January 2025 - cypherpunks - lists.cpunks.org

Fwd: You came highly recommended by my senior advisors.
by Gunnar Larson 30 Jan '25

30 Jan '25

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Donald J. Trump <contact(a)support.donaldjtrump.com> Date: Wed, Jan 29, 2025, 8:09 AM Subject: You came highly recommended by my senior advisors. To: <g(a)xny.io> They had incredible things to say about you. Just take a look. >> [image: From the desk of President Trump] <https://link.donaldjtrump.com/u/click?_t=c26d591425684a3289b90149d613a03c&_…> *OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE 47TH PRESIDENT — DONALD J. TRUMP! <https://link.donaldjtrump.com/u/click?_t=c26d591425684a3289b90149d613a03c&_…>* [image: President Donald J. Trump Headshot] <https://link.donaldjtrump.com/u/click?_t=c26d591425684a3289b90149d613a03c&_…> Gunnar, you came highly recommended by my top advisors *“Sir, the left-wing media and corrupt establishment are already coming at you with everything they have. They’re terrified of losing their grip on power. They’ll do anything to see us fail. Please speak with Gunnar, your top supporter, ASAP so that we can keep winning for the American people. They are 100% behind you.”* Wow, that’s quite an endorsement. Based on their recommendation, I’ve got a few questions just for you! *PLEASE, sit for a 5 minute interview with yours truly. >> <https://link.donaldjtrump.com/u/click?_t=c26d591425684a3289b90149d613a03c&_…>* *BEGIN INTERVIEW <https://link.donaldjtrump.com/u/click?_t=c26d591425684a3289b90149d613a03c&_…>* This interview will be tough but fair – something you never see from the Fake News Media! I’ll even use your responses to represent every MAGA PATRIOT in Ny. *You’re already an incredible supporter, but if you could spare just 5 minutes for a short interview, I would be forever grateful. >> <https://link.donaldjtrump.com/u/click?_t=c26d591425684a3289b90149d613a03c&_…> **BEGIN INTERVIEW <https://link.donaldjtrump.com/u/click?_t=c26d591425684a3289b90149d613a03c&_…>* Thank you and may God bless you, [image: President Donald J. Trump Headshot] <https://link.donaldjtrump.com/u/click?_t=c26d591425684a3289b90149d613a03c&_…> Donald J. Trump 47th President of the United States of America Contributions to Trump National Committee JFC Inc. are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. All contributions are subject to the limits and prohibitions of the Federal Election Campaign Act. Contributions from corporations, foreign nationals (i.e., without “green cards”), federal government contractors, and other federally impermissible sources are strictly prohibited. Contributions made in the name of, or refunded by, any other person are unlawful. Paid for by Trump National Committee JFC, Inc., P.O. Box 509, Arlington, VA 22216. Not Authorized by any Candidate or Candidate’s Committee. You are receiving this email at g(a)xny.io. donaldjtrump.com <https://link.donaldjtrump.com/u/click?_t=c26d591425684a3289b90149d613a03c&_…> It’s because of the commitment and support from real Patriots, like YOU, that we will SAVE AMERICA! Thank you again for your generous support. If you'd like to change your subscription status follow this link. <https://link.donaldjtrump.com/e/encryptedConfirmUnsubscribe?_r=c26d59142568…> Privacy Policy <https://link.donaldjtrump.com/u/click?_t=c26d591425684a3289b90149d613a03c&_…>

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Fwd: Over 1,500 rioters PARDONED
by Gunnar Larson 30 Jan '25

30 Jan '25

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Urgent Poll <info(a)dscc.org> Date: Tue, Jan 28, 2025, 5:08 PM Subject: Over 1,500 rioters PARDONED To: <g(a)xny.io> ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ *BREAKING via The New York Times: "Trump Grants Sweeping Clemency to All Jan. 6 Rioters"* [image: 'F--k it: Release 'em all' - Donald Trump] <https://go.dscc.org/go/21012?ask=5&t=9&firstname=&lastname=&email=g%40xny.i…> [image: Live Poll] <https://go.dscc.org/go/21012?ask=5&t=10&firstname=&lastname=&email=g%40xny.…> *Do you approve of Trump's HORRIFIC January 6th pardons?* Yes <https://go.dscc.org/go/21012?ask=5&t=11&firstname=&lastname=&email=g%40xny.…> No <https://go.dscc.org/go/21012?ask=5&t=12&firstname=&lastname=&email=g%40xny.…> Team, they assaulted police officers. They flew the Confederate flag inside the Capitol. They tried to overturn democracy. *And now they're free. Because of Donald Trump.* Donald Trump's decision to free these dangerous and violent insurrectionists is an affront to the rule of law! We MUST band together in this crucial moment, so we've launched an URGENT Live Poll to prove that Democrats are united against Trump's shameful action. *But we're missing your response, and we still need 100 more answers from New York. Please, tell us now:* *Do you approve of Trump's HORRIFIC January 6th pardons?* Yes <https://go.dscc.org/go/21012?ask=5&t=13&firstname=&lastname=&email=g%40xny.…> No <https://go.dscc.org/go/21012?ask=5&t=14&firstname=&lastname=&email=g%40xny.…> Thanks, Team DSCC Derivative of photo <https://go.dscc.org/go/1270?t=1&firstname=&lastname=&email=g%40xny.io&addr1…> by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://go.dscc.org/go/1271?t=2&firstname=&lastname=&email=g%40xny.io&addr1…>. Derivative of photo <https://go.dscc.org/go/21025?t=3&firstname=&lastname=&email=g%40xny.io&addr…> by Tyler Merbler. CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://go.dscc.org/go/1271?t=4&firstname=&lastname=&email=g%40xny.io&addr1…>. [image: Chip in $5 monthly to flip the Senate] <https://secure.actblue.com/donate/support-senate-democrats-2025-q1-recurrin…> ------------------------------ The DSCC is the only committee solely dedicated to supporting Democrats in the U.S. Senate, and our work relies on grassroots supporters like you. If you'd like to make a contribution to support us, please *click here <https://secure.actblue.com/donate/support-senate-democrats-2025-q1?refcode=…>*. *Click here <https://go.dscc.org/signup/receive-fewer-emails/?t=7&akid=19465%2E26297126%…>* to receive fewer emails. *Click here <https://go.dscc.org/unsubscribe/unsubscribe/?t=8&akid=19465%2E26297126%2EpD…>* to unsubscribe. Paid for by the DSCC | PO Box 96047, Washington, DC 20090 | *dscc.org <https://www.dscc.org/>* | Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Contributions or gifts to the DSCC are not tax deductible.

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We Asked Google’s AI Search Model, Gemini, Questions About the Fed and Wall Street Megabanks: It Got the Answers Dead Wrong
by Gunnar Larson 30 Jan '25

30 Jan '25

https://wallstreetonparade.com/2025/01/we-asked-googles-ai-search-model-gem… By Pam Martens and Russ Martens: January 29, 2025 ~ BubblesWe’ll get to Google’s AI Search model shortly, but first some necessary background. Like many of you, we spent a good part of our day yesterday reading up on DeepSeek, a Chinese startup that purports to have built an AI model that rivals U.S. industry leaders like OpenAI and Google – for a mere fraction of the cost. On Monday, the news that DeepSeek’s AI model might have rendered most of those sophisticated and expensive chips from Nvidia obsolete shaved $600 billion off the market value of Nvidia – the largest one-day dollar loss in a stock in U.S. market history. Adding to the nervousness, DeepSeek has made its AI model open-source, meaning its base code is publicly available for tech geeks in the U.S. and around the world to examine and build on. Also bringing out the worry beads in Silicon Valley, DeepSeek has been around for less than two years and is the brainchild of 39-year old Liang Wenfeng, a computer wizard who started a quant hedge fund at age 25 which had garnered a $39 billion portfolio 11 years later, according to Reuters. By yesterday, a lot of inquiring minds in the media were asking if U.S. investors had been snookered in a fashion similar to the dot.com bubble; if all those giant data centers built or in progress across the U.S. landscape were a big waste of money; and if Big Tech investors were about to witness a rapid repricing of their multi-trillion-dollar tech stocks. On June 20th of last year, we wrote the following: On Tuesday, a stock most Americans had never heard of four years ago – Nvidia – closed with a market cap of $3.34 trillion. That makes it the most valuable company in the world, overtaking Microsoft’s heady $3.32 trillion market cap. Nvidia’s share price (ticker NVDA) has soared 174 percent year-to-date while the S&P 500 is up just 15 percent. The much broader index, the Russell 2000, has flat-lined this year. Without the gains from Nvidia, the S&P 500 would be reporting one-third less percentage increase year-to-date. Nvidia trades on the Nasdaq stock market. Its share price has been riding the artificial intelligence (AI) hype in a manner reminiscent of how the Nasdaq skyrocketed in value on the tech and dot.com mania of the late 1990s. That era did not end well, to put it mildly. The Nasdaq reached a closing high of 5,048.62 on March 10, 2000. The Nasdaq then proceeded to lose 78 percent of its value over the next 2-1/2 years, reaching a closing low of 1,114.11 on October 9, 2002. As late as February 2000, there was little recognition in mainstream media that the Nasdaq was on the cusp of entering one of the bloodiest selloffs in stock market history. CNNMoney reported as follows on February 29, 2000: “U.S. stocks rallied broadly Tuesday, sending every major market gauge higher and the Nasdaq composite index to its 12th record close of the year as investors snapped up technology shares expected to lead the economy’s growth.” The same news report quoted Legg Mason’s Chief Market Strategist at the time, Richard Cripps, as follows: “People want to own these (technology) stocks, and that’s what limits any significant drop on these stocks and it’s what puts pressure on the remainder of the market.” Less than two weeks later, investors began the stampede out of the market darlings. In April of last year, we had written about the dodgy history of Nasdaq and cautioned about similarities in the market’s misallocation of capital today. We said this: “Today we have airplane components falling off commercial passenger planes in the sky and unsafe bridges, while a Donald Trump startup, Trump Media & Technology Group, (owner of a social media platform whose primary use seems to be for Trump to slander sitting judges and elected officials), has a market cap of $5.5 billion and trades at 1800 times revenues. According to an SEC filing on Monday, the company lost $58.19 million last year on revenues of a meager $4.13 million.” Which brings us to the much-hyped Google AI Search Engine model, Gemini. Yesterday, we decided to find out what Google’s AI actually knows about the critical core of the U.S. financial system: that is, the interaction of the Federal Reserve with the handful of megabanks on Wall Street. First, we typed the following into the Google Search box: “how much did the federal reserve provide to banks in cumulative loans as a result of the 2007-2010 financial crisis according to the GAO?” We specifically asked for GAO data because that is the Government Accountability Office, the government audit arm that works for Congress. In July 2011, the GAO released the definitive report and chart showing that the Fed’s cumulative emergency loans to bail out the hubris of the megabanks on Wall Street came to a tally of $16.1 trillion and lasted from December 2007 to at least July 2010. (See the chart on page 131 of the GAO report here.) Google’s Gemini gave us a decidedly wrong answer. Per the screenshot below, it missed the correct answer by $13.6 trillion. It also referred to TARP, which was a U.S. Treasury program not a Federal Reserve program. We Asked Google's Gemini How Much the Fed Loaned in Emergency Bailouts to Banks from 2007 to 2010 Next, we asked Google’s Gemini “what banks are the largest owners of the federal reserve bank of new york.” The first bank listed was the Bank of Millbrook, which has 4 branches and $298 million in assets according to the FDIC. The first bank listed should have been JPMorgan Chase, which has 5,195 branches and $3.6 trillion in assets. The Google AI model was, for unknown reasons, incapable of quickly going to our 2019 authoritative article which was headlined These Are the Banks that Own the New York Fed and Its Money Button. We asked numerous other related questions about the Fed and the megabanks and received similarly wrong answers from the Google Search AI model. Tulips anyone?

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金継ぎ
by zeynep＠keemail.me 30 Jan '25

30 Jan '25

https://app.filemail.com/d/oejselipmlshbkz

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Guesswork' Dooms Class Cert. In Meta Privacy Antitrust Suit
by Gunnar Larson 28 Jan '25

28 Jan '25

Guesswork' Dooms Class Cert. In Meta Privacy Antitrust Suit <https://www.law360.com/competition/articles/2289206?nl_pk=6e763a2a-9f82-44c…> By Bryan Koenig A California federal judge has refused to certify a class of consumers who say Meta would have to pay users for their data if it didn't lie about privacy safeguards, finding that the motion was undone by the opinions of an economist who cannot get from general economics to market reality. Order attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/competition/articles/2289206?nl_pk=6e763a2a-9f82-44c…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/competition/articles/2289206?nl_pk=6e763a2a-9f82-44c…>

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Legal Aid Attys Fight To Keep Suit Over Union Palestine Vote
by Gunnar Larson 28 Jan '25

28 Jan '25

Legal Aid Attys Fight To Keep Suit Over Union Palestine Vote <https://www.law360.com/cannabis/articles/2289363?nl_pk=a981d81f-1a94-4659-8…> By Emily Brill The Association of Legal Aid Attorneys infringed on three members' rights by moving to expel them for trying to stop the union from voting on a controversial pro-Palestine resolution, the attorneys said, asking a New York federal judge to preserve claims that the union violated labor and anti-discrimination laws. Memorandum attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/cannabis/articles/2289363?nl_pk=a981d81f-1a94-4659-8…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/cannabis/articles/2289363?nl_pk=a981d81f-1a94-4659-8…>

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SCOTUSblog Publisher Pleads Not Guilty To Tax Crimes
by Gunnar Larson 28 Jan '25

28 Jan '25

SCOTUSblog Publisher Pleads Not Guilty To Tax Crimes <https://www.law360.com/cannabis/articles/2287348?nl_pk=a981d81f-1a94-4659-8…> By Ali Sullivan U.S. Supreme Court advocate and SCOTUSblog co-founder Tom Goldstein pled not guilty in Maryland federal court on Monday to charges that he schemed to evade taxes and used funds from his boutique law firm to cover gambling debts. Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/cannabis/articles/2287348?nl_pk=a981d81f-1a94-4659-8…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/cannabis/articles/2287348?nl_pk=a981d81f-1a94-4659-8…>

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Buzbee Seeks Sanctions In Ex-Client's Fraud Suit
by Gunnar Larson 28 Jan '25

28 Jan '25

Buzbee Seeks Sanctions In Ex-Client's Fraud Suit <https://www.law360.com/cannabis/articles/2289279?nl_pk=a981d81f-1a94-4659-8…> By Lynn LaRowe Amid his high-profile battles with music moguls Sean "Diddy" Combs and Shawn "Jay Z" Carter, Houston personal injury lawyer Tony Buzbee is seeking sanctions against the lawyers pursuing a separate fraud suit against him, saying they brought up unrelated accusations to harass Buzbee and damage his reputation. Motion attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/cannabis/articles/2289279?nl_pk=a981d81f-1a94-4659-8…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/cannabis/articles/2289279?nl_pk=a981d81f-1a94-4659-8…>

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With Trump and Melania’s Crypto Coins Likely to Raise Legal Challenges, Why Didn’t Trump Fire the SEC’s Inspector General in His Purge of IGs?
by Gunnar Larson 28 Jan '25

28 Jan '25

https://wallstreetonparade.com/2025/01/with-trump-and-melanias-crypto-coins… By Pam Martens and Russ Martens: January 28, 2025 ~ Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) Writes that Trump’s Firing of IGs Is to “Clear Out the Cops Before You Send in the Thieves.” Last Friday night, when federal employees thought they could escape to a weekend of relief from Donald Trump’s rewriting of the Constitution by Executive Edict, emails went out to at least 16 Inspectors General – the fraud and abuse watchdogs of Federal agencies – informing them that they were terminated “immediately,” without citing any grounds for dismissal, a legal requirement since 2022. What is particularly strange about the mass firings is that many of these IGs were appointed by Trump himself in his first term as President, raising the suspicion that Trump’s current demands for personal loyalty have taken an even darker turn in Trump 2.0. Mark Lee Greenblatt, the IG of the Interior Department (which Trump now seems eager to sacrifice to the fossil fuel industry) took to LinkedIn on Saturday to express his reaction to being fired as a government watchdog – after work hours, by email. Greenblatt, appointed by Trump as IG in 2019, wrote this: “President Trump fired me last night, along with a number of other Inspectors General. “I poured my heart and soul into my DOI OIG team and the broader IG community. I tried to be the best IG and the best CIGIE Chair I could possibly be. I am incredibly proud of our high-impact work in the highest-risk areas facing the Department and the IG community. We made a difference for the American people. “I’m just trying to process this right now. It’s all just so surreal.” “Surreal” may be a bit of a stretch. This is surreal. Trump firing watchdogs is the sine qua non of his presidential career. Also see our report on the Trump 1.0 Friday night ouster of Federal prosecutor Geoffrey Berman here. If Trump was expecting this cruel destruction of careers and livelihoods by email to frighten other federal workers into submission, it appears to have backfired. There are numerous comments under Greenblatt’s post on LinkedIn by current Interior Department employees, applauding Greenblatt’s performance and appearing to give a thumbs down to his ouster by Trump. The news of the mass firings made their way to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), the Congressional expert on the corrupting influence of megadonor money in Washington. Whitehouse posted at X (Twitter): “Corruption 101: Clear out the cops before you send in the thieves.” The news also outraged 21 ranking (Democratic) members of House Committees, who whipped off a letter to Trump on Saturday, crisply advising him that his mass firings of IGs were illegal. The ranking members wrote: “The Inspector General Act of 1978, amended in 2022 with broad bipartisan support, requires the President to notify Congress 30 days prior to removal of an inspector general and provide ‘substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons’ for such removal. The email terminating the inspectors general fails to provide the required notice and a legitimate rationale, as required by law. “Firing inspectors general without due cause is antithetical to good government, undermines the proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and degrades the federal government’s ability to function effectively and efficiently. We urge you to withdraw your unlawful action and comply with your obligations to the American people.” The Congressional Research Service, the research arm of Congress, has a policy paper on IG removal and updated it expressly to include Trump’s mass firings on January 24. It explains: “The 30-day notice requirement was established under the Inspector General Reform Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-409), and the requirement that notice include a ‘substantive rationale’ was added by the Securing Inspector General Independence Act of 2022 (Title LII, Subtitle A, of P.L. 117-263)… “President Trump’s January 2025 action appears to be a direct challenge to the enforceability of Congress’s removal procedures under the IG Act. If this matter is litigated, the executive branch may seek to curtail Congress’s options to control even procedural requirements for removals. A judicial decision limiting Congress’s authority to impose such rules could substantially impact fundamental oversight of agency programs, spending, and staff.” The White House issued no press release on the firings, leaving media outlets in the position of having to call individual Inspectors General to learn if they had been fired. Thus far, terminations of IGs at the following federal agencies have been reported: Department of Agriculture; Department of Commerce; Department of Defense (now in the hands of Trump appointee Pete Hegseth, accused by multiple persons of being routinely drunk in public); Department of Energy; Environmental Protection Agency; Health and Human Services; HUD; Department of the Interior; Department of Labor; Small Business Administration; Social Security Administration; Department of State; Department of Transportation; Veterans Affairs; and White House Office of Personnel Management. Note that the Inspector General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is not listed in the above tally of firings. Given that Trump and First Lady Melania each issued their own crypto coins just days before moving into the White House, whose trading charts now look like pump and dump schemes, and the SEC is one of the federal agencies that oversees crypto, one would have suspected that its Inspector General would have been the first to be ousted. As it turns out, the SEC Inspector General is not appointed by the President but by the SEC itself. Deborah Jeffrey has been the Inspector General of the SEC since 2023. She arrived during the tenure of Gary Gensler, a President Biden appointed SEC Chair for whom Donald Trump has had less than kind words. Trump’s stable of crypto megadonors have had even less kind words for Gensler. Prior to government service, Jeffrey spent 23 years at the law firm of Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, where she defended both government and corporate individuals in criminal investigations. One of her high-profile clients was Lou Pai, the former Chairman and CEO of Enron Energy Services (EES), one of the few top Enron executives to avoid prison time. Pai also had the distinction of being nimble enough to cash out over $268 million of Enron stock before the stock price collapsed and the high-flying energy company filed for bankruptcy protection. On July 30, 2008, Pai agreed to settle civil insider trading charges brought against him by the SEC for $31.5 million. The SEC wrote the following in its announcement of the settlement: “Had Enron reported EES’s contract-related losses in its Retail Energy Services segment, that segment would have shown a quarterly loss of at least $60 million, rather than a profit of $40 million as falsely reported in Enron’s Form 10-Q for the first quarter of 2001. Pai knew or should have known that he could not sell Enron stock without first disclosing such material, nonpublic information. By selling Enron stock without disclosing this information, Pai breached his fiduciary duty to Enron shareholders. “The Commission’s complaint further alleges that Pai avoided substantial losses from these sales when the price of Enron stock collapsed in the fall of 2001. Enron’s stock price averaged approximately $53.78 per share during the time of Pai’s sales, but closed at $0.40 on December 3, 2001 – the day after Enron filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. By selling his shares in May and June 2001 before the collapse of Enron’s share price, Pai avoided millions of dollars of losses.” Given this background, it will be interesting to see if Jeffrey is one of the Inspectors General who remains in the Trump 2.0 administration. The always insightful Robert Reich had some interesting thoughts on the future of the SEC and its regulation of crypto now that Trump has made himself a crypto billionaire with his crypto coin. Reich wrote this on Substack: “Trump is putting crypto-friendly people into place at key federal agencies, boosting its prospects. In December, he picked Washington lawyer Paul Atkins, a known crypto booster, to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission, America’s main financial regulator. [Atkins has yet to be confirmed by the Senate.] “Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission altered its guidance so that financial institutions no longer have to account, on their own balance-sheets, for crypto assets held on behalf of customers. The SEC rolled back accounting guidance that had deterred banks from getting involved with crypto. “Trump has tapped the venture investor and digital currency enthusiast David Sacks to oversee administration policies on crypto (and artificial intelligence). “Then, this past Thursday, Trump issued an executive order committing the Trump administration to ‘protecting and promoting’ the crypto industry: ‘The digital asset industry plays a crucial role in innovation and economic development in the United States, as well as our nation’s international leadership. It is therefore the policy of my administration to support the responsible growth and use of digital assets.’ “The order gives his administration authority to establish a national cryptocurrency stockpile — a stash of digital coins that the crypto industry has spent months lobbying the new administration for because it further legitimizes crypto and adds to the demand for it. “Trump’s order also prohibits the creation of a ‘central bank digital currency’ overseen by the government. And the order promises ‘fair and open access to banking services’ for crypto (responding to complaints from crypto companies that banks have denied them accounts). ‘In effect, Trump is writing the rules for a business venture from which he and his family are personally profiting. It could earn them hundreds of billions of dollars.” Trump’s view that crypto plays “a crucial role in innovation and economic development” is countered by more than 1600 scientists and experts who call both crypto and blockchain a sham.

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Fwd: (1) unread message from Trump
by Gunnar Larson 27 Jan '25

27 Jan '25

Joshua: Thank you for inviting me to Christmas dinner the other year. Your neighbors who are British were so hospitable and today the gift we gave them came up at the pharmacy and I thought of you this afternoon. Joshua, thank you for sending me those $10.00+ PayPals every day for a month just so I could prove something to the FBI. That Christmas and those PayPal transfers really helped. Joshua, thank you for coming by to see Brody. At the time Brody and I were greatlyful that you stook with us after the tech sprint scenario. Joshua, thank you for coming to the apartment just after the Holidays with a 100.00 bill. Linda Lacewell would be proud that her Tech Sprint probably will go down in history as one of New York's most brave attempts to tackle cryptocurrency fraud in an open Tech Sprint format. I think people are upset at how successful our friendship turned into a PayPal success story. Thank you again! Gunnar ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Donald J. Trump <contact(a)support.donaldjtrump.com> Date: Mon, Jan 27, 2025, 3:23 PM Subject: (1) unread message from Trump To: <g(a)xny.io> President Trump needs your support at this very moment. [image: TRUMP] <https://link.donaldjtrump.com/u/click?_t=c26d591425684a3289b90149d613a03c&_…> *$10 <https://link.donaldjtrump.com/u/click?_t=c26d591425684a3289b90149d613a03c&_…>* That’s the small sacrifice I’m asking you to make before my first Official Deadline in office. *$10* because my Administration is being SUED by several states to halt some of my first TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS, and I need to know that you’re still with me! *$10* because my incredible cabinet appointees are under constant attack from the radical left — they need your support! *$10* because our success ahead of this first deadline will set the tone for my ENTIRE administration. I hate sending emails like this, but I wouldn’t be doing it if they didn’t make a huge difference. *I’m counting on you, Gunnar. Please chip in $10 right now to STAND WITH TRUMP >> <https://link.donaldjtrump.com/u/click?_t=c26d591425684a3289b90149d613a03c&_…>* *GIVE $10 <https://link.donaldjtrump.com/u/click?_t=c26d591425684a3289b90149d613a03c&_…>* Thank you and may God bless you, [image: Donald J. Trump Signature Headshot] <https://link.donaldjtrump.com/u/click?_t=c26d591425684a3289b90149d613a03c&_…> Donald J. Trump 47th President of the United States of America Contributions to Trump National Committee JFC Inc. are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. All contributions are subject to the limits and prohibitions of the Federal Election Campaign Act. Contributions from corporations, foreign nationals (i.e., without “green cards”), federal government contractors, and other federally impermissible sources are strictly prohibited. Contributions made in the name of, or refunded by, any other person are unlawful. Paid for by Trump National Committee JFC, Inc., P.O. Box 509, Arlington, VA 22216. Not Authorized by any Candidate or Candidate’s Committee. You are receiving this email at g(a)xny.io. donaldjtrump.com <https://link.donaldjtrump.com/u/click?_t=c26d591425684a3289b90149d613a03c&_…> It’s because of the commitment and support from real Patriots, like YOU, that we will SAVE AMERICA! Thank you again for your generous support. If you'd like to change your subscription status follow this link. <https://link.donaldjtrump.com/e/encryptedConfirmUnsubscribe?_r=c26d59142568…> Privacy Policy <https://link.donaldjtrump.com/u/click?_t=c26d591425684a3289b90149d613a03c&_…>

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