammed the outlet for its failure to include the Tesla board’s “unequivocal denial”of claims that it is searching for a new CEO in its article.
In a separate comment, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO labeled the WSJ a “discredit to journalism.”
Tesla suffered a 71% drop in profits and a 9% decline in revenue for the first quarter of 2025, during which time Musk became an increasingly polarizing figure, due to his close ties to US President Donald Trump and his work as the head of the DOGE, an agency tasked with slashing government spending.
Since January, dozens of Tesla-linked locations have been hit by protests, in what Musk claims is a coordinated effort bankrolled by major Democratic donors. There have also been violent attacks, including arson attempts, on the company’s dealerships, vehicles and charging stations.
A week ago, Musk announced that he will scale back his government role because the “major work” to establish DOGE has now been completed. During a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Trump thanked the tech billionaire for his contribution, saying “you know you are invited to stay as long as you want… I guess he wants to get back home to his cars.”
https://www.rt.com/news/616611-musk-tesla-ceo-wsj/
The WSJ Editors or Opinion writers lie all the time, they bash Trump daily and non-stop, it surprising if they write something nice occasionally.
He really did go off on all of them, they deserve it.
WATCH LIVE: Trump attends National Day of Prayer event
it's still going on, quite beautiful.
https://www.youtu.be/vXQ6X1ZfC0o?si=IRkrM6MArw_b22rc
PDJT is really enjoying this.
Announcement:
Leaders of 764 Arrested and Charged for Operating Global Child Exploitation Enterprise
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Arrests Mark Significant Takedown Within Violent Online Network Known as ‘764’
Note: View the criminal complaint.
Leonidas Varagiannis, also known as War, 21, a citizen of the United States residing in Thessaloniki, Greece, and Prasan Nepal, also known as Trippy, 20, of High Point, North Carolina, are charged for their crimes operating an international child exploitation enterprise in connection with a nihilistic violent extremist (NVE) network known as 764. Nepal was arrested on April 22 in North Carolina. Varagiannis was arrested yesterday in Greece.
According to the affidavit unsealed today in the District of Columbia,764 is a violent online network that seeks to destroy civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, which often include minors.The 764 network’s accelerationist goals include social unrest and the downfall of the current world order, including the U.S. Government.
“These defendants are accused of orchestrating one of the most heinous online child exploitation enterprises we have ever encountered — a network built on terror, abuse, and the deliberate targeting of children,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will find those who exploit and abuse children, prosecute them, and dismantle every part of their operation.”
“These defendants allegedly recruited others to exploit children and created a guide for the disgusting online content they wanted,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Let me be very clear about our efforts. The FBI and our partners are determined to protect juveniles from predators, and we will track down and hold accountable those who engage in these criminal activities. We will continue to work closely with our partners at the Department of Justice to bring justice to the victims of such cruel abuse.”
“The allegations in this case are not only disturbing, they are also every parent’s nightmare,” said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia. “The number of victims allegedly exploited by these defendants, and the depths of depravity are staggering. Justice demands that our response be swift in order to ensure public safety, hold the wrongdoers accountable, and bring the victims some sense of closure so they can heal.”
As alleged, the defendants engaged in acoordinated criminal enterprise and led a core subgroup within 764 known as 764 Inferno, operated through encrypted messaging applications. As alleged, they directed, participated in, and otherwise caused the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and the defendants facilitated the grooming, manipulation, and extortion of minors. Varagiannis and Nepal allegedly ordered their victims to commit acts of self-harm and engaged in psychological torment and extreme violence against minors. The affidavit alleges that the group targeted vulnerable children online, coercing them into producing degrading and explicit content under threat and manipulation. This content includes “cut signs” and “blood signs” through which young minors would cut symbols into their bodies.
The defendants and their co-conspirators around the worldused the CSAM and other gore and violent material to create digital “Lorebooks,” which NVEs used as digital currency within the 764 network — traded, archived in encrypted “vaults,” and used as a means to recruit new members or maintain status within the network. The affidavit also details how the defendants instructed other members in grooming tactics and set content production expectations for new recruits. In multiple instances, the defendants threatened and caused their victims to engage in self-mutilation, online and in-person sexual acts, harm to animals, sexual exploitation of siblings and others, acts of violence, threats of violence, suicide, and murder.
Also according to the complaint affidavit, the defendants exploited at least eight minor victims across multiple jurisdictions, with some content traced back to children as young as 13 years old. The network’s activities spanned from late 2020 through early 2025, with core leadership roles attributed to both defendants throughout the period.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/leaders-764-arrested-and-charged-operating-global-child-exploitation-enterprise
School Official Pleads Guilty to 2.9M Scheme to Defraud Veterans’ Education Programs
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs
A Virginia career services manager for a school offering job training programs to veteranspleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to defraud the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of nearly $3 million.
According to court documents, Jeffrey Williams, 37, of Alexandria,used false records to defraud the VA of millions of dollars from approximately July 2022 to May 2024. During that time, the defendant was a career services manager at an educational institution offering veterans educational programs in cyber that could be paid for by the VA.
As part of the scheme, Williams created fraudulent employment offer letters, falsified certifications, and forged veterans’ signatures to make it appear as if veterans had attained the meaningful employmentneeded for the educational institution to receive tuition payments from the government. Williams caused the submission of hundreds of false documents to the VA, claiming approximately $2.9 million in fraudulent tuition paymentsfor at least 189 veterans.
Williams pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The VA Office of Inspector General is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Lauren Archer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/school-official-pleads-guilty-29m-scheme-defraud-veterans-education-programs
(The heavy crimes are coming out now)
Three Members of a Prolific Chinese Money Laundering Organization Plead Guilty to Laundering Tens of Millions of Dollars in Drug Proceeds
Thursday, May 1, 2025 For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs
Two Chinese nationals and a California man, all members of a prolific Chinese money laundering organization (CMLO), pleaded guilty yesterday to money laundering charges involving drug trafficking proceeds.
According to court documents, Maoxuan Xia, 29, of China, Shao Neng Lin, 58, of Baldwin Park, California, and Zhou Yu, 42, of China, were members of the CMLOthat laundered over $92 million in illicit funds, including proceeds from the importation and distribution of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico. Xia was one of the most active members of the Organization, traveling throughout the United States to collect drug trafficking proceeds from U.S.-based drug traffickers and deposit those illicit funds, using both real and fake identities, into shell company bank accounts registered by other members of the CMLO, such as Lin and Yu.
Xia and Yu each pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of money laundering to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the illicit proceeds, and one count of monetary transactions involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000. Lin pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, two counts of money laundering to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the illicit proceeds, and two counts of monetary transactions involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000. Pursuant to his plea agreement, Xia admitted that he was personally responsible for laundering more than $30 million of illicit funds, including drug trafficking proceeds, in less than two years. Xia further admitted that he knew funds laundered in the conspiracy included drug trafficking proceeds or funds intended to promote drug trafficking. Pursuant to their respective plea agreements, Lin and Yu both admitted that they each received, through the shell company bank accounts that they created and operated for the CMLO, approximately $20 million in illicit funds, including drug trafficking proceeds. Lin and Yu both admitted that the total amount of illicit funds laundered in the conspiracy for which they had actual knowledge and involvement was approximately $40 million.
The defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the conspiracy and money laundering counts and a maximum of 10 years in prison on each of the monetary transactions counts. A federal district court judge will determine their respective sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/three-members-prolific-chinese-money-laundering-organization-plead-guilty-laundering-tens
Raytheon Companies and Nightwing Group to Pay $8.4M to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Non-Compliance with Cybersecurity Requirements in Federal Contracts
May 1, 2025, This is Unbelievable.
Raytheon Company (Raytheon), RTX Corporation, and Nightwing Group LLC, and Nightwing Intelligence Solutions LLC (collectively, Nightwing), have agreed to pay $8.4 million to resolve allegations thatRaytheon violated the False Claims Act by failing to comply with cybersecurity requirements in contracts or subcontracts involving the Department of Defense (DoD). Raytheon is a subsidiary of Arlington, Virginia-based defense contractor RTX Corporation (formerly known as Raytheon Technologies Corporation). In March 2024, RTX Corporation sold its Cybersecurity, Intelligence, and Services business
The settlement was announced byU.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Acting Assistant Attorney GeneralYaakov Roth, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service Cyber Field Office, Special Agent in Charge William W. Richards of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), Special Agent in Charge Keith K. Kelly of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Fraud Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross, NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office.
“Cyber threats have grown in size and reach in recent years, leaving no room for complacency among those in the public sector, private sector, or even among private citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia. “Government contractors must comply with the cybersecurity rules that govern their performanceand be candid about their compliance. This settlement reflects the Government’s commitment to pursue contractors that fail to live up to those expectations.”
“As cyber threats continue to evolve,it is critical that defense contractors take the required steps to protect sensitive government information from bad actors,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department's Civil Division. “We will continue our efforts to hold contractors accountable when they fail to honor their DoD cybersecurity commitments.”
The settlement resolves allegations that Raytheon and its then-subsidiary Raytheon Cyber Solutions, Inc. (RCSI),failed to implement required cybersecurity controls on an internal development system that was used to perform unclassified work on certain DoD contracts. The United States alleged that Raytheon and RCSI failed to develop and implement a system security plan for the system, as required by DoD cybersecurity regulations, and failed to ensure that the system complied with other cybersecurity requirements contained in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 252.204-7012 and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.204-21. FAR 52.204-21 requires federal contractors to apply basic safeguarding requirements to information systems that process or store federal contract information. DFARS 252.204-7012 requires contractors to provide adequate security for information systems that process or store covered defense information. The settlement resolved allegations thatRaytheon used its noncompliant internal system to develop, use, or store covered defense information and federal contract information during its performance on 29 DoD contracts and subcontracts.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/raytheon-companies-and-nightwing-group-pay-84m-resolve-false-claims-act-allegations-relating